Farm Diversity - Issue 8

FARMDIVERSITY

FARM SHOPS AND MARKETS BUCK NATIONAL FRUIT & VEG SHORTAGE

UK’S BEST FARM RETAILERS REVEALED

CARBON SOIL PROJECT CREATES NEW INCOME STREAM FOR POST-BREXIT FARMING

all and welcome to Farm Diversity magazine.

But while we can take stock of the joy that traditional farming can bring, the stark reality for most is that diversification is now essential to bring home the proverbial bacon.

That’s where we come in.

Every edition of our magazine features business ideas and news of products and services that can help you diversify your income stream from traditional farming. We don’t stop there, we have case study features from those who have done it and made it a success, that might just inspire you to follow suit.

However, diversification projects can be fraught with pitfalls, so don’t rush in. Agricultural business experts from accountancy firm Saffery Champness have warned that there can be a range of things you may not have considered including insurance liabilities, business rates and other unintended consequences which may have a significant impact on your tax position.

Martyn Dobinson, Partner, Saffery Champness, and a member of the firm’s Land and Rural Practice Group, says: “Proper advice should be sought at an early stage and the potential risks and issues of diversification projects should be explored at the outset, not only to assess a project’s viability, but also to assess the impact on other operations and any unintended tax consequences.

“It’s important to undertake thorough market research to ensure that there is a market for the new service or product, to assess the competition and to ensure that revenue and profit expectations are robust. The initial investment required, and expected return thereon, should be thoroughly assessed to ensure that the diversification project is viable. What about unexpected increases in costs? Other new entrants into the market? Sensitivity analysis should be performed on budgets and forecasts to assess the impact on the proposed new business.”

But don’t let the red tape put you off entirely. In this edition, and our previous magazines, you’ll see that great things can be achieved to spread the risk of farming and significantly boost your income in the process.

I hope you enjoy our magazine and if you have any feedback or want to be featured please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Is springtime your favourite season? Those of you with livestock should be enjoying all the new life coming to your barns and fields and those with arable farms should be reaping the benefits of the improved weather over the coming weeks and months.

IN THIS ISSUE...

8

Farm shops and markets buck national fruit & veg shortage

Farm shops and farmers markets have experienced increased demand, partly due to the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in some supermarkets in recent weeks.

12

Carbon soil project creates new income stream for post-Brexit farming

18

e-Trak - the British-made electric utility vehicle set to revolutionise the market Designers of the off-road electric utility vehicle with autonomous capability are now taking orders for their game-changing creation. 30

Creating a new business model for UK Farming - Blaston Farm is selling carbon certificates by directly measuring soil organic carbon gains, validating regenerative agriculture practices and providing a pathway for British farmers to profitably transition to be climate positive.

Meet the youngest vineyard owners in the country West Sussex couple diversify family farm into high end wine and food destination.

Research Reveals UK Farmers Are Still at Risk from Unsafe Digging Practices

Two Thirds of Farmers Know Someone Who Has Hit an Underground Pipe or Cable

Two thirds (67 percent) of UK agricultural workers know someone that has struck an underground pipe or cable whilst digging, according to new research. 11 percent of these incidents ended in injury, with 3 percent resulting in fatality.

The vast bulk (85 percent) of the time there was significant damage to the underground asset, whilst the impact on the local community was also substantial. Over a quarter (26 percent) of incidents led to business disruption, flooding (17 percent), traffic disruption (8 percent), fall out with local residents (4 percent) and total evacuation (1 percent). Further to this, of all instances, 8 percent caused environmental damage, and 3 percent ended in significant fines.

The study, which was commissioned amongst more than 100 farmers in the UK by leading online safe digging resource LSBUD, reveals the scale of digging activity taking place on farms across the country. 57 percent of UK farmers are doing considerable excavation on their land at least once a month. 11 percent stated that they are doing so daily, with a further 11 percent suggesting they are operating on a weekly basis.

Sarah Lee, Director of Policy, Countryside Alliance said: “The results from this survey show we could reduce the amount of digging accidents by undertaking a simple check of what underground assets are below. I know there are competing pressures and deadlines but taking five minutes to ensure we know what is below can ensure the

safety of those working and minimise disruption for local communities.”

To go with the volume, the depth of the excavation is also significant. Nearly two thirds (62 percent) of UK agriculture workers are digging down three feet or more. Indeed, one quarter of all projects are reaching depths of more than six foot.

Richard Broome, MD at LSBUD, comments: “Having two thirds of farmers either hitting a pipe or cable themselves, or knowing someone that has, is quite scary. People are unnecessarily putting themselves at risk, when a twominute search could help save their life.

“Something that people forget is that in the UK we have pipelines carrying substances ranging from chemicals to oil - all likely to be at a very high pressure. These pipelines are often buried just two to three feet below the surface, and the majority of the farmers we spoke to are operating in this depth range, and deeper. Care and consideration must be factored in when putting a digger bucket, fence post or even spade into the ground. That said, even deep agricultural groundworks and the impact of heavy machinery at crossing points must be considered.”

With modern farming machinery, the ability to break ground faster and deeper than ever increases the risk of putting any worker in danger each time a farming operation is carried out. Despite the risks, 25 percent of UK farmers admit that they do not check for the whereabouts of underground

pipes and cables before digging. Furthermore, of those that do, 40 percent simply ask a colleague.

While 36 percent of those who check do use an online portal, this amounts to just 8 percent of farmers overall.

When asked why they don’t use an online system, 79 percent state that they don’t need to as they know the location of each underground asset on their land. 19 percent said it takes too long, and 11 percent thought it would be too expensive. Four percent stated that they simply weren’t worried about hitting an underground pipe or cable.

Richard Broome continues: “As a team dedicated to helping anyone across the country dig safely, and for free, we find this sentiment worrying to say the least. Almost four fifths of those surveyed felt there was no need to search before digging because they know their land. Whilst this might be true, can you be too careful? Does everyone undertaking such works on your land have the same knowledge? Could the assets have changed depth

since installation? Does your approach change when farming new land parcels or contracting for other farmers? What can our team do to help change this and help the broad range of farmers across the UK understand this risk before it is too late?”

With 11 percent of the farmers we spoke admitting to having no idea what underground assets where beneath their land, a free, twominute search should be a vital part of any digging project.

Broome concludes: “To that four percent of agricultural workers who ‘aren’t worried’ about hitting pipes and cables, I urge you to reconsider. This research, from the industry, confirms that such strikes cause injury and sometimes even death. Let’s stay safe and always search before you dig.

To find out more about LSBUD, visit www.lsbud. co.uk. To watch LSBUD’s Explosion Awareness video in collaboration with the fencing contractor who went viral in June for knocking a fence post through a high-pressure gas pipeline, click here

Image courtesy of LSBUD Piling

Soil Association criticises Government’s net zero inaction

Speaking out on what was dubbed ‘Green Day’ in March, the association said it was ‘disappointed to see inaction on decarbonising the UK’s farming sector’.

C

ommenting on the revised plans to reach net zero drawn up after the High Court ruled the government’s existing plans were not sufficient to meet its climate targets, Soil Association Head of Farming Policy Gareth Morgan said: “It’s shocking that the government’s so-called ‘Green Day’ brings zero in the way of new policies to transform 70% of the UK –its farmland.

“This is even more concerning the day after the Climate Change Committee revealed the failure to prepare the UK for climate change.

“Why is the government failing to implement the best solutions for reaching net zero? Farmers are on the front line dealing with increasingly volatile weather, and they hold so many answers through agroecological, nature-friendly farming like organic.

“A key solution is combining trees with crops and livestock in agroforestry. More trees on farms would capture carbon and provide a habitat for our depleted wildlife. They also boost farm resilience through shade, shelter and healthy soils that capture carbon and protect against floods and

drought.

“Government must incentivise a farmer-led tree revolution and a wholefarm focus on restoring soil to absorb rather than release carbon, using the example already being set by agroecological and organic farmers across the country.”

But the government claimed it was offering greater support for farmers to calculate and reduce their emissions.

It said it had responded to calls from the farming sector for more support to open up multi-billion pound opportunities for farmers and landowners in the carbon market through a commitment to develop a new harmonised approach for measuring on farm emissions.

