23 farms in and around the Tamar Valley, covering approx. 2900ha have been approved for funding from DEFRA through the Farm Facilitation Fund as a farm cluster. The farms form a significant part of the Stoke Climsland parish and the Luckett Stream catchment area and they will focus on biodiversity and water quality for the next 3 years. This focus will have a significant impact on improving nature and biodiversity in the area.
Farmers and land managers do a lot for the rural environment, but there is only so much that an individual, acting in isolation, can achieve on their own. By working together, helped by an advisor or ‘facilitator’, farmers and land managers can work more cohesively together in their locality. This enables them to collectively deliver greater benefits for soil, water and wildlife at a landscape scale.
Farmers in the Stoke Climsland Farm Cluster will work cooperatively to create connected, wildlife rich corridors across our farmed landscape and to minimise our impact on the water that flows through our land into the Tamar River. It is facilitated by the Westcountry Rivers Trust and supported by Sarah Richardson, Farming Advisor for the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme.
Sarah explains:
“We are bringing these farmers together to learn and share best practise through a series of training days, events, social meetings and talks. So far, the group have had a session on herbal leys, which is a seed mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs that bring a range of benefits to forage, livestock health and soil fertility. They’ve had a visit from the Farm Carbon Toolkit to discuss baseline surveys, and how members can measure biodiversity on their farms, enabling them to take steps to improve their biodiversity on farm. We have also had the opportunity to learn more about Green Finance and how it is developing. Our latest Farm Cluster meeting looked at some of the schemes that are on offer to farmers now including Countryside Stewardship, Sustainable Farming Incentive, Tree planting grants (EWCO) and Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL).”
More sessions are planned including an opportunity for members to work with Pasture for Life.
