November meeting

Local farmers and landholders came together to explore how Environmental Land Management (ELM) options can support nature recovery across the Eden catchment.

We recently met with Edward Earnshaw from Just Farm, alongside a growing group of local farmers and land managers, to discuss how Environmental Land Management schemes can work in practice for our landscape. The session focused on the opportunities these schemes offer to support productive farming while also restoring wildlife and strengthening the health of our rivers and soils.

A key theme was species-rich grassland. Several farms within the Eden Valley Farm Cluster already host pockets of this valuable habitat, and we are now looking at how these areas could be better connected and enhanced across the catchment to support biodiversity and natural processes.

Edward also outlined a number of suitable options within the Nature Recovery Scheme, including Higher Tier Stewardship, that could help land managers deliver long-term environmental benefits while aligning with farm business needs.