The announcement, from the government’s Net Zero

Growth Plan and Nature Markets

Framework follows on from a call for evidence on the role of robust monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions on farms.

Whilst there are already numerous tools on the market for farmers to assess their emissions, inconsistency in the results has led to low

confidence from industry and low uptake. By developing a harmonised methodology and setting out by 2024 how farmers will be supported to measure their emissions, the government can help the agricultural sector reduce emissions across the supply chain – including from livestock, nutrient management, and farm equipment.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “As well as producing food for our tables, farmers and land managers can play a key role in helping the UK achieve net zero.

“We’ve been listening to the farming sector, and the measures announced today will not only help them to calculate their carbon footprint, but also open up new financial opportunities, such as combining private commercial opportunities with our new farming schemes support.”

There is also a huge opportunity for farmers to access private sector funding for delivering positive outcomes for nature, which is why the government is also accelerating the growth of these nature markets through the Nature Markets Framework.

The framework will support nature markets to grow in a way that makes them fair, effective and accessible to farmers. Alongside this, the Green Finance Institute will develop an online toolkit to help farmers identify and access private payments for environmental benefits.

The government is also looking at how farmers can be given better advice to access nature markets, by supporting farmers to access advice through the Landscape Recovery development phase and are looking at how we facilitate collaboration through Countryside Stewardship.

This will help farmers to access the more than £1 billion per year that the government is seeking to raise in private finance for nature’s recovery by 2030, and build on the projects which are already in place

The measures will complement the existing support that the government has in place to help the agricultural sector reach net zero. This includes support through Environmental Land Management schemes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farms.

Image: iStock

Farm Shops and Markets Buck National Fruit & Veg Shortage

As supermarkets continue to ration some fresh produce after bad weather in north Africa and southern Europe hit crops, the Farm Retail Association has reported a brighter outlook for customers of farm shops and farmers’ markets.

Farm shops and farmers’ markets, with their focus on locally produced produce, are still able to offer customers a full range of fruit and vegetables, thanks to their short supply chains.

Among the farmers’ markets benefiting from increased footfall is Lavenham in Suffolk, which has seen a 30 per cent increase in visitor numbers since the start of the year.

Farm Retail Association chairman Emma Mosey said: “The current issue really underlines the importance of being able to buy local produce. Our members sell vegetables that they either grow themselves or sourced from nearby growers so when there are issues further

afield, they can step into the breach. Not only does this reduce food miles, it also ensures support for the smaller businesses which play a vital role in food production in the UK.”

“Farm retailers are also happy to pay producers fair prices, even in times of hardship. They always put both the customer and the producer at the heart of what they do, and because of this, their shelves and customer’s baskets are full.”

The bad weather resulted in supply chain issues for supermarkets with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce and left some supermarket shelves empty, prompting the Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, to suggest that people should focus on eating UK produced seasonal vegetables, such as turnips.

Sandra Woodfall, the farmers market representative on the FRA Council, agreed: “Shoppers should embrace the opportunity to consider the seasons when choosing

what to buy. Farmers Markets offer a great opportunity to do this – not purely fruit and vegetables but also fish, game etc., Some of the growing seasons have been extended in the UK because of tunnel grown items or items grown under glass.

“Many of the real farmers markets in the UK have been running for a number of years now and are working to a set of criteria to help with traceability of items, seasonality, reducing food miles and the person behind the stall being involved in the production of the item.

“Throughout COVID the farmers markets and stallholders, many who are very small businesses, adapted to the changing circumstances and offered home delivery schemes of their items and offered a vital service when people most needed it.” She said footfall in 2023 had remained good, with shoppers wanting to support local producers and learn more about the items they were purchasing.

Farm shops and farmers markets have experienced increased demand, partly due to the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in some supermarkets in recent weeks.

Image: iStock

Somerset-based BioFactory are developing a modular anaerobic digester which can be scaled to any size of dairy farm. The company has been working with precision engineering and innovation experts Agri-EPI Centre, to develop and refine their system with a view to bringing it to the market.

Whereas anaerobic digesters – which ferment organic matter to produce biogas for heat and power generation – are well established in the industry, systems are often too costly and high-maintenance for most family farms.

Agri-EPI Centre have helped BioFactory access funding, provided technical assistance, and introduced them to potential funders and advice to help them scale their product and sell it to dairy producers.

Having won funding from Innovate UK and Defra for a 12-month feasibility study via the Farming Innovation Programme, BioFactory are now raising working capital to commercialise the company fully, while Agri-EPI Centre continues to provide analysis and consultancy.

Charlie Bowyer, business development manager for livestock and aquaculture at Agri-EPI Centre, said: “Slurry is nutrientrich, and returning it to the soil is a vital part of circular agriculture. Anaerobic digestion is a great way to add value to it whilst retaining nutrients, reducing GHG emissions and becoming more energyindependent.

“Digestate has long been recognised as a high-quality fertiliser, and the heat and power created from biogas can create a

Making an asset from farm waste

meaningful income for farmers or reduce their energy bills. Commercial AD systems are simply out of reach for most dairy farms due to capital and operational costs, as well as barriers such as planning permission and a changed subsidy landscape since the “AD-boom” of the early 2010s.

“Working with young companies like BioFactory is Agri-EPI Centre’s bread and butter; helping them develop a good idea into a successful business and providing solutions to farmers at the same time.”

Jon Blake, chief commercial officer at BioFactory, said:

“If you’re a dairy farmer, you will always have slurry, but we can help turn it into an asset rather than a by-product. There is nothing to say that we can’t resolve farming’s impact on the environment as well. Our ethos is to build something simple and reliable for the dairy farmer. Our units are 40’-long shipping containers and easily scaled; if you want to increase your herd, you can simply add another reactor.

“We were so lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Our young company had been waylaid by Covid-19 when we came across a pot of funding for developing technology to help with net zero targets. Agri EPI-Centre helped us get hold of our grant and develop our product in real-life farming conditions.

“Even though the initial 12-month project has concluded, we are so pleased to continue our relationship with Charlie and his colleagues on laboratory analysis of the biodigestate, and with others at Agri-EPI Centre who are helping us with leveraging further funding and sales contracts.”

A young company is working on a new way for farmers to make money from slurry

Images courtesy of BioFactory

UK visitor attractions supporting more British farmers

Family attractions in the UK are serving more local ingredients and British meat despite battling with rising ingredient costs and staff shortages, according to a Soil Association investigation.

The food and farming charity has ranked 16 of the UK’s leading attractions in a new league table after an army of “secret diner” parents helped to assess the quality

of food on offer.

The Out to Lunch campaign found that nine of the attractions are sourcing local ingredients and that half of them are

sourcing 100% British meat compared to a third in 2018 when the investigation last visited.

Good examples of local sourcing

included Cornish meat at the Eden Project, a large variety of Scottish produce at both Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and Kelvingrove, and Chester Zoo won points for sourcing meat and dairy from Cheshire and the Ribble Valley.

Soil Association Head of Food Policy

Rob Percival said: “We are really pleased to see visitor attractions supporting local, British farmers. Some of these attractions are really leading the way in sourcing ingredients that are not only British but produced on their doorsteps in their local area. It is particularly encouraging to see this when we know caterers deal with rising prices, staff shortages and supply chain disruption. It is a testament both to the efforts of the attractions, and to the quality of British products.”

Becky Fenner, Eden’s Hospitality Manager, said: “We are delighted to have come top of the Out to Lunch league table. The Eden Project’s mission centres around building relationships between people and the planet to demonstrate the power of working together for the benefit of all living things. Central to this is our food story. We explore ways to deliver Earth-friendly food at scale using a food system rather than a food product approach, finding ways of producing food in a regenerative

system that is climate positive, increases biodiversity and enhances soil health. Healthy planet – healthy people.”

Lack of transparency

Concerningly, five attractions failed to answer the Soil Association’s questions.

Percival added: “Serious concerns must be raised when an attraction doesn’t come clean about their ingredient sourcing. What are they trying to hide? Rising ingredient costs are putting a huge strain on caterers, but transparency across our food chain is not only what parents are demanding, it’s the only way we can meet our environmental goals.”

Opportunity for British produce

The investigation also focused on healthy food, particularly for children, and uncovered a shocking lack of vegetables on offer.

