Diversification

Farmers and landowners in England can now run pop-up campsites for up to 60 days per year without the need to apply for additional planning permission, which Pitchup.com said could offer a lifeline to struggling rural communities.

To support diversity and biodiversity on their Shropshire farm, Mark and Liz Lea planted a woodland in February this year, supported by the Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods scheme.

You will almost certainly have heard some mention of Natural Capital (NC) by now as it has been the hot topic of the year so far for most of our landowner or farming clients. Through this article, Birketts explores what NC is, and also where you might expect to be able to obtain funding to support any NC projects you might have in mind.

A new funding package to boost the rural economy fails to mention the future of permitted development rights, a camping specialist has said.

Growers at a farm in Angus have developed an award-winning gin which reduces reliance on synthetic fertilisers and is grown, harvested, and distilled on site.

At the recent Farm to Fork Summit at No10 Downing Street, attended by Clarkson’s Farm stars Kaleb Cooper and ‘Cheerful’ Charlie Ireland, the Prime Minister set out ambitions to cut down red tape and make it easier for UK farmers to diversify their incomes, such as by converting farm buildings into shops or restaurants.

Biodiversity is an increasingly hot topic within the agricultural sector. Stuart Holm, arable farmer and outreach manager at the Woodland Trust, shares his approach to improving farm resilience and biodiversity on his land.

Having sold his international pig breeding business in 2014, Jeremy Barber and his wife Sarah diversified into holiday lets and have managed to achieve consistently high bookings and customer reviews. We spoke to them to find out the secret to their success.

Farmers in England could miss out on much-needed revenue from agritourism this year due to the UK’s planning system failing to deliver decisions on time, according to outdoor accommodation specialist Pitchup.com.

At a conference hosted by Scrutton Bland earlier this year, Kerriann McLackland from the Environment Bank talked about the various ways farmers can capitalise on creating and selling biodiversity net gain (BNG) units to developers, while still receiving income from BPS and environmental schemes.

A Scottish farmer with a passion for nature has created a 100-acre wildlife corridor by transforming his land with new, native broadleaf trees through The Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods scheme. Increasing farm biodiversity was core to Chris’ project goals.

As British farms increasingly look to generate new income streams, Farmers Guide spoke to Gloucestershire farmer Rees Keene about how he juggles multiple diversifications including pumpkins, Christmas trees, a farm shop, catering and hosting events.