Recent Developments

What barriers existing for healthy eating? Contribute your views to the Countryside Kitchen

Northamptonshire farmer Milly Fyfe is working on an exciting new project called The Countryside Kitchen – a classroom on her farm that’ll offer hands-on workshops to help families learn more about growing, cooking, and eating well.   A survey has just been launched to understand what barriers people face around healthy eating – and Milly is inviting families to take a few minutes to fill it in. Your answers will really help shape the offering from the project.  The survey can be accessed on the link below:

https://groundedresearch.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eKVMWvgGKQP305E

The survey is closing at the end of May – so please feel free to share with friends and family too before then.

Get ready for nature friendly farming week 19 – 25 May

Nature Friendly Farming Week, organised by the Nature Friendly Farming Network, celebrates the evolving role of our farmers.  How can farmers get involved?

Show case what you do beyond food production by sharing a photo on social media – Hold up a clear sign that highlights your role, like “I’m a farmer, and I plant trees”, or “I help store carbon in my soil”, or “I educate children through school visits.”

Record a short video (max. 1min) – Show and explain how your work supports nature, climate, or local communities.

Send your photos and videos to info@nffn.org.uk 

Please use the hashtag: #NFFWeek2025 

If you want to network with like-minded farmers in your area, or need some help and advice with nature friendly farming, then contact Jane for details of how to join your local Sustainable Farming Group.  You can also request a free advisory visit from the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Land Advice team.

Defra seeks farmers to join user panel to help improve their services

Defra is working on improvements to its Farming and Countryside Programme and is seeking farmers who will help them improve their services.  If you express an interest in joining the panel of farmers. you’ll be added you to the Defra insights community. When there’s a research activity Defra think is suitable for you, you’ll be sent you an invitation to take part. You can decide whether to accept or decline. Invitations include: opportunities to speak directly with a Defra researcher testing out prototypes completing short surveys.   You’ll typically be offer an opportunity to comment once every few months.  Read more here.

Baroness Minette Batters to lead a government review of farm profitability

Ex-NFU President Minette Batters has been appointed by Defra to lead the review, which will see the cross-bench peers provide recommendations to the department, aimed at helping to ensure the farming sector is “more viable, self-sustaining and competitive in the long-term”.

In a statement announcing her appointment, Baroness Batters said she will “leave no stone unturned in trying to find solutions to boost farm profitability”, but warned: “We should be under no illusions how difficult this work will be.  There will not be one ‘silver bullet’ to fire but I’m hopeful this review can make a difference to a sector that produces the nation’s food, underpins the rural economy and delivers so much for the environment”, she said.  “I’m pleased to be appointed to lead this review and look forward to working with farmers and growers to provide recommendations to government, food retailers, processors and manufacturers.”

Save your soil with a little help from the Royal Countryside Fund

Why not host a visit during Open Farm Sunday?

Open Farm Sun­day, organised by Linking Environment and Farming, is a fab­u­lous oppor­tu­ni­ty to con­nect farm­ers and the pub­lic to dis­cov­er the cru­cial work farm­ers do pro­duc­ing food, nur­tur­ing nature, and pro­tect­ing the envi­ron­ment for future generations.  This year the event is being held on 8 June.  Open Farm Sunday is your event for you to organise, whether it’s a small farm walk for 30 people or a big open day.   There’s a host of case studies offering ideas and inspiration, top tips and training, plus the OFS team is on hand to offer help and support if you need it.    If you’ve never opened your farm before, why not consider joining Open Farm Sunday in 2025?  Read more here.

Produce and Provide – connecting local farm producers with consumers

Produce and Provide is a website which connects farms who are selling produce from their doorstep to consumers who want to buy good quality local food and drink.  Use the website map to find producers in each area and read farmer profiles.   The website is also forging links with trusted suppliers of equipment and facilities to farmers who want to develop their food producing business.  Farmers can register their business to appear on the map free of charge.  Visit the website on this page.

Please complete the survey on the impacts of losing the services of a small abattoir

Help the Farming Help charities respond effectively by completing their survey

Host your private function at The Hideaway near Leamington Spa

The Hideway is a new private function facility based at Squab Hall in Harbury Lane, located just outside Leamington Spa.    The facility is located within The Hide, a cafe with great coffee, delicious food and a relaxing atmosphere.  The Hideaway is a peaceful seating area, tucked away at the back of the cafe, offering a little escape for the hustle and bustle of life.  It’s perfect for a small gathering such as a private function, book club, classes, charity events or music sessions.

The HIde is open between 8.30am – 3.00pm on Monday to Friday.  Email Becky on thehide@squab.co.uk to chat about your requirements.

