Government calls on farmers to help design new £30m fund

Farmers are being invited to help shape a new £30m government fund aimed at strengthening collaboration and resilience across the countryside.

Through the Farmer Collaboration Fund, Defra wants to support farmers and land managers to “turn best practice into common practice” by making it easier to share knowledge and work together.

The initiative comes as the sector faces mounting financial and environmental pressures, from rising costs to the need for more sustainable land management.

A series of in-person workshops is now being launched, giving farmers the chance to hear the latest plans and feed back directly to officials.

Defra says working collectively can help reduce costs, spread risk, improve skills and support stronger long-term business planning.

Across the country, farmers and land managers are already joining forces to tackle shared challenges beyond the farm gate.

Neighbouring holdings, for example, are coordinating soil and water management across whole catchments, taking action along rivers that run through multiple farms.

By pooling knowledge and resources, groups can make more targeted, cost-effective decisions that benefit both individual businesses and the wider landscape.

Collaboration can also strengthen farmers’ position when seeking private investment.

Defra says groups are often better placed to secure funding for outcomes such as cleaner water, nature recovery and carbon storage — support that can be harder to attract farm by farm.

Other projects are restoring hedgerows and habitat networks at scale, reconnecting wildlife corridors and building more resilient landscapes.

In some areas, farmers are pooling data and effort to test new approaches, share what works and reduce risk for individual businesses.

Over the next three years, the £30m fund will support existing networks and help new ones get started, expanding access to shared expertise, stronger bargaining power and improved resilience.

The workshops will begin with a short presentation from Defra’s team, followed by guided discussion.

Events will run from 11 March to 14 April across nine locations in England, including Ashford, Lincoln, Norwich, Thirsk, Carlisle, Hexham, Ludlow, Exeter and Winchester.

Each session will last two hours, refreshments will be provided, and places are limited.

Defra is urging farmers and land managers interested in taking part to register early to ensure they can join the discussions.