Less than half of these leading attractions are serving veg with every kid’s meal – while adults are offered a much larger and diverse menu with more choices to eat healthily.

But in response to the campaign, nine destinations have now committed to serving veg with every kid’s meal –providing another opportunity to support British farmers.

This would also help to meet parents’

expectations, after the investigation found having a range of children’s meals and healthy options were the top priorities for parents on a day out.

More than half of parents surveyed chose one of these options as their number one priority, compared to just 1% who picked “treat” or “junk” food.

Percival added: “Everyone likes a treat, but our secret diner parents told us they want diverse and exciting children’s menus. They also want attractions to make it easy for their youngsters to enjoy a healthy meal on days out – some of these attractions simply must do better.

“Offering more veg isn’t that difficult or expensive and the tens of thousands of kids meals being served by these attractions provide an excellent opportunity to support the production of healthy, sustainable food here in the UK.

“There is little variation in meal prices between the top and bottom of the league table, and several high performing attractions have free entry, so some of these attractions simply must do better.”

For more information on the campaign and for a full profile for each attraction, visit www.soilassociation.org/outtolunch

eTrak - the British-made electric utility vehicle set to revolutionise the market

The electric-powered eTrak vehicle is in production this year by East Yorkshirebased company, Pulse EV. The compact and powerful tracked vehicle can be driven by an operator or remotely through the use of Pulse’s own mobile app. The extensive functionality of the vehicle and the accompanying app even allow it to be set up to work remotely or via GPS autonomously and complete pre-planned tasks.

The designers have identified hundreds of different uses for the eTrak vehicle, including towing caravans and trailers, leisure use, animal care, performing land management duties and even assisting emergency services, such as remote access fire fighting to casualty recovery carrying a stretcher and medical equipment.

Pulse EV founder, Brendan Taylor, commented: “We founded Pulse EV just over two years ago and have since created the eTrak - a plugin charge electric off-road tracked vehicle. It’s all-terrain and able to carry, tow and can even power any work tool or hydraulic motor that you want to add to it to make it a working platform.

“It can also be equipped with a winch, so it’s a multi-use plug-in electric vehicle.

“It ticks a lot of boxes and is perfect in helping people with lower limb disabilities access off-road or forestry areas.

The eTrak is also relevant to a variety of markets as it can aid with farming, construction, leisure, and towing other vehicles. It’s actually able to tow in the region of over 1 tonne thanks to its immense

amount of torque. That power can be redistributed to pushing too, so it could even be used as a snow plough.”

Brendan said the concept began with a petrol power tracks vehicle 10 years ago for leisure use, in other words people would pay to drive it.

He continued: “Over the years we’ve had many people approach us regarding different uses for the vehicle and then in the last three to four years I started getting a lot of enquiries about electric vehicle options. So we started to develop our own software and our own motor set to be able to apply that to the track vehicle and power it by electrical motors.

“We’ve recently teamed up with Bishop Burton College who have an agricultural school and teach a lot of the

next generation of farmers. They’ve purchased two of our eTrak vehicles for use on campus. We’re going to fit a Trimble GPS system onto eTrak which allows it to be autonomously controlled for farming tasks.

“The initial idea is to program the vehicle to autonomously rake or till the ground in the indoor equestrian arena. The laborious task would then be able to be performed remotely through an app. It’s groundbreaking in a number of different ways (literally), we’re introducing a light, small format, off-road vehicle into the agri-tech industry, which once its working indoors becomes attractive to use outdoors in open fields. It could sow seeds, spray, do soil analysis, and deliver feed.

“Obviously you can’t

Designers of the off-road electric utility vehicle with autonomous capability are now taking orders for their game-changing creation.

Images courtesy of Pulse EV

have a 20-30 tonne tractor unmanned, it’s just not safe, whereas our machine is a lot smaller and lighter and it could be confined to one field and set to work without having the farmer present.

A farmer could also remotely control it from our Pulse-Ev app (for instance if they didn’t want to be exposed to bad weather or were unable to walk).

“Due to its large battery, the eTrak could also be set up for forestry work in difficult terrain, and could for instance power a chipper and then tow the chippings or the logs back to base.”

Another potential use for the machine is to move among livestock that would get nervous with a human present. Brendan says a farm worker could drive the machine out

to a location and then get off and control it remotely from their phone for the rest of the journey.

Another scenario would be sending it into potentially dangerous areas such as where the ground conditions are unknown or where animals are presenting risky behaviour. One client has used the eTrak to remotely deliver feed to a herd of deer.

The Pulse EV team, consisting of Brendan and his business partner Steve Slough, are working alongside the University of Hull at the AURA Innovation Centre. Naturally, entrepreneurs who are keen on electric power, aim to make their products as sustainable as possible through the use of reusable plastics in their vehicles.

“We don’t want to use any ‘end of life’ materials if possible,” said Brendan “Working with AURA helps us look forward to the future design and planning of our whole family of vehicles that we’re aiming to produce in the UK.

“eTrak is our halo product and now we’re looking to design and build our own eUTV and eATV using the same electric drive system.

“eTrak is our first creation that demonstrates our drive train, so with the motors, our own software and overall versatility, it’s starting to gain

an awful lot of attention.

“It’s an extremely unique vehicle and nothing like anything else available on the market, so it’s a great way to start the Pulse EV journey.

“We’ve got a lot of other things planned which are going to hopefully help British industry embrace electric vehicle adoption, particularly in the off-road sector.

“It’s a very exciting and busy time for us and it’s great to be able to provide a sustainable electric vehicle that is designed and manufactured in the UK.”

For more information visit www.pulse-ev.com.

UK’S BEST FARM RETAILERS REVEALED

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was host for those bidding to be among the best farm shops in the country.

The best farm retailers in the UK were selected in the prestigious awards organised by the Farm Retail Association (FRA), which was formed in 1979 to support the industry.

Hugh presented awards to outstanding farm retailers at the event (sponsored by specialist retailer COOK) which took place in March as part of the FRA’s annual Stronger Together event, 2023 at Sandy Park, Exeter, Devon.

The multi-award-winning writer and broadcaster said he was impressed by the calibre of entries.

He commented: “I really enjoyed the evening and it was a privilege to present this year’s FRA Awards.

“I’m a huge supporter of farm shops and farmer’s markets as they are rooted in the food and farming of local communities, so they can offer the best seasonal produce that comes from the surrounding landscape.

“It’s great to celebrate these businesses, often family run, who are working so hard to supply high quality local food to communities across the country.

“I am so impressed by the standards of the entries and the winners should be especially proud of their achievement.”

The Farm Retail Awards are the only awards judged by fellow farm retailers and celebrate the best farm shops, farm cafés and restaurants, farmers’ markets and trade suppliers in the country.

Lifetime Achievement - David Isgrove, Moseley Farmers Market. Ross Pierrepont (sponsor, CSY Retail Systems).

All the FRA winners.

The 2023 award winners

Large Farm Shop of the Yearsponsored by Cunninghams EPOS Group:

Strawberry Fields Farm Shop, Lifton, Devon

Small Farm Shop of the Yearsponsored by The Cress Co: Broom House Farm shop, Witton Gilbert, Durham

Farm Café/ Restaurant of the Yearsponsored by Arrange Spaces: Hartley Farm Shop & Kitchen, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire

Farm Shop Butchery of the Yearsponsored by Angel Refrigeration: Broom House Farm Butchery, Witton Gilbert, Durham

Rising Star of the Year - sponsored by Field Fare: The Goat Shed, Norwich, Norfolk

Farmers Market of the Year: Moseley Farmers’ Market, Moseley, Birmingham

Associate Member of the Year: Employment Law Solutions, Nantwich, Cheshire

Pick Your Own of the Yearsponsored by Digitickets: Cammas Hall, Bishop’s Stortford, Essex

Lifetime Achievement Award

-sponsored by CSY: David Isgrove of Moseley Farmers Market, Birmingham, West Midlands

New FRA Chairman Emma Mosey said: “It’s been a challenging year for farm food retailers and our thanks goes out to all of our members who work so hard. Congratulations to all of our winners who are among the best in the business.”

The award ceremony is part of a three-day annual FRA conference which includes farm shop tours, an AGM, expert guest speakers and topical workshops.

