Farm staff 'let down' by green fund closure

A government decision to close a green funding scheme will mean Dorset farms will struggle to achieve sustainable practices, a farmland trust has said.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), saying it would not accept any new applications.

The Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT) said its sites at both Baber's Farm in Marshwood Vale, and Bere Marsh Farm near Shillingstone, were due to submit SFI applications in the coming weeks.

Elaine Spencer-White, farm manager at Bere Marsh Farm, said staff felt let down by the decision.

SFI pays farmers in England to manage land to protect soil, restore hedgerows and boost nature recovery.

The government said it had been a success, with 37,000 funding agreements agreed.

The CRT said the work at Bere Marsh Farm was to include floodplain meadow restoration, species-rich grassland management and restoration, as well as general hedge management and maintenance of the areas between fields for barn owls.

Helena Darragh, the trust's head of conservation, said: "The floodplain meadow one is the real frustration, given that 97% of floodplain meadows have gone since 1960s.

"Babers' application would have included restoration towards species-rich grassland at Harmshay and hedgerow management.

"Those are the critical habitat management works, which we will either have to self-fund, not do for a year or more, or find alternative ways of supporting."

Elaine Spencer-White, farm manager at Bere Marsh Farm, said seasonal work had already been carried out at the site to meet the funding requirements.

"Now the funding has been withdrawn, the charity will have to cover the costs, which will, in turn, prevent us undertaking other projects to improve sustainability on the farm," she explained.

She said the work was carried out in "good faith".

"Something else will now have to be sacrificed, which is deeply disappointing," she said.

"If farmers are being encouraged to adopt more sustainable practices, they can't do it without the necessary funding."

Head of Estates Kerriann McLackland said the lack of funds would mean bearing the cost of "nature friendly farming directly from charitable funds, meaning we are less able to do things such as educational work".

The government has said it is still committed to paying £5bn over two years for sustainable farming and nature recovery work.

It added that a "new and improved" SFI, with a capped budget, would be set up, but details would not be announced until later in the year.

You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.