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Natural England has launched a new service of one-to-one farm visits to help farmers in Entry Level Stewardship get the most out of their ELS agreements.

Existing ELS holders can now request a free on-farm visit from an experienced adviser to discuss the ongoing management of their agreement and how it can best achieve environmental benefits.

Up to 2000 of the new visits are being made available to ELS agreement holders per year, with an additional 4000 places available at group events, including farm walks and workshops.

Natural England is rolling out the visits to complement the advice service it provides to prospective agreement holders. The new visits will provide an opportunity for farmers already in ELS schemes - including Organic ELS and Upland ELS – to discuss practical measures that could be introduced to benefit the environment without impacting unnecessarily on farming operations.  Advice will be available on the best places to locate options within the holding, on weed control, seed mixes, establishment measures and trimming of mature hedgerows. Guidance will also be provided on how to implement changes to existing agreements, including alterations to the options that have been selected. Bookings for the new advice visits - which are not farm inspections - can be made now through the contact details below.

Ian Fugler, Natural England’s Director of Land Management said: ''These face to face farm visits offer our agreement holders the opportunity and support to review how their ELS and UELS options are working on the ground, and will help to identify any changes necessary in the future management of their options. There is also the chance to amend existing agreements to include more of the priority options, improve option location and consider how they connect together across the farm. As well as benefitting farm businesses, this will mean greater benefits from ELS/UELS for wildlife, farmland birds, water and soil protection and the historic environment''.

Charles Rudge of White House Farm, Ross-on-Wye said: ''I renewed my ELS agreement just over a year ago and have implemented various options to benefit wildlife on the farm. I will be requesting a follow up farm visit to get some further guidance on how best to manage my field margins and get the most out of the nectar and pollen mix. It will be a valuable chance for me to re-examine my options selection and make the choices that are right for my business.''

An additional area of advice will be to explain how key options within Entry Level Stewardship, such as pollen and nectar mixtures, directly contribute to the objectives of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE). CFE aims to retain and exceed the environmental benefits that used to be provided by set-aside by using a voluntary approach to avoid regulation, through a number of management options.

To request a farm visit or to find out about planned events please contact Natural England’s Farm Events Team 0300 060 1695 or email farmevents@naturalengland.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

For further information (media enquiries only), please contact: Christine White, Natural England press office on 0300 0601302 or 07900 608017.

For out of hours queries please call the Duty Press Officer 07970 098005

For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk

Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship is administered by Natural England and funds farmers and land managers throughout England to deliver effective environmental management on their land. Environmental Stewardship builds on the earlier initiatives such as the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas schemes.

The objectives of Environmental Stewardship are to:

• Conserve biodiversity

• Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character

• Protect the historic environment and natural resources

• Promote public access and understanding of the countryside

Environmental Stewardship has four elements; Entry Level Stewardship, Organic Entry Level Stewardship, Uplands Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship

Entry Level Stewardship

When Entry Level Stewardship was launched in 2005 it was designed as a hands off scheme, however a review of the scheme highlighted that uptake of the scheme and the benefits it delivers to the natural environment could be increased if support was made available to ELS applicants and agreement holders. Since April 2010, over 21,000 farmers have benefited from assistance in applying or renewing ELS agreements. Natural England is now extending support to those already actively taking part in the scheme and is keen to build a strong working relationship with the industry.

About Natural England

Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.

• We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.

• We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.

• We run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland. 

• We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats. 

• We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.