The FRA is open to thousands of independent retailers across the UK and offers its members support, training, workshops and open days.

Large

Pete

Kim

Farm Shop - Strawberry Fields Farm Shop.

Rhodes, (sponsor, Cunningham’s EPOS Group), Roger Mounce, Laura Mounce, Adam Mounce, Joanna Mounce

Small Farm Shop - Broom House Farm Shop. Vincent Syson, Megan Martin, John Tindale, Phil Gough (sponsor, The Cress Co), Emma Gray.

Farm Cafe/Restaurant of the yearHartley Farm.

Wittmaack, Dave Tregenza, Tom Bowles, Jake Wickens, Tim Wickens (Wickens both sponsor, Arrange Spaces).

Farm shop Butchery - Broom House Farm Shop. Julie Croker (sponsor, Angel Refrigeration), Emma Grey, Megan Martin, John Tindale, Vincent Syson.

Rising Star - The Goat Shed. Matt Whelan (Sponsor, Field Fare), Sam Steggles.

Farmers Market of the Year - Moseley Farmers Market. Radley Russell, Rowena Evans, Linda Isgrove, David Isgrove, Tyrone Fowles.

Associate Member of the YearEmployment Law Solutions. Luke Taylor, Kevin Murphy.

Pick your Own - Cammas Hall. Daniel Plumb (Sponsor, Digitickets), Jonathan Luckies.

Caravan park extended thanks to underground waste pumps

A farm based caravan park and glamping business has expanded thanks to new drainage system

Welltrough Hall Farm in Cheshire has revealed how it could extend its well-equipped caravan park and glamping business to include facilities for an additional five touring caravans or motorhomes thanks to new underground Sanifos pumps.

The drainage system from Saniflo has allowed new permanent drain facilities to simplify the discharge of black and grey water waste. It will also take the waste from seven existing pitches.

The Sanifos 610 has twin pumps and a vortex discharge system which pumps black and grey wastewater approximately 100 metres and 6 metres up a hillside to the existing sewer mains.

Welltrough Hall Farm, a 270 acre working farm, established its accommodation in 2016 as part of a diversification project as it offers a peaceful setting with excellent facilities and close proximity to tourist attractions, including Jodrell Bank Telescope, Tatton Park, Redesmere Lake, Little Moreton Hall, Arley Hall and Gardens, as well as a picturesque walk to the local pub.

Farm owner Nick Wilkinson decided to extend the site thanks to the continued rise of staycations and glamping in the UK, which has created additional demand from customers looking to stay in unusual locations.

To research the options for more reliable and discreet drainage, Nick, who also owns a glamping site adjacent to the caravan park, attended the annual Glamping Show in September 2022 and learned how Saniflo could help him turn his dream into a reality. Partner company, Glampsan, was able to recommend a Saniflo underground lifting station as a solution and a technical representative from Saniflo duly visited the site to confirm the solution and the most efficient installation.

Nick, who installed the unit himself, is

looking forward to welcoming more guests than ever and is pleased that the Sanifos has created an unobtrusive drainage system for the plots.

Amanda Mills, Saniflo UK Marketing Manager, says: “Saniflo has helped many farming businesses diversify into leisure, and it continues to be an area of growth for us and the British leisure industry.

“We’ve helped resolve lots of unusual and some very quirky plumbing challenges, and it’s safe to say that we always find solutions for any plumbing and drainage challenges. If you have the water supply, we have a suitable drainage solution when mains drainage is not an option.”

Image courtesy of Saniflo

Image courtesy of Saniflo

Farm owner, Nick Wilkinson

Carbon Soil Project Creates New Income Stream For Post-Brexit Farming

• Respira International, the impact driven carbon finance company, is delighted to announce that it has signed a pioneering agreement with Philipson Estates (owner of Blaston Farm) for the offtake of soil carbon certificates.

• The agreement follows Defra’s recent decision to pay £40 per hectare under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (“SFI”) scheme to improve soil health

• The value of the certificates and the SFI payment together ensure that regenerative agriculture practices are economically viable and at Blaston sales of carbon certificates will become the second largest income on the farm after wheat

• Demand for UK carbon soil certificates is expected to be strong. One of the first

companies to buy certificates generated by Blaston is DASH, the British ‘wonky fruit’ infused sparkling water brand, attracted by the UK provenance of the certificates

• The Project, advised by independent agronomy consultants Indigro Ltd, land agents Fisher German and legal advice from Womble Bond Dickinson, covers an initial area of 230 hectares and benefitted from regenerative agricultural practices sequestrating 5,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, net of emissions, in 2020/21.

• First UK Project to generate certificates based on measured high density direct soil sampling, verified by ecometric, under its soil organic carbon MRV system.

• We need nature-based solutions which include better land management practices such as soil carbon gains, to provide 30% or more of the mitigation required by 2030 in order to keep our global climate goals in reach.

Respira International (“Respira”) is pleased to announce that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Philipson Estates, owner of Blaston Farm near Market Harborough, Leicestershire for the purchase of voluntary carbon certificates generated through sequestration on arable farmland.

Respira has committed to support

Blaston by purchasing the carbon certificates for the current and upcoming production cycles. The sale of these certificates into the voluntary carbon market offers the potential for UK corporates to compensate for their ongoing emissions by funding domestic sequestration, with the assurance that comes with the independent high integrity sampling method. This income stream is essential to stimulating the wider adoption of similar regenerative practices across other farms in the UK.

Respira International’s co-founder and CEO Ana Haurie said: “The greatest medium to long term risk to local food production is from climate change and other environmental pressures. Soil degradation, erosion, and compaction are estimated to cost about £1.2 billion each year in the UK – in addition to which they reduce the UK’s capacity to produce food.1 By establishing a financial incentive to encourage measured positive environmental outcomes, the private sector can support the much needed transition. To that end, we are seeing strong demand from corporate buyers to support this, and similar, initiatives.”

Hylton Murray-Philipson of Philipson Estates said: “This really is a win-win transaction. It’s good for the soil; good for biodiversity and good for the planet. Sales

Creating a new business model for UK Farming - Blaston Farm is selling carbon certificates by directly measuring soil organic carbon gains, validating regenerative agriculture practices and providing a pathway for British farmers to profitably transition to be climate positive

Images courtesy of Respira

of carbon certificates will produce more revenue than we traditionally received from Brussels and will enable Blaston to be financially and environmentally sustainable going forward. I hope that this transaction will encourage farmers up and down the country to adopt regenerative practices to restore life to the soil, enhance profitability and make a decisive contribution to achieving net zero.”

ecometric CEO David Wright said: “ecometric’s unique soil organic carbon [SOC] monitoring system has been developed for farmers, estate managers, agronomists, food manufacturers and retailers - and the carbon markets. Combining direct soil measurement with AI imagery analytics significantly increases accuracy and scalability compared with traditional systems. Land managers can now actively contribute to climate change mitigation through regenerative soil management, evidenced by carbon stock changes. We are pleased to work with Blaston and Respira to deliver a template for identifying and monetising SOC surpluses.”

Co-Founder of DASH, Jack Scott said: “Our certificates from Blaston are a key part of ensuring DASH fully compensates for its emissions footprint and remains so. We have been to Blaston, we know the team and the land and we are delighted to support a British farm doing great things for the environment. ”

Parliamentary Under-Secretary at DEFRA, Lord Benyon said: “I was briefed on the work at Blaston when I had responsibility for green finance and I am thrilled to see it coming together. This is a trailblazer for similar schemes rewarding farmers for doing the right things for food, for carbon and for biodiversity.”

Background

Farmer Hylton Murray-Philipson set his business the goal of improving soil health by diversifying cropping and farming with nature, to enhance the farm’s sustainability and turn it into a net sequesterer of carbon, whilst at the same time producing healthy, nutritious food. This comes amidst the challenging context for conventional farming with undiversified crop rotations resulting in loss of soil organic matter, plateauing yields, an over reliance on sprays and artificial fertilisers, and the loss of EU support under the Basic Payment Scheme ( BPS ).

The Blaston Approach

1 https://quota.media/soil-degradationcosts-the-uk-1-2-billion-each-year/ 2

Blaston have adopted regenerative principles with the support and advice of Indigro. The starting point for the estate was to focus on Minimal Soil Disturbance.

