Farmers are being urged to apply for a landmark three-year programme designed to help them identify how to make their businesses more sustainable.
Resilient & Ready was launched in 2019 by Corteva Agriscience and is facilitated by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming).
Farmers access free training, technical support, access to experts, mentoring and first use of innovative new crop protection and seed products as they learn what they can change and how to improve.
It has made an enormous impact on the four farms in Scotland and England which took part in the inaugural programme, helping to develop three farms to become LEAF Demonstration Farms while a fourth made huge strides in reducing its carbon footprint.
Will Sibly, Business Relationships Coordinator at LEAF, said: “Since the programme’s launch we’ve witnessed many changes to the agricultural landscape. The Basic Payment Scheme is being phased out and the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme is already underway.
“Farm profitability has come under huge pressure in the past 12 months too – building resilience has never been so important.
“Resilient & Ready acts as the blueprint for farmers everywhere transitioning to more sustainable farming methods through an integrated farm management approach. The first programme was an overwhelming success and we are now ready to welcome the next set of talented farmers.”
The two selected farms will be given access to the people and the expertise to help them explore the areas of their business they feel can be built upon; environmental schemes, soil health, and biodiversity conservation for example.
LEAF will offer access to some of the best sustainability experts in the businesses, technical support, training, resources and one-to-one mentoring. Depending on suitability and priorities, participating farmers will also be supported to become LEAF Demonstration Farmers, LEAF Marque certified and be given state of the art communications training to provide them with the know-how, skills and confidence to go on to become industry leaders in sustainable farming.
Caroline McCartney, Resilient & Ready Programme Lead for Corteva, said: “Corteva has its own set of sustainability commitments, and one of which is to support UK agriculture by providing farmers with training and solutions to the issues they are experiencing.
“As farming changes, we want to work with the people implementing those improvements that make them more resilient for the future.
“The opportunity for the next Resilient & Ready cohort is to be at the forefront of sustainable farming, looking at how they can change their business for the better.”
Discovery events for farmers interested in applying will be held at Cambs Farms Growers, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, on 25 October, and at Great Wollaston Farm, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, on 27 October.
Booking is live here
For Andy Bason of Newhouse Farm, Hampshire, Resilient & Ready has helped realise his ambition of engaging more with the public and sharing farmers’ incredible work with a wider audience.
He made significant changes to his farming practices and also embarked on an agroforestry project.
Andy said: “On the back of the training and knowledge we’ve had from LEAF and Corteva, it has given me a new-found confidence. The next chapter is about getting people onto the farm and showing them all the good work British farmers do.”
Claire Grant of C J Grant in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, said: “Expect to meet like-minded people willing to share and learn information. The entire programme will challenge your train of thought, processes and will provide a framework to explore every area of your farming practices to develop and improve upon year after year.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry – including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximising productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognised brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on 1 June 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont.
More information can be found atwww.corteva.co.uk
Follow Corteva Agriscience onFacebook, Twitter andLinkedIn.
Corteva media consultant – Ben Pike, Eve Communications
T: 01327 438 617 E: ben@evecommunications.co.uk
About LEAF
- LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is the leading organisation delivering and promoting Climate Positive, thriving, resilient and exemplar agro-ecological farming at an increasingly global level. Working with farmers, the food industry, scientists, environmentalists, teachers, young people, and consumers, we are looking at new ways to deliver productivity and prosperity among our farmers, enrich the environment and engage young people and society in a valuable and meaningful way.
- The LEAF Marque is the leading global environmental assurance system for regenerative farming. It is based on the sustainable farming principles of Integrated Farm Management (IFM), which covers areas such as soil and water management, pollution control, crop health, animal welfare, community engagement, energy efficiency and landscape and nature conservation. LEAF Marque businesses are independently assessed and certified against the principles of IFM.
- LEAF promotes Integrated Farm Management (IFM), a whole farm business approach that delivers more sustainable farming. IFM uses the best of modern technology and traditional methods to deliver prosperous farming that enriches the environment and engages local communities.
- LEAF Innovation Centres are research organisations whose work supports the research, evidence, development, and promotion of Integrated Farm Management. They investigate and communicate practices which underpin the continual improvement of the Integrated Farm Management approach to help deliver more sustainable food and farming.
- LEAF Demonstration Farms are commercial farms which show the beneficial practices of IFM to a broad range of audiences through organised visits. They communicate an understanding of IFM to encourage uptake by farmers, support from the industry and political awareness of sustainable food and farming. The network of LEAF Demonstration Farms includes a range of farm businesses across England and Scotland. They work alongside the LEAF Innovation Centres.
