Catchment Sensitive Farming partnership expanded across England

Farmers across England are now able to benefit from the advice of Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) advisers following the expansion of the programme.

CSF is led by Natural England in partnership with Defra and the Environment Agency. It works with farmers, communities, and organisations in catchments across England to improve the quality of air, water, and natural flood management, through the Agricultural Transition.

Local advisers provide confidential on-farm support and advice across the farming community to encourage uptake of new and existing agricultural schemes and to help farmers comply with regulation to deliver environmental gains. 

Since 2006, CSF has worked with around 24,000 farms and helped farmers take more than 80,000 positive actions to reduce pollution.

In 2021, as part of Defra’s Future Farming Countryside Programme Strategy, the Government committed additional funding to CSF, enabling expansion across the whole of England by April 2023 and including:

• Targeted farm advice programme across all agricultural areas of England to improve water and air quality
• Advice on Natural Flood Management
• Support for farmers and growers with the Agricultural Transition including the new environmental land management schemes.

CSF advisers are locally based with an understanding of the challenges farmers face. They will work alongside farmers and producers to take the latest advice and information and tailor it to best benefit the farm business.

A survey of farmers who had contact with a CSF adviser early this year found that 83% of them agreed they were a person whose advice they could trust.

CSF said working with your local CSF adviser can:

• Save you money
• Help to future-proof the farm
• Improve the local environment
• Help you meet current regulations
• Find ‘win-wins’ for the environment and your business.

As well as one-to-one visits, advisers can provide tailored specialist advice to individual farms. They will also arrange on-farm events, shows and demonstrations, and you may hear from them through local newsletters.

CSF advisers can help farmers make confident decisions on:

• Soil Management
• Nutrient, Slurry & Manure Management
• Ammonia Reduction
• Farm Infrastructure & Machinery set-up
• Water Resources & Natural Flood Management
• Local Environmental Priorities
• Land Management
• Agricultural Transition

Further information and details of how to get in touch with local teams can be found HERE