Heavy cultivations and ploughing have led to a reduction in soil organic matter and ultimately a release of carbon. Direct drilling was introduced at Blaston after the first cover crop was established. All arable crops are now direct drilled leading to a reduction in emissions; reduced soil erosion; and an increase in soil health and organic matter.

The second principle is Permanent Soil Cover. Soil left exposed to the elements will erode, and potential plant nutrients leach into watercourses. Permanently covering the soil using a range of species allows the soil to be protected and helps the build-up of soil organic matter. The cover not only protects the soil, reducing CO2 emissions but the cover crop also draws down carbon from the atmosphere.

Blaston introduced cover crops and catch crops. Catch crops allow green cover harvesting sunlight between harvest and autumn drilling. Companion crops and permanent understories including white clover reduce insecticide and herbicide use, improve soil health and rooting and fix nitrogen that can be utilised by the main

(cash) crop.

The third principle is Diverse Crop Rotations and Interactions. Nature is naturally diverse and regenerative agriculture encourages this. Blaston reintroduced livestock-grazing and rotational grasses in the arable rotation. The livestock improve soil biology whilst the grasses encourage soil health and reduce weed burden.

The Results

ecometric carried out detailed soil analysis across all fields in the project area prior to the start of the 2021 growing season, and then repeated the measurement a year later in order to quantify the precise amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the project over the production cycle. The results were further cross-checked using ecometric’s satellite imagery AI analytics. Total farm emissions including permanent pasture and animal production were then subtracted from the carbon gain to ensure the farm is climate positive and a net sequesterer of carbon. This equated to over 5,000 tons of carbon for the 21-22 period.

Future Proofing land with nature restoration

Knowing where and when investment is coming from helps inter-generational landowners and estates plan strategically for their futures; whether that’s an investment in precision farming equipment or a guaranteed income to support new ventures. Financed through sustainable investment, funding for Environment Bank’s unique Habitat Bank model is guaranteed.

Environment Bank’s team of expert ecologists help create bespoke land management plans that work alongside current operations and cover all the costs for establishing and managing the Habitat Bank, extending to legal and tax advice where appropriate. Environment Bank has a robust process for assessing the land and formalising a habitat establishment and management plan, with the average time from enquiry to sign-on being just 20 weeks.

Helping landowners diversify their business – the Yate Fold Farm story

Like many landowners, Richard and John Pendlebury, of Yate Fold Farm near Bolton, Greater Manchester, found making an income from their land no longer financially viable, due to rising costs and plummeting returns. They needed a new plan if they wanted the third-generational farm to continue profitably - and they turned to nature restoration.

Yate Fold Farm will soon be planted with over 49 hectares of new habitat, including lowland meadow, natural grassland, lowland fen and ponds, and used for largescale biodiversity restoration - helping to secure the farms future.

Richard said: “The benefits of creating a Habitat Bank on our farmland, including financial, are abundant. The Government schemes simply didn’t match what Environment Bank offered.

“Diversification is the way to go for small businesses like ours. Sometimes, you just need to take the blinkers off and open your eyes to new

opportunities.

“By opening up this new income stream, we’ll be able to pursue a work-life balance, which is especially valuable with having a young family, and the farm will be secured and enjoyed for generations to come.”

Working with landowners across England

‘Habitat Bank’ creation is happening at quite a pace; there are already over 20 sites underway, with an additional 60 scheduled to commence over the rest of this year.

The Yate Fold Habitat Bank is on track, with initial groundworks being carried out this year. The family, with support from the ecologists at Environment Bank, will be establishing the Habitat Bank to encourage wildlife back to the area such as Lapwing and Curlew which are in decline locally. They are also planning to use the Habitat Bank for educational purposes as well enabling people to enjoy it via the existing public footpaths.

How Habitat Banks generate income

Landowners that partner with Environment Bank to create a Habitat Bank (typically between 20-100 hectares in size) still retain ownership of their land, with Environment Bank taking a lease interest. The management plan of the Habitat Bank, created by the team of ecologists, is tailored to suit existing land management strategies.

Environment Bank pays landowners up to £27,000 per hectare, over a 30-year period with fixed annual uplifts to counter inflation for the management and lease of the

land.

Environment Bank makes its money by selling Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Units, generated on the Habitat Banks to developers, enabling them to meet their obligations under the Environment Act,

whilst managing the complex implementation processes with all liability and risk sitting with them.

To find out more, call 01904 202 990 or visit environmentbank.com

Visualisation of Yates Fold Farm as a fully established Habitat Bank

John and Richard Pendlebury

Habitat Bank creation is supported by Environment Bank ecologists for the full term, including all monitoring and reporting.

Images courtesy of Environment Bank

Woodland creation can help you generate income

Generating income is dependent on a variety of factors including the size, type and composition of your woodland, as well as your overall objectives and local markets. Before planning your new woodland, it’s important to research local markets and understand your local demand for wood products.

There are a variety of ways in which woodland creation can boost your business’ revenue:

Carbon

By registering newly created woodland with the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) and the Woodland Carbon Guarantee, you can sell carbon units to the government or on the private market from as early as five years after planting and help to offset your business’ carbon emissions.

Woodland creation projects can generate a generous return, with carbon prices ranging from £10 to £30+ per unit. Typically, woodland projects can produce in the region of 100units/ha to over 500 units/ha over 100 years– generating anywhere from between £1,000/ha to £15,000+/ha through the sale of carbon units via the WCC. You can find out more in our Carbon factsheet.

Timber

Growing timber to sell to the commercial timber trade can generate a reliable short or long-term revenue stream for your business.

The UK boasts a strong forestry industry, with well-established markets and specialist sawmills and processors that can cater for an array of timber types*. The best quality timber can be sold for sawlogs and converted into construction materials, whilst small roundwood can be sold for fencing, pulp and chipwood products.

Woodfuel

Wood for fuel can be sold to local markets in the form of logs, kindling and well-seasoned firewood. Kiln-dried hardwood logs, split, bagged and certified ‘Ready to Burn’ can fetch premium prices, alongside split and bagged kindling.

Recreation and Leisure

Woodlands designed for recreation and leisure can offer new and exciting opportunities to diversify your business. Woodland creation can create suitable habitats for game that could generate an income from shoots. Idyllic woodland settings appeal to holiday makers looking for camping and glamping experiences as well as sporting activities.

Integrating trees into your farming system

Combining trees and shrubs with crop and livestock farming systems is known as agroforestry. This management approach can increase farm productivity, support nature, enhance livestock welfare, and boost soil health.

Growing trees in between crops, otherwise known as silvoarable agroforestry, is between 10%-14% more productive than monoculture arable systems **.

Integrating trees into the same area of land as livestock is known as silvopasture agroforestry. Silvopasture can increase soil health by capturing nutrients, limit soil compaction caused by animals, and increase infiltration rates*. Trees can provide shelter for livestock, resulting in improvements to animal welfare and an increase in production*.

Grants and support

There is a range of grants and support available from the Forestry Commission and our partners to help with the costs of woodland creation. You can find more details by visiting gov.uk/plantingwoodland-england

*Soil Association. July 2019. The Agroforestry Handbook – Agorforestry for the UK – First Edition (handbook)

**The Woodland Trust, Spring 2015. The role of trees in arable farming (publication).

Useful links

Woodland Carbon Codewoodlandcarboncode.org.uk

Woodland Carbon Guarantee – gov.uk/ guidance/woodland-carbon-guarantee

Woods and Carbon factsheet - gov.uk/ government/publications/the-benefits-ofwoodland-creation-woods-and-carbon

Woodland creation can help you to diversify your business and generate reliable revenue streams, whilst delivering environmental benefits that support your land management goals, nature, and society.

Images courtesy of Forestry Commission

Trees and Hedging – The Many Benefits

Farming has always presented challenges, and never more so than today. This reality is brought sharply into focus for the public, when seeing empty supermarket shelves and witnessing the numerous battles farmers face daily through programmes such as Clarkson’s Farm. Love it or loathe it, the programme has done much for highlighting the difficulties UK farmers face.

One aspect where help could be at hand, however, is the multiple benefits which trees can bring to the farm. Agroforestry, where frameworks of woodland, trees and hedging are combined with agricultural activity across the same piece of land, can play an important role in maintaining traditional income, whilst increasing farm business diversification and overall productivity.

