Working with farmers

FARMING WITH NATURE

Over 80% of land within Wiltshire is farmed meaning it has a significant role to play not only in sustainable food production but also in supporting nature’s recovery. We recognise the challenges faced by the farming community, whether that’s with the increasingly extreme weather conditions, competing land use priorities or in forming a sustainable business model; our expertise in nature-based solutions and green finance look to support farmers in gaining a better understanding of the opportunities that exist on their land.

SUPPORTING FARMERS TO BE INVESTMENT READY

Thanks to recent success with the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF), administered through Natural England and Environment Agency, we are able to offer our services to support a limited number of farmers in Wiltshire to ‘get investment ready’. This means we are able to work with individuals or farm groups to identify opportunities for green finance, such as Biodiversity Net Gain, undertake the relevant surveys and draw up a complete document pack so farmers are ready to trade. By working in partnership with Smart Land Management and Ecology (SLME), we hope to break down some of the barriers to entry, including initial surveying costs and lack of clear guidance for farmers, to support the creation or enhancement of valuable habitat.

We can only work with a limited number of farmers – if you are interested in taking part in our NEIRF project, please contact us using the form below, and a member of our Nature Recovery Team will get in touch with you.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FARMERS IN WILTSHIRE

For farmers located within the Bristol Avon catchment area, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and EnTrade have worked to establish the Bristol Avon Catchment Market. This market offers farmers and landholders a new opportunity to earn money by creating new nature based projects on their land, delivering long-term environmental services such as Biodiversity Gain, carbon sequestration, natural flood risk management and nutrient mitigation. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will work with landholders so that projects are developed in the right locations, and designed using local knowledge and scientific expertise to maximise environmental benefits.

By participating in the Market, landholders can benefit from:

• A secure, long-term income stream
• Access to expert advice to develop projects that meet accredited standards
• A straight-forward way to benefit from the growing market for environmental services
• An opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to nature’s recovery in the Bristol Avon Catchment

If you would like to find out more, please visit For landholders (bristolavoncatchmentmarket.uk)