The Forest of Bowland Farmer Group has been developed by the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. It aims to act as a contact group for Farmers within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape to provide support and connectivity during the agricultural transition. The group was established in April 2023 and is funded to run until the end of March 2025.
Over the two year period we will host ten themed meetings, delivering information on relevant farming topics which will help farmers adjust during the agricultural transition. The meetings will be held on farms where possible, with farmers who are already involved in that topic, with key speakers and partner organisations invited to deliver information. We hope that these events will be informative, give farmers the chance to explore farming opportunities, and help to develop new friendships and contacts across the National Landscape.
Alongside these events, we will be sending quarterly e-newsletters and email updates which will include details of potential funding opportunities, local training courses and meetings, updates from the rural crime and policing team, and of course our own Forest of Bowland Farmer Group events.
There is no charge for becoming a member and you can choose how involved you want to be, there is no pressure to attend all the meetings. To sign up please complete your details on this sign up form or get in touch with Nichola Gill nichola.gill@lancashire.gov.uk
Forest of Bowland Farmer Group Meetings
Our meetings to date have been held on farms across the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. With a variety of topics covered, each meeting has been well attended and we have received very positive feedback. Summaries of each meeting can be found in the e-newsletters further down this page. The themes of the meetings were -
- June 23 - Regenerative Agriculture at Old Hall Farm, Roughlee
- August 23 - Nature Friendly Farming in Bowland at Croasdale Farm, Slaidburn
- Nov 23 - Water, Woodlands & Natural Flood Management at Brackenhurst Farm, Tosside
- Feb 23 - Farming & Working with Waders at Lawkland Hall Farm, Eldroth
- May 24 - Woodlands and choosing the right tree for the right place at Carter Fold Farm, Waddington
- May 24 - Rotational Grazing in collaboration with Oakhill Vets and Pasture for Life at Woodend Farm, Dunsop Bridge
We have also run a dry-stone walling 'gapping up' course for farmers, and plan to deliver another session later this summer due to demand.
On Thursday 13th June, we hosted the Forestry Commissions CEO Richard Stanford & Director Anna Brown at a Farmers Breakfast with a focus on how trees and woods can provide a multitude of benefits for farms.
Join us for our next meeting -
Lancashire's Local Nature Recovery Strategy - we need farmers to influence the development of the strategy
Wednesday 26th June, 7pm - 9pm Slaidburn Village Hall
Lancashire County Council is leading on the preparation of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) – something that is happening in every county throughout England this year.
The LNRS will:
- agree priorities for nature recovery in Lancashire
- map the most important areas for nature now in Lancashire
- map specific proposals for creating or improving natural habitats and or contributing to wider environmental goals.
LNRSs are non-binding and do not create new legally protected areas, but could create opportunities for farmers and land managers to access private finance and different funding streams, including SFI options in the future, so it is important that farmers feed into this plan. This is a chance for farmers to influence the development of this strategy – please come along to have your say.
This is an open meeting with a hot supper provided – please book on Eventbrite here or phone/text Jenny on 07775 770190
Quarterly e-newsletters
Members receive quarterly newsletters sent via email. Please click on the links to read the e-newsletters which have been sent out to date.
2023-2024 e-newsletters
2024 - 2025 e-newsletters
Useful Contacts for Farmers
Click here to view and download our helpful list of contacts within the local area who can offer advice on different aspects of farming. We hope this will prove useful and save you some time in trying to make contact with those you need! This will be updated as time goes on so do check back.
For more information please contact Nichola Gill on nichola.gill@lancashire.gov.uk or 01200 448000 (part time hours)