Trees and woodlands on the farm can create an income from less productive land, increase capital land value, biodiversity and carbon sequestration, help protect and enhance soils, alleviate flooding, and stabilise riverbanks. Trees can also provide a firewood crop or

produce timber for more commercial purposes.

Additional benefits of on-farm tree planting include improving live weight gain for livestock, provision of shelter from the extremes of our changing climate, extended grazing seasons, improved dry matter in silage and forage, increased crop

yields and cereal returns, and reduced feed and fertiliser costs, as well as helping the farm to contribute to environmental targets.

Give Simon a call to discuss the benefits and options for your farm.

Simon Marrington on 07825 193278. Email: simon.marrington@tilhill.com

Image courtesy of Tilhill

Fancy a career change?

Free practical forestry training courses made available

• Practical forestry training courses include teaching specific skills like coppicing and planting a new woodland.

• Courses will help grow our skilled domestic forestry sector, which is worth over £2bn to UK economy, and deliver Government tree planting and net zero ambitions.

Courses funded by government teaching skills like chainsaw maintenance, coppicing, woodland management, and marketing and selling timber are available for farmers.

The Forestry Training Fund is for people considering a change of career or those who are seeking to build and diversify their skills in forestry. The UK forestry and primary wood processing sectors support 32,000 jobs and contribute £2 billion to the economy every year, whilst secondary wood processing businesses support a further 60,000 jobs.

The government has committed to increasing

tree-planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares a year by the end of the Parliament to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The short, practical training courses will be paid for by a £700,000 allocation from the £750m Nature for Climate Fund and will help grow the forestry sector so that we have enough people with the right skills to plan, plant and manage new woodlands.

Examples of courses which are covered by the fund include:

• coppicing

• chainsaw maintenance and cross-cutting

• managing your woodland

• planning and planting a new woodland

It’s been a busy year at Grown Green.

The Plastic tax is here to stay, the Government have introduced a further ban on single use plastics (plastic cutlery, take away containers, trays, balloon sticks and a host of other items). In other news, three environmental companies

are taking the company Danone to court for it’s plastic use and lack of disposal plans. I’m sure you know where I’m going now! Grown Green manufacture environmentally friendly, naturally compostable Tree, Hedge and Vine guards, no collection issues, no disposal issues our guards degrade naturally into plant food.

We have been sent research that shows that creating 1kg of plastic produces 6kg of CO2, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust 2019 report estimated that an average plastic tree guard weighs 178g which would mean every “average” plastic tree guard produces 1.069kg of CO2 when planning your planting this is surely something to consider!

www.growngreen.co.uk

• marketing and selling timber

• fence and hedge laying Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said:

“The Forestry Training Fund is a really valuable resource, accessible to anyone moving into the forestry sector. The Fund will help people build and diversify their skills in forestry by offering training in essential skills from woodland management to planning and planting, which are important to creating resilient forests and woodlands.

“I encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities interested to apply, whether that’s a farmer looking to

upskill or an individual looking for a rewarding career in forestry.”

We are offering 100% funding for eligible courses and expect grants to be in the range of £150-£3,000. Funding will be paid directly to the training provider. Applications for funding to cover training courses can be made multiple times as long as it can be demonstrated that individual courses are developing a person’s career.

Courses will be available until March 2025. To view a list of training providers and apply for funding visit GOV.UK.

Image courtesy of Grown Green

Land And Environment Skills Charity Launches New Careers Website

Lantra revives bid to support workers across the farming sector

Leading land-based and environmental skills charity Lantra, has taken on the challenge to help attract new talent, and retain existing expertise in the farming sector, with the launch of its new website. When Lantra first embarked upon exploring its new website feature it soon became clear that careers information was thought too hard to find and difficult to understand.

The new website keeps it simple and aims to help visitors navigate easily by answering three key questions:

• What jobs could I do, and what do they involve?

• What training, qualifications, and experience will I need?

• Where can I get the training and qualifications I need?

These questions are just as relevant to people already in the workforce and wanting to progress their careers, as they are for new entrants.

The new website gives details of more than 250 job roles across 12 industries, along with 2,500 courses and a selection of videos and case studies of real people, explaining what each job involves, how they got into their current role and why they love it.

One of the biggest misconceptions the sector faces is the outdated view that the majority of jobs available are low-skilled, low paid and offer little opportunity to

progress. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lantra will highlight the amazing new technologies and innovative working practices that are springing up in many industries, whether it be GPS and drones, or robotics and precision farming. All require higher levels of technical skills as well as the ability to understand data, solve complex problems and lead increasingly diverse teams.

The new website can be viewed at www. lantra.co.uk

For more information contact marketing@lantra.co.uk or call 02476 696 996

Have you thought about online ticketing?

Whether you’re just starting out on your farm diversification journey, or you’re a seasoned-pro, Ticket Tailor is here to help you sell more tickets, manage footfall, upsell merchandise and so much more.

You don’t want to be bogged down by the admin of managing your ticketing. Enter: Ticket Tailor! We offer an easyto-use, low-cost and fully customisable ticketing solution, perfect for farm attractions and events.

We work with some of the best-loved farms across the UK, and beyond, to help them run events of all kinds, from pumpkin picking to petting farms, Santas grottos to boutique music festivals.

We’ve built features specifically to support events like yours. Think, the ability to set up timeslot events in a matter of minutes; sell memberships and season passes; use reporting tools

to manage operations more efficiently (and even increase your pricing at peak times); upsell merchandise; process admissions quickly with our free check-in app; contact ticketbuyers with important information using our Broadcasts tool; the list goes on.

Pricing is as low as 19p per ticket, there are no contracts, and we offer round-the-clock customer support. What are you waiting for? Create your event page for free at tickettailor.com or by scanning the QR code below.

Capterra | Google | Trustpilot

Stonepitts Farm, Sevenoaks

Image courtesy of Lantra

Why you should commission a bespoke play area for your farm attraction

Let’s be honest that play area they just put in the local park is pretty good. It’s got a roundabout and a couple of springers; the kids love the seesaw. That tower has a 2m slide and it’s all nicely fenced in to keep the dogs out. It’s packed on a warm dry day or after school as the parents take their children there on the way home. Some parents might even drive their children there as a treat as they live too far away to walk.

We all know of play parks like the one above, play areas that some of us of a certain age could have only dreamed of as a child. So, when you are looking at your business plan for diversifying the farm and becoming an attraction you need to consider what will help draw parents and children to your play offer over what’s in their local park. Farm attractions have some inherent aspects that parents appreciate, helping to make up the ingredients of why they take their families to an attraction over the local or regional park. The animals are usually high on the list, but they might not be a draw for all children in a family. Attractions are a contained safe space where parents still like to keep an eye on their younger offspring while allowing the slightly older ones to roam a bit more freely without fear of them wandering onto the road or just too far away for comfort. Considered placement of your food and drink outlet next to or near the play. We have all read

the comments on social media where parents talk about being able to have a coffee in relative peace while still having half an eye on their children who are happily playing in the play area.

So how do you get a play offer for your attraction that is better than the local park? Is going to catch both the eye of the parent and the child? And how do you create play that children and parents are going to remember and want to come back to time and again? Play that both inspires and occupies playful minds for long lengths of time. What you need to do is go to one of the bespoke play companies such as TouchWood Play based in Bristol that will help you design a play area for your attraction. Unlike many design services, you might be surprised how much free design, information, and advice you will get in the preliminary stages.

The first step is a true ‘meeting of minds’, where clients share their vision and ideas. Some are prescriptive, others want more

ideas and input from Touchwood, often depending on the space. It’s a thorough, collaborative briefing that forms the seed of the project. From these discussions and a site visit, TouchWood’s talented designers use their creativity to produce drawings to illustrate their vision of the new play space, bringing the ideas to life. High quality, experience-enhancing play equipment isn’t a ‘nice to have’; it’s a solid, commercial investment (in your farm attraction).

