Steph Emmerson & Rosie Uden (Chippenham)

I am often told when I go onto farms, ‘Countryside Stewardship just wont work on this farm’ and then after a few minutes’ discussing your farming practices, cropping plan, livestock numbers fertiliser usage etc, we have started to draw a scheme together which fits around your farming business.

Unlike other groups who may complete Countryside Stewardship Schemes with you, we draw up schemes that work around the farming business, not a scheme that you have to farm around – this we believe is vital to the success of a CS Scheme.

Below are just a few options I think we will be seeing more of in this application window:
• SW9: Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland – exactly what it says on the tin. Removal of livestock on intensive grassland, over the winter period (5 and half consecutive months). Payment rate, £106/ha

• GS4: Legume and herb-rich swards – a mixed species ley, restricts the use of artificial nitrogen, but it provides a mixed species ley with good root systems, it will create a habitat for crop pollinators, and improve soil structure and water infiltration. A good all-round ley. Payment rate, £358/ha

• SW6 – Winter Cover Crops – Cover crops help to reduce nitrate leaching on land that would normally be left bare or down to stubbles during winter, cover crops can help improve soil structure and quality, provide a source of nitrogen, and potentially suppress weeds and pesticide usage. Payment Rate – £124/ha.

• AB8: Flower-rich margins and plots Flower-rich grass margins or plots provide important habitat and foraging sites for invertebrates, including wild pollinators such as bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies, and farmland birds like the yellowhammer. Sow in the first year, and leave to flourish year on year, no need to re-establish each year. Payment Rate £628/ha

• AB7: Whole crop cereals- £554/ha-Over £500/ha income for growing whole crop cereals can sound very exciting, admittedly there is a slight catch. The whole crop cereals must be spring sown, with restricted herbicide usage and the stubble maintained over winter until February. However, herbicides can still be applied, and maintaining overwinter stubble comes in very handy if you would like to repeat the whole crop cereal the following year, plant maize or another spring cereal crop.

• AB14: Harvested low input cereal-A very suitable option for those growing Spring Barley. Unlike the name suggests there is no restriction on nutrient use, just a restriction on some herbicides to control broadleaf weeds. Suits majority of arable systems growing spring cereals. Payment Rate £236/ha

• GS2: Permanent grassland with very low inputs (outside SDAs) – with increased fertiliser prices, this option may push you to put less productive grassland into this scheme. Payment Rate £132/ha

Another huge benefit to the scheme is the vast amount of capital options that can now be applied for, especially if you are in ‘high or medium’ priority catchment area. These include, concrete yard works, roofing of open yards, rainwater tanks, guttering, fencing, hedge planting etc.

The Mid Tier Stewardship application window is now open until the 29th July 2022 and I encourage you to speak to your consultant now, not only to avoid missing any deadlines that require options to have RPA approval, but also, this year will be highly competitive as it is the penultimate year to apply for this scheme, therefore a well thought out scheme is essential.

Contact Steph Emmerson, stephemmerson@fcgagric.com or Rosie at rosieuden@fcgagric.com or your local FCG office to discuss further.