FARMERS across Somerset and Exmoor have been given an extra week to gain support through the Farm for the Future programme.

The Royal Countryside Fund initiative is designed to help them navigate the processes and better understand policy changes that can affect their livelihoods going forward.

More than 95 per cent of participants say they now have increased confidence in their ability to plan for the future.

The scheme has been run for the last two years, providing one-to-one support with the Royal Countryside Fund. Having already helped more than 1,600 farmers in England to gain access to help with the incentive, an increase in sign ups has meant the charity was prompted to extend the deadline until Monday, October 7.

The Royal Countryside Fund, in collaboration with Exmoor Hill Farming Network, offers one-on-one guidance and workshops to enhance confidence and build resilience for sustainable income.

Farmers face a range of issues everyday, relating to climate change, water quality, animal health, and soil erosion, as well as rising costs, along with the challenging and consistently changing landscape of policy.

The Royal Countryside Fund was established in 2010 as the only UK-wide charity focusing on the unique challenges that farmers experience. It was founded in recognition of the unprecedented pace of social, economic and environmental change contributing to the countryside’s steady decline, with rural incomes falling, a loss of local services and amenities, rising costs for farmers, increasing isolation and mental health issues.

It has also invested over £12million in more than 500 community-led projects since it was founded.

Aimed at farmers who received the Basic Payment Scheme in England, Farm for the Future provides workshops and a one-to-one meeting for every participating farm, to guide them on SFI and other opportunities, and improve profitability and resilience.through ongoing agricultural transition.

Michael Bullen, Farm for the Future programme manager at The Royal Countryside Fund, said: “The Farm for the Future programme has been incredibly well received so far so we wanted to give farmers across North Devon, Exmoor and Somerset a final chance to sign up and take advantage of this funded support. The Royal Countryside Fund, as a charity, is able to give this advice entirely impartially, and we aim to provide ongoing support to Farm for the Future farmers long after the programme has ended.”

A farmer who attended sessions had said of the programme: “One of the key things I’ve got out of the programme was learning more about the SFI opportunities – I’ve now got all the paperwork ready to go. It’s beneficial to be in discussion groups with open-minded people willing to discuss ideas as well as giving everyone an outlook for the future.”

Workshops for Farm for the Future will be delivered until December 2024.

For more information and to express an interest in taking part, please contact Katherine Williams, at Exmoor Hill Farming Network call 07970 795 808 or email [email protected].