A PROACTIVE collaboration of Stoke Climsland’s farms that started off as a WhatsApp group to ‘get farmers talking’ has evolved into a joining of forces to work together to deliver improved water quality and biodiversity in the parish.

Twenty one parish farms have formed a farming cluster enabling the group to be awarded funding from Defra to run training events enabling farmers to investigate and learn about water quality and biodiversity. 

Bonny Lightfoot from one of the farms involved who also sparked the farmer’s collaboration welcomes the news that the group has received the funding. 

Bonny said: ‘We’ve done well to get so many farmers on board to be able to carry it through. 

‘The collaboration will help us do the best for our farms and the environment.’

The group of Stoke Climsland farms have been awarded the funding from Defra’s ‘Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Groups Fund’ which the group could access by forming a farm cluster.

By working together, assisted by a facilitator from Westcountry River’s Trust (WRT), the farmers will be able to work cohesively to enable them to collectively deliver greater benefits for soil, water, air and wildlife.

The facilitator of the farming cluster and farmer himself James Coumbe said: ‘Bonny was involved with Martin Howlett and Laurence Couldrick from the WRT in setting up a farm cluster group. Through this it was possible to get funding for groups of farmers to run training events to investigate certain topics that are useful to their businesses and the local environment, and for us all to learn about collectively in the community. The two key topics we’ve nominated is how we can improve water quality and biodiversity.

‘The funding will allow speakers to be arranged to come in and talk to the group on the key topics, visits to be arranged to see new ideas in action, etc.’

Bonny expressed her amazement that the group have been awarded the funding and that her hard work in joining the local farms has paid off.

Bonny said: ‘Originally I started a WhatsApp group with other local farms to keep in touch and to keep each other safe.

‘My aim was to get farmers talking.

‘Then, several years ago Defra said by working together with other farms you would be able to get funding through different means. So through that group we’ve grown into a facilitation group, which is great.

‘I’m chuffed to get this funding. Twenty-one farms are on board which is quite an achievement for us as a parish.

‘Down here, we need to fight hard to get funding from Defra so we’ve done very well.

‘I’ve worked hard to get all the farmers together and to understand that we need to work together to make improvements to our farms for everybody, including the wildlife.

‘Our environment here is good, but we still need to improve it in certain ways.

The Defra funding will not only enable farmers to learn about how to work to improve water quality and biodiversity in the parish, but it is also hoped to benefit farmers through promoting collaborative working and sharing best practice.

‘The other main reason Defra is allowing and encouraging these groups is that Defra is aware that there are significant changes taking place in agriculture following the exit from the EU and the agricultural reforms that the UK Government are administering’, said James.

‘This is a proactive way of encouraging farmers to work together and share ideas and investigate best practice as groups.

‘It’s a positive option that Defra has offered and I think it will be really good for the local community, the farms and the wider community.

‘It’s also a way for farmers to demonstrate their proactiveness in trying to address issues that are affecting all of us and agriculture wants to play its part and this is part of doing that.’