Bristol Office:

Touchwood Play - Bower Ashton Woodyard, Kennel Lodge Road, Bristol BS3 2JT

Tel: 0117 963 8222

enquiries@touchwoodplay.co.uk

Newcastle Office:

TouchWood Play – Northern Sales and Design Office, Wylam, Northumberland

Tel: 07888 732280

enquiries@touchwoodplay.co.uk

Image courtesy of Touchwood Play

Children’s Soft Play Attractions ... ... Why Buy when you can Rent?

√ £13k rental per year ...

√ … Could earn £160k income. (frame Capacity 60 children)

√ Add extra income to your business.

Firstly ... You don’t have to spend a lot to earn a lot more! ... You could receive 12 times your spend! Focus on simple ‘ROI’ (Return on Investment).

As a Farm-Owner, you have a head start on others who are wishing to startup a Children’s Play Attraction business ... ie.You already have the Land; all you need to do is rent (or Buy) the Play System

TIP: Don’t seek ‘Soft Play’-led advice; seek income model advice! We are one of FEW who manufacture, and based in the UK ... we have high-standards too. We are still ‘BEST Value for Money’.

Get FREE ADVICE from our Director of 40+yrs experience - ask for Mike.

√ Retain your Cash for Business Growth instead

√ UK Manufactured + All-in-House.

Example: Cow Themed Play Attraction. ... Create a bespoke style and system, ... Entirely themed to your farm, ... Make the most of your space; especially height!

Example: Pink-Pig Themed Play Attraction.

... We can fit into almost any space and shape!

... Limitless features, colours and styles,

... We also have additional income ideas!

(eg.Marketing, Staffing etc).

Images courtesy of Playcraft Group

Sustainable Baskets and Trolleys for Retailers

With many options to consider Formbar make it simple. All the black baskets we sell are made from 100% recycled plastic, this includes two hand basket models and a basket on wheels with telescopic handle. They are equally as strong and durable as the non-recycled coloured alternatives. The handles are not made from recycled but the basket itself is.

This month we have sourced and introduced a range of coloured baskets which are also available in a variety of shapes and sizes in 95% recycled plastic. These baskets have the added advantage of a closed loop recycling service.

All baskets Formbar supply

can be printed with a logo or strap line which can slow the rate of theft. All baskets are also fully recyclable at the end of their life.

Formbar also supply a wide range of shopping trolleys from traditional metal to hybrid to all plastic models, manufactured in Spain and the UK. Spare parts can be supplied for all models. We support our customers to improve sustainability by offering on site servicing of all makes, models and ages of trolleys. By regular maintenance trolleys can be kept in a good and safe condition enabling much longer usage. If you can only change the wheels and keep the trolley for another few years in use

rather than scrapped, it is an environmental win!

Please contact us if you would like any further information.

When making purchasing decisions there have always been different competing factors: price, quality, service and design... Retailers are now increasingly prioritising the environmental sustainability of their chosen product.

Image courtesy of Formbar, Photography by Cube

REAL Meet the youngest vineyard owners in the country

from real farmers

Kinsbrook Vineyard is a young, progressive vineyard in the heart of West Sussex Wine Country.

Led by twenty-something couple Joe Beckett and Rebecca Dancer, it produces a range of vintage English wines from grapes grown on Joe’s third-generation family farmland.

Based just outside Thakeham, in England’s most influential wine making area, Kinsbrook has diversified by creating a destination centred around wine, feelgood food and hospitality. The couple further diversified last autumn by adding a new farm shop and eatery in a converted barn in the heart of the vineyard.

The Kinsbrook farm shop features a fresh butchery using only local, ethically and sustainably-sourced meats and a deli counter with a wide range of antipasti, local flowers, artisan cheeses, a selection of fine wines, craft ciders and spirits, fresh produce and much more - all fully supporting the local community.

Tell us a little about yourself (name, age, professional background, training etc)

Joe: My name is Joe Beckett, I’m 29 and I’m the Managing Director of Kinsbrook

West Sussex couple diversify family farm into high end wine and food destination

Rebecca: I’m Rebecca Dancer, I’m 28 and I’m the Creative & Marketing Director

How did you get into the wine industry?

J: Kinsbrook is a diversification of my family’s third-generation farm in West Sussex. I was inspired by the success and scale of the wine tourism I witnessed whilst playing rugby and living in New Zealand in 2016. When I came home, we planted our first vines.

When did you plant the vineyard?

J: The first vines were planted in 2017, with further plantings in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Today we have around 56,000 vines across three sites.

How did you locate the land? Is there anything particularly unique about the terroir in your specific area of Sussex?

J: My Grandparents came to the UK from Ireland in the 1960s and set up my family’s farm. My Grandad bought various parcels of land which were used for decades for arable farming. All of our sites are on clay soil, which has great nutrient and water holding potential. It helps the vines massively when Sussex is experiencing a drought period, for example, such as the one at the moment.

R: We have several vineyards as our close neighbours, including Nyetimber, Nutbourne and Stopham. We believe this will be a big advantage in the future as it creates a West Sussex wine route.

What’s your ethos in terms of sustainability and the environment?

J: Kinsbrook’s ethos has always been

‘from the ground up’. Sustainability and ethical, regenerative growing practices are very important to us, from the treatment of our vineyard to the winemaking processes. Our priority is always our soil.

R: In Kinsbrook Farmhouse we grow as much of our own produce onsite using regenerative principles in our market garden, which we set up last year. In the kitchen, we use a ‘farm to table’ concept, where customers are served small, creatively put-together, delicious sharing plates using produce grown onsite.

Tell us about your new limited-edition release

J: 21 is a white wine that blends three grape varieties; Bacchus, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Précoce. 2021 was a hard year for grape-growing… our yields were

Joe Beckett and Rebecca Dancer

modest at harvest time and we couldn’t justify making our usual single-variety still wines, but we saw an opportunity to create something new instead. The grapes were crushed, de-stemmed and vinified separately and then blended. We used lowintervention winemaking techniques and it’s a vegan wine.

R: We decided to name the wine ‘21’ as it tells the story of 2021. The label features the bare bones of our first building, Kinsbrook Farmhouse, at the time of harvest in Autumn 2021. The build suffered many setbacks (due to the pandemic) and it felt like a nice parallel to draw. It’s important to us to be honest and to share and celebrate every part of our journey with our customers - the good and the bad - and 21 is the perfect example of this.

Will 2022 be a good year for English wine?

R: It was an outstanding vintage last year, which was a relief after 2021! We made it through frost season without significant damage and those endless weeks of hot, dry weather last summer were ideal.

What are your thoughts on the Sussex PDO (protected designated origin)?

J: It could work to our advantage on an international scale to be recognised as a PDO in terms of prestige. However, I’m still on the fence about it as the PDO could bring with it a set of strict winemaking rules that could limit the flexibility that the wine industry has currently.

R: I think the exciting thing about it is the thought that Sussex is ‘on the map’ so to speak – it says great things about the quality of wine being produced in this area.

Can you name a few key places locally (retail and/or hospitality) where people can enjoy your wine?

R: We sell almost all of our wine from our cellar door, but we do work with a select few trade partners. The Horsham Wine Cellar has our full range and you can find some of our range at Noble Green Wines in Twickenham and at Hawkins Bros in Godalming.

You can also enjoy a glass (or a bottle) at The Ginger Fox in Hassocks and Sketch’s 3 Michelin-Starred ‘The Lecture Room & Library’.

How can people visit the vineyard?

J: Our cellar door is open every day. You can find us at Kinsbrook Vineyard, West Chiltington Road, Thakeham, RH20 2RZ. We run Supper Clubs and live music every Sunday afternoon through the summer months. We also run regular tours and tastings which are dog and family friendly. You can book all of this via OpenTable. https://www.kinsbrookvineyard.com/

Images courtesy of Kinsbrook Benoit Grogan-Avignon

A GUIDE TO EXTERNAL MATERIALS FOR YOUR BARN CONVERSION

Abarn was originally built to fulfil an agricultural function and not to house people. It won’t come with the practicalities a home needs, such as weatherproofing and the external materials you choose for your project will have a huge impact on how it looks. This is something you will need to factor into your design and renovation process while taking into account the existing structure that you need to work with.

METAL CLAD BARN CONVERSION

Some people like the corrugated metal clad look and so do planning authorities. It blends in well with the countryside and is easily recognizable as a converted agricultural building.

Corrugated black metal cladding is a popular choice; its dark recessive nature complements the rural countryside, but can look slick and defined.

Using metal cladding has the advantage of being able to specify insulated cladding

sheets. This not only uniforms the appearance of the barn but also improves its thermal performance and helps to reduce cold bridges.

TIMBER CLAD BARN CONVERSION

Timber cladding comes in all shapes, sizes and shades. Cedar cladding, with its rich red hues, oak cladding is a traditional choice and can be a great investment for your barn whilst charred larch has been used on barns in wooded areas as it fits in nicely around trees.

Engineered wood is also a popular choice for cladding, such as Accoya. Engineered timber cladding provide sustainable options sourced from FSC certified wood and can have a longer lifespan.

The main thing to think about in choosing timber cladding is its lifespan and maintenance and how often you may have to re-paint or re-treat it.

Experts in transforming both traditional

WE CAN HELP BUILD YOUR DREAM

At Nordbarn, we specialise in creating stunning new homes using your existing barn, whether it is a steel-framed sheet clad building or a historic stone barn, we can help. We take your concept and use our expertise, experience, and skill to plan and implement conversion projects across the country.

At Nordbarn we can help you identify and realise the potential of your unloved and under utilised agricultural buildings.

To find out how we can help you achieve planning permission, unlock significant gains and maximise the value of your existing barn contact us:

stone or brick barns as well as modern steel or timber clad agricultural buildings, find out how Nordbarn can help you achieve planning permission and unlock significant gains for your rural property.

0114 278 8548 admin@nordbarn.co.uk

Michael Bamford, BA (Hons) MPlan

MRTPI, Director - Chartered Town Planner, Nordbarn

Image courtesy of Planning Design, Photography by Cactus Photography

Review of R&D tax credit scheme will bring major changes, advises Saffery Champness

The development of science, technology and new thinking in industry is encouraged through a programme of tax credits for qualifying research and development (R&D) activities for limited companies.

The schemes which are important for the rural business and agricultural sectors are currently under review following a two-month consultation that closed on 13 March, with some significant changes ahead, including the potential eventual merger of the existing reliefs into a single scheme.

The current thinking is that a new scheme could be implemented for accounting periods commencing from 1 April 2024. Businesses should carefully consider whether their activities qualify for valuable R&D tax credit relief and take full advantage where it is available.

The rules and qualifying criteria for the R&D tax credit relief system, across all industries and sectors, are complex in terms of what is eligible expenditure and the treatment of revenue and capital expenditure. There are currently also different schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large companies. It is important to note that this is a corporation tax relief, and as such, it is only applicable to companies undertaking qualifying R&D activities.

The main objectives of the R&D tax credit schemes review are to ensure that:

• The UK continues to be an attractive place for businesses to undertake cutting edge research;

• Taxpayer money is used effectively and is appropriately targeted; and

• The reliefs continue to be fit for purpose.

Martyn Dobinson, Partner, Saffery Champness and a member of the firm’s Land and Rural Practice Group, says: “Innovation and increasing investment in R&D are seen as important drivers of economic growth by the UK government.

“We will see significant changes aimed at targeting perceived abuse of the regime and improving compliance. To achieve this, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are introducing a requirement that claims must be made digitally, and that new entrants (and those companies who have not made a claim for three years) will have to inform of their intention to make a claim within six months of the end of the period to which the claim relates. Each claim will also need to be endorsed by a named senior officer of the business and will be required to name any third-party agents engaged in advising on the claim.”

The additional information will be required for claims made on or after 1 August 2023 and the other measures will be effective for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2023.

Changes to the rates of relief for qualifying R&D spend were announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement. For claims made in respect of accounting periods commencing from 1 April 2023, the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) rate for large companies increased

from 13% to 20%. However, the additional deduction for SMEs decreased from 130% to 86%, and the SME credit rate, for loss-making companies, decreased from 14.5% to 10%.

It was subsequently announced in the March budget that loss-making companies whose qualifying R&D expenditure constitutes at least 40% of their total expenditure could continue to claim the SME credit at 14.5%. It is believed that this reform will ensure that

taxpayer support is as effective as possible, and that the RDEC scheme for large companies is competitive, whilst also making a step towards a more simplified, single RDEC-like scheme for all companies.

If your company is engaged in qualifying R&D and you might have grounds for a valid relief claim, it is recommended that you discuss your position with a professional adviser.

AD and Biogas revenue stream opportunities

David Kinnersley, Head of Agribusiness

at Fisher German and an expert in AD systems, led a panel discussion at the Low Carbon Agricultural Show at the NAEC in Stoneleigh to explore what opportunities are out there in AD and how farmers can take advantage to not only help the environment, but boost their bottom line:

With the farming industry under continued pressure to drive down carbon emissions, farmers are on the lookout for simple solutions that can help them do that without costing them a fortune.

AD and the production of biogas – where farm waste is chemically digested by bacteria and converted into a gas mixture of mainly carbon dioxide and methane which can then be used as biofuel, for further energy generation, or put back into the grid - is a solution that many farmers are using.

However, in many cases AD could be used more effectively, whether by converting the type of AD plant a farm is using, committing to pre-treating feedstock to produce better yields of biogas, or by using cutting-edge technology to better capture methane emissions from slurry lagoons.

At my recent panel discussion at the Low Carbon Agricultural Show, the audience heard from a mix of industry experts on

the opportunities in the market.

Lucy Hopwood, Director and Lead Consultant at bioeconomy consultants NNFCC, detailed how more AD plants currently running could be improved.

Currently, the UK has around 650 AD plants, of which 530 are the basic conversion to heat and power (CHP) type. In these plants, the biogas is mainly used to generate renewable energy on the farm.

But 130 are known as biomethane injection plants, where the biogas is converted into pure methane and then injected back into the gas grid for commercial use.

In most cases, biomethane plants are more efficient and produce better ROI, but the high costs of conversion and proximity to the gas grid remain a barrier to many farmers.

Small scale farms may need further government support to make this conversion, or be empowered to use the biomethane off-grid if injecting into the grid is unrealistic.

We also heard from John LyndonTaylor of Birch Solutions, who highlighted how farmers could hugely benefit from pre-treating their AD plant’s feedstock by breaking it down at the cellular level to allow for more efficient digestion.

This results in a much higher yield

of biogas, and is often an area that is overlooked by farmers.

And Mark Clayton, founder of QUBE Renewables, showed us how his small yet efficient methane capturing devices can help farmers ensure methane emitted by a variety of sources, including slurry lagoons, does not go to waste.

For farmers, it is not just increased efficiencies that make AD viable. Joanna Goad of ADBA pointed out that many supermarkets are looking to decarbonise their entire supply chain and want to sell products that are from sustainable farms as a result of consumers becoming more savvy.

AD can help farmers achieve that and make their produce more attractive as a result.

It is clear that AD and biogas still have a vital part to play in boosting farmers’ income, reducing emissions and ultimately helping the UK reach Net-Zero.

And with new developments and efficiencies in the sector emerging all the time, farmers should be encouraged that AD is a solution that will continue to improve long-term.

We would encourage anyone interested in advice and support on adopting or improving their AD capabilities to contact Fisher German.

David Kinnersley

Farmers’ use of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants to convert waste into useful biogas and digestate, but many are not utilising the technology to its full potential for a variety of reasons.

Make money by planting trees

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Playgrounds for farm attractions

We will make the play at your farm attraction unique and special

We design, manufacture and install our playgrounds nationwide.

If you’re operating a Farm Attraction or developing plans to diversify, we can help you. We know that unique and special play and adventure areas draw in more families. Our play areas enhance their visitor experience and encourage people to stay longer spending more on-site with you.

Our team is experienced in creating bespoke, original, sustainable playgrounds that provide youngsters with rich, creative, engaging play. We help you keep Mum and Dad choosing your attraction as the place to take the children to this weekend and next weekend and that Birthday treat with all their friends.

We’re used to working with all sizes of destination play attractions and everyone is special to us. We know you need to make your budget for play really pay back for your business and we will focus on getting the offer right for you.

All our initial design and consultation work is free so don’t hesitate to call us and discuss your potential play project with us. We can make your plans a reality.

Contact us:

T: 0117 963 8222

E: enquiries@touchwoodplay.co.uk

W: www.touchwoodplay.co.uk