Working through Farmer Clusters Rory Harding Farmer Cluster

Working through Farmer Clusters Rory Harding, Farmer Cluster Officer

Farmer cluster approach – What is it? Work together to tackle landscape scale issues Definition: // Working together, helped by a facilitator, farmers and land managers can work more cohesively in their locality, enabling them to collectively deliver greater benefits for soil, water and wildlife at a landscape scale.

Why is Kent Wildlife Trust taking this approach?

Joining a Farmer Cluster - Why? For people, for wildlife

Joining a Farmer Cluster - Why? Sign posting, peer to peer learning Producing high quality food Voice in the community and beyond – communicate the public good Collaboration Connected landscape Wildlife declines Stewards of the landscape Sharing kit / knowledge and advice Making a living farm profitability

What is our approach in Kent – How? Partnership working - Facilitator for administration - Developing the Farmer lead approach - Mapping habitat - Funding - Keeping it real

What is our approach in Kent – How? Empowering the farming community

What could sustainable farming look like? Regenerative, holistic, organic? • Integrated pest management (IPM) Colla • Minimum tillage • Wider more diverse rotational cropping • Holistic management • Technological solutions e r u t a n g n i k n i l Wilder farms reserves? • Wilding and a nature recovery network • Cover cropping and intercropping borat ion fo r new the m era o ixed f f arm?

Examples in Kent Upper Beult Farmer Cluster

THANK YOU! Rory Harding rory. harding@kentwildlife. org. uk 07876 181499 @rangerroar