Sustainable farmingPractical support for sustainable farming
Meet the local groups helping farmers make practical changes that work on real farms.
Support for sustainable farming in Warwickshire
The three Sustainable Farming Groups are working across the county to bring farmers and land managers together in localised areas to make practical changes that support and enhance nature, soil health, and water quality while maintaining productive, resilient farm businesses for the future.
They provide a great opportunity to share knowledge, experience and best practice as well as learn from sector experts.
Across Warwickshire, Coventry, and Solihull, there are three key local groups you can join:
- Arden Farm Wildlife Network
- Leam and Upper Avon Sustainable Farming Group
- South Warwickshire Sustainable Farming Group
Together, they are helping farmers respond to the big challenges facing farming today – from climate resilience and fluctuating agri-environment schemes to harnessing nature and habitat creativity. The focus is always grounded in real farms and real decision-making: improving outcomes for wildlife and the wider landscape, while protecting the viability of the business.
What the groups do
Importantly, the groups are farmer-led with members choosing the topics covered. Each group has a dedicated facilitator who organises events within these topics, such as specialist talks, farm walks and hands-on workshops and demonstrations.
Groups are free to join and members are supported to:
- Build knowledge and confidence in managing on-farm habitats
- Improve soil health, water management and biodiversity
- Access funding that can support on-farm change and landscape-scale projects
- Make changes that support resilience and long-term productivity
- Find trusted advice and signposting on environmental opportunities and support
Alongside events, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Agricultural Advisory Team supports the groups with one-to-one advice for farmers. They can also provide practical advice on improving biodiversity and wildlife habitats for farmers and landowners across Warwickshire, Coventry, and Solihull.
The groups are run in partnership between Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Warwickshire Rural Hub, Severn Rivers Trust and two independent facilitators. The breadth of experience and backgrounds across food, farming and environmental work bring a variety of complementary skills. The close work of the partnership means Sustainable Farming Group members receive greater benefits and support.
Endorsement from a group member
“The information and experience sharing, as well as having input from speakers and experts, takes us in different directions which is vital to our business adaptation and survival. A large proportion of our group events are held on members’ farms with similar soils and conditions to our own, so we see what is happening in practice which gives us the confidence and reassurance to take it to our own farm and tweak it to our system as required.”
Joining the groups
To join a group, contact Warwickshire Rural Hub and tell us where you farm and which area you’re in.
The groups are free to join, and are designed specifically for farmers and land managers, so the sessions stay practical and relevant.
Each group also has a WhatsApp group where members can ask questions and discuss topics between themselves and their facilitator.
To find out more about what the groups have been up to and upcoming events, please take a look at the latest newsletter.
Feedback from a member about a recent event.I would just like to say thank you to everyone connected with the rainwater harvesting event. I found it extremely helpful and interesting. The event gave me the answers I have been looking for and raised a few far more important ones that I haven’t considered. Refreshments were very welcome, and the venue was ideal.
About the three groups
Arden Farm Wildlife Network
Established in 2018, the Arden Farm Wildlife Network (AFWN) now has over 50 active members covering 12,000 hectares of land across the north and west of the county.
After 8 successful years of events and training, the AFWN has now evolved to focus on landscape-scale projects, linking the efforts of individual farmers to create bigger, better and more joined-up natural habitats that support farmland birds, pollinators and native mammals. The group aims to continue to upskill and empower its members, enhancing farm resilience and promoting sustainable practices.
To support this, the region has been divided into three key areas – North Arden, Central Arden and West Arden – each with localised objectives to guide project planning and delivery and champion nature’s recovery.
Objectives include:
- Water quality
- River corridors
- Trees in the landscape
- Hedgerows
- Soil health
- Wildflower meadows
- Ponds
- Buffer strips
Leam and Upper Avon Sustainable Farming Group
Launched in 2021, the Leam and Upper Avon Sustainable Farming Group (LUASFG) is facilitated in partnership with Severn Rivers Trust, encompassing the eastern region of the county towards the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire borders. The group has grown to now have more than 30 members covering over 6,000 hectares of farmland and is establishing contiguous stretches of farmland that can create connectivity for wildlife across the area. Farmers in this group are keen to learn more about implementing regenerative farming practices and creating resilient businesses. section
Events have included:
- Farm walks looking at summer catch crops, flower rich margins, herbal leys and hedgerow management.
- Talks on the farm carbon toolkit, farm diversification and soil health.
- Owl pellet dissection workshops, butterfly walks and bird ringing demonstrations.
- An event to showcase local and national funding available in the area.
Support: Severn Rivers Trust helps enable the group’s work by providing a facilitator.
Funding and opportunities: Funding and projects available for farmers in the Leam Catchment are listed here:
South Warwickshire Sustainable Farming Group
The South Warwickshire Sustainable Farming Group began in 2021 and has rapidly grown into a well-established network, reflecting the strong demand for practical, farmer-led events. Covering the southern region of the county down to – and including a small part of the Cotswolds National Landscape – it has grown to over 50 members with ownership of nearly 12,000 hectares of land across the region.
The group covers interests from soil health, cover crops and reducing inputs to managing your farm for increased insect and bird populations. Members value the peer learning and opportunity to share experiences, and from this can introduce any new practices with confidence and support.
Events have included:
- Tours of Overbury Estate’s regenerative agriculture with Jake Freestone, Lamport AgX’s arable trial plots, and FarmED
- Introduction to Exchange Market’s payment scheme for arable farmers
- Farm walks on growing without glyphosate, reducing inputs through introducing sheep into an arable system, wildflower meadows, and butterfly identification
- Talks on understanding soil chemistry to manage Warwickshire clay, the benefits of agri-environment schemes to insect populations, and how healthy hedgerows support your farm
- Practical sessions on assessing soil health using AHDB’s Soil Health Scorecard, and using the Healthy Hedgerows app
Feedback from a member after a recent eventI found the recent webinar with Defra excellent. The chief officer for designing the ELMS standards and the other Defra staff were able to answer all my questions in a most helpful way.