Hide and Hide Away Flyer FV 5-2-25

Read how farming can connect with the work of the Warwickshire Lieutenancy

The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire – Tim Cox – is the King’s representative within the county.  Farming is an important part of Warwickshire life and Tim is keen for the Lieutenancy to connect more with the farming community to help them better understand the issues that are facing the farmers today.   The Lieutenancy has four major roles:

1. To assist with Royal visits in the county. Please let Tim know if you have an idea for a visit and he will be pleased to put this forward to the Royal Household.
2. The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is an annual award given for outstanding achievements by groups of volunteers who regularly devote their time to helping others in the community.  If you know of a volunteering group that is really making a difference, the more information about the award and how to nominate the group can be found on the website at kavs.dcms.gov.uk.
3. The Kings Award for Enterprise. This has four categories; international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunities through social mobility.
   Does your business meet one of these criteria?  Tim  would be very happy to put you in touch with the Committee within the Lieutenancy who promote these awards who can assist with any queries that you may have.  Further details can be found on the following website gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise.
4. National Honours. Tim believes there are good candidates from within the farming community in Warwickshire whose names are not being put forward, as there is widespread unawareness of the procedure to be followed.  Honours Nominations Forms and Guidance Notes can be downloaded direct from the Cabinet Office website at gov.uk/honours.

For further information please take look at the Lieutenancy website at  www.lordlieutenantofwarwickshire.co.uk.  To sign up for the Lieutenancy newsletter, please use this link: http://eepurl.com/iRKUcY

Saturday 31 May is the 2025 date for the Kenilworth Show

Following a gap of one year in 2024 due to ground issues, Kenilworth and District Agricultural Society has announced that the Kenilworth Show will return in 2025 on Saturday 31 May.  The Rural Hub looking forward to welcoming you all to our stand!

Healthy Hedgerows – a free rapid assessment survey app

Healthy Hedgerows is a rapid hedgerow health checking survey. By answering a handful of simple questions, this hedgerow health-checker will place each hedge you survey in the hedgerow lifecycle (based on the Adams Hedgerow Management Scale) and give you instant management options. It has been designed for farmers and landowners who would like to understand their whole hedge network and create a hedge management plan at the farm scale.  Read more and download the app on this page of the People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ website.

Sign up for flood alerts with the Environment Agency

The Environment Agency is urging people to check their risk of flooding and sign up for free flood alerts and warnings. The service will tell you:

• current flood warnings or alerts
• river, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels
• your flood risk in the next 5 days

If you want to know if there’s surface water flooding (also known as ‘flash flooding’) in your area you will need to contact your local council.  Visit this page to learn more.

Break free from environmental jargon with the Royal Countryside Fund glossary of terms

The Royal Countryside Fund has created A-Zero: A farmer’s guide to breaking free from environmental jargon. The booklet is aimed at farmers and hopes to ensure that the ambitions around improving the management of the UK’s environment are accessible to all.  Visit this page to download the booklet.

Measure your farm performance with the AHDB KPI Express

Understanding how your farm business is performing is critical. It’s fundamental to making decisions on how to improve performance. It helps you know where you are now, supports setting future targets and seeing how actual performance measures up against these targets.  A new tool from AHDB provides a core set of Key Performance Indicators to use as the starting point to understand how your farm business is performing.   Visit this page to use the KPI Express tool.

Agricultural transition – watch a PCF webinar on getting ready for change

Prince’s Countryside Fund and McDonald’s hosted a webinar on 9 March 2021 which covered what’s happening in England under Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan, what this means in practical terms for farmers and simple next steps that farm businesses can take to prepare themselves.   The webinar was delivered by Kite Consultants who also answered questions on the agricultural transition from farm businesses.  McDonald’s and PCF hosted this webinar as part of their Ready for Change programme. Aimed at farmers who’ve participated in The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, Ready for Change equips farm businesses with the tools to adapt their activities and make sensible, informed decisions about their businesses. Since September 2020, 37 farm businesses have taken part in the workshop.  You can watch a recording of the webinar on this page.  

Recycle your farm plastic with the Green Tractor scheme

Green Tractor’s aim is to provide UK agriculture with the ability to recycle all farm plastic by 2030.  They operate on a not-for-profit basis.  The Green Tractor Scheme provides sustainable solutions for plastic used across all sectors of agriculture in the UK. The scheme is primarily focused on the collection and processing of waste farm plastic. Although agricultural plastics only represent 3% of the total plastics used in the UK, it is important that this high-profile sector continues to improve producer responsibility.   The Green Tractor Scheme covers the significant majority of the UK’s collectors and provides shared responsibility for farm plastic across the entire supply chain. The first plastic recycling survey shows that 19,974 tonnes of plastic was collected in 2018 and 24,149 tonnes was collected in 2019. Most of the plastic was sent for recycling with only 4% going to landfill.  To find out how to join the scheme please visit the Green Tractor website.  

New bank Oxbury is launched which puts farmers first

Working towards net zero emissions for beef farmers

Farming for a Better Climate has produced some practical guides on how farmers can reduce carbon emissions from beef production.  Visit this page to read the guides.

Nature Friendly Farming Network publish a guide to net zero carbon in farming

Net zero carbon refers to achieving an overall balance between emissions produced and emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Achieving net zero is required to meet the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global temperatures below a 1.5°C rise above pre-industrial levels.  To achieve the scale of change needed, action must be taken now to reduce emissions and lay the foundations for the longer-term transformation required.  In order to help farmers achieve net zero targets Nature Friendly Farming Network has created a practical guide for farmers.