Category: South East Farmer Articles

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship have become considerably more appealing after the government released new  information about the schemes. Kevin Jay digests the detail… Increased payment rates, up to 50 additional ‘actions’ and a single application service for SFI and Countryside Stewardship (CS) Mid-Tier payments were among the promises made by DEFRA […]

Entering a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) or Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme provides an ideal opportunity to undertake a whole-farm cost review, explains CLM’s Oli Pilbeam. “£673/ha? I may as well put my entire farm down for that.” That’s a comment I’ve heard a lot over the past 12 months. It’s true, some of the SFI […]

Farmers and landowners are being advised to check that their insurance cover reflects risks they face and that they are not over-paying on their premiums. “The nature of businesses, and therefore the risks they carry, is changing rapidly,” said Matthew Berryman, director with farm business consultancy CLM. He explained that with more and more farmers […]

Some key messages for farmers have been highlighted by a CLM-run project in Ashdown Forest, as farm and environment consultant Harrison Anton explains The second application window for DEFRA’s Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme opened recently.  A key part of the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS), this aims to help the environment by funding large-scale projects […]

Recent weeks have seen the Government release more details about the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS). Firstly, it was the improved payment rates for the Countryside Stewardship (CS) and Sustainable Farming Incentives (SFI) schemes and, secondly, a very… very long document (91 pages, if you were to press print) setting out a clearer picture for […]

With the ‘market’ for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) rapidly emerging, South East Farmer hears from farm and environment consultant Anthony Weston about the options and one Sussex scheme with which he’s involved. Demand for BNG provision is growing rapidly and agreements are already being struck. Estimates of the total annual BNG requirement vary widely, with  […]

If you have a vineyard or viticulture business – or are thinking about establishing one – it’s likely you’ll come into contact with the planning authorities at some point. It can feel like an intimidating prospect, but keeping a few key considerations in mind will guide you. Read the full article here……

The market for biodiversity net gain (BNG) is rapidly emerging, heralding a potentially lucrative opportunity for farmers and landowners. Estimates of the total annual BNG requirement vary widely. Some reports are suggesting 7,000 ‘units’, while others put it at 7,000ha, an area that has the potential of generating between 20,000 and 40,000 ‘units’. We’re already […]

One of the joys of my 25 years as a consultant has been seeing new people come into the profession and progress their careers. There is, quite rightly, much talk in the farming industry about how we should do more collectively to promote careers in agriculture. It’s important that we clearly communicate the advantages of […]

“Fair doesn’t necessarily mean equal” is a phrase I find myself frequently using when discussing succession. With the value of a farm usually intrinsically tied up in the assets required to run the business, any attempt to release capital by selling assets (in practise, often land) can sometimes undermine the business. So a determination to […]

The clue was always in the name.  The Environment Act, which recently became law and sets out the post-Brexit policy framework for farming, was always going to be more about the environment that it was about agriculture. Watching the terrible scenes unfold in Ukraine over recent weeks has remined us all of how lucky we […]

There is now more reason than ever to consider entering a Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme, with the long-awaited revision of rates recently announced. While Environment Secretary George Eustice’s suggestion that the new payments represent a 30% rise seems a tad optimistic, the figures for many options have increased – and in some cases substantially.   […]

Well, what a superb event the Vineyard & Winery Show was – well attended, well organised and with a buoyant, buzzy atmosphere. It was heartening to see visitors so excited about the future and, while the topics under discussion were varied, one subject came up repeatedly – how the practise of leasing land is likely […]

Meet one of CLM’s farm and environment consultants – Georgina Wallis……

Decision Vision An expression I’ve often used in my consultancy career is “If in doubt, do nowt”. Faced with uncertainty, sometimes the right answer is to do nothing.  But for many farmers, at the moment, it is not the best approach. Yes, thee are many unknows at present.  Clients don’t know what the government’s policy […]

I’ve been enjoying watching Clarkson’s Farm.  In fact, I haven’t spoken to anyone – even those not involved in agriculture – who hasn’t. Yes, he sometimes acts the fool, but the show convincingly conveys how tough agriculture is and highlights the challenges farmers face – whether that’s technical, mechanical, meteorological or bureaucratic. One scene that particularly struck […]

Instinct and experience are crucial in farming, but you need accurate information, too. In practice, many farmers lack this, making it almost impossible to make informed decisions, and right now they need to be making these more than ever before. A lot of businesses are at a crossroads, with the phasing out of BPS, the […]

Readers over a certain age might remember a BT ad featuring the catchphrase: “It’s good to talk”. It was encouraging us, in a pre-mobile era, to pick up the telephone, but the adage remains apt – and no more so than when it comes to succession planning. This is a tough topic to address, but […]

In the end the finale was something of a disappointment. Fifteen years after my appointment as Executor for the administration of what has felt like a modern-day version of Jarndyce & Jarndyce (the long-running legal dispute in Dickens’ Bleak House), we sat in splendid isolation on a Zoom conference. We listened to learned gentlemen debate […]

There has been much talk recently about the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Billed as a ‘stepping stone’ scheme for English farmers, bridging the 2022-2024 gap ahead of the introduction of the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS), it hit the headlines in September. DEFRA Secretary of State George Eustice has, however, been making reference to […]