09/03/2005 - On 17 March
2005, Staffordshire farmers will find out
about what they can do to make their farms
more environmentally friendly.
The Environment Agency and the Farming and
Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) have joined
forces to organise a farm walk which will
be held at Home Farm, Dunston.
The walk is designed to provide an opportunity
to interpret Cross Compliance conditions and
also see how the new Environmental Stewardship
scheme can be integrated into their farm businesses.
To receive the new Single Farm Payment, farmers
need to manage their farms in accordance with
Cross Compliance conditions. During the walk
there will be a chance to see how these conditions
will be satisfied at Home Farm and also how
various options within the Entry Level Stewardship
could be integrated into the farming system
to produce a successful application.
Following lunch, there will be presentations
at the nearby Monkton Centre on how natural
resources can be managed efficiently under
Cross Compliance and through the Environmental
Stewardship. A presentation will be given
concerning the preparation of an Entry Level
Stewardship application for Home Farm.
Speakers from FWAG, DEFRA, ADAS and the Environment
Agency will be available to answer questions
concerning topic covered during the day.
Topics to be covered:
Environmental Cross-Compliance and legislation
including
Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Regulations (NVZs)
Local Environmental Risk Assessment for Pesticides
(LERAPs)
Groundwater Regulations
Compliance with farmyard pollution legislation
Set-aside obligations and management options
The environmental and financial benefits
of the Environmental Stewardship grant scheme.
/more
The event can be counted towards continual
professional development for the National
Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO).
Speaking about the day, Doug Freakley, of
the Environment Agency says: The day represents
an opportunity to build upon the improvement
in environment protection by farming nationally
by reinforcing local awareness. It is also
a time of considerable change for farmers
and we are pleased to provide practical on-farm
advice on how regulatory compliance and the
Entry Level Scheme might benefit both farm
businesses and the environment in the future.
Chris Seabridge of FWAG says: "FWAG
is committed to helping farmers create greener
farms which will benefit both themselves and
the environment. This event will provide some
of the valuable details required to do this
- where there is a realistic and practical
balance between a profitable farm business
and environmental responsibility through practical
conservation.
Notes
Places on the walk are very limited. People
interested in attending should call 01785
710564 to see if places are available. Those
unable to attend are advised to call the number
so that there details can be recorded for
the planning of similar events in the future.
Home Farm extends to approximately 120ha
and is a mixed farming system set within the
catchment of the River Penk. Farm enterprises
include 90 dairy cows, 170 breeding ewes,
40 beef cattle and 55ha of combinable crops.
The farm walk will demonstrate how effective
management of natural resources can satisfy
Cross Compliance conditions and how financial
opportunities on the farm can be maximised
through the new Environmental Stewardship
grant. The walk will be followed by lunch
and brief presentations at the Monkton Centre,
Penkridge.
