CUMBRIA
FARMERFEBRUARY 2009
IN BRIEF
Top of her class
LYNNE Grieve recently came
top of the class after her first
year on the Livestock
Auctioneers'
Association
foundation
degree course.
Growing up
on the family
beef and sheep
farm in
Hexham, Lynne
was rarely out
of her father's
shadow
following in his footsteps as he
worked � her career in
agriculture was never in doubt.
Now a member of Harrison
and Hetherington's field staff,
she loves nothing better than
getting out onto farms and
meeting the occupants.
Full story � page 3
The estate we're in
JOHN Harris's yeoman farmer
ancestors created the 5,400-
acre
Brackenburgh
Estate, near
Penrith, in the
1800s with a
fortune made
from coal
mining in west
Cumbria.
John took
over
stewardship of
the estate from
his father Joe in 1995, and
describes it as the "best job in
the world".
But he knows that the estate
has to be self-sufficient and its
farms have to make money.
Full story � centre pages
Secure future?
MANY dairy farmers realise a
stronger contract would go a
long way to providing a more
secure future.
It would also
limit the ability
of milk buyers
to reduce
prices at will,
but how many
of us actually
ask the
potential
buyer: "Will
you give us a
contract based on the NFU
template?" I would encourage
all dairy farmers to at least ask
the question.
Read Russell Bowman's
column in full on page 13
Going places:
Lynne Grieve
`Contracts':
Russell Bowman
'Best job':
John Harris
FFaarrmmeerrss sshhaarree
��1166mm ppaayyoouutt
Three pages of news and
features from the riding
world start on page 18
CUMBRIA HORSE
EXCLUSIVE BY ANNA BURDETT
Farming and Rural Affairs Editor
C
umbria's farming and
rural industries have
scooped a �16 million
windfall.
The eagerly anticipated new
Fells and Dales programme will be
launched on February 23 at
Rheged, near Penrith. It will deliv-
er half the cash, which is ear-
marked for the Lake District and
the south of the county.
Another �8 million will be avail-
able to the north of the county
through the Solway, Border and
Eden Local Action Group, which
will also be launched in the com-
ing weeks.
County farmers could secure
huge grants for a wide variety of
projects and, while there is a min-
imum grant of �1,500, there will be
no upper limit.
Adrian Banford, programme
manager for the Fells and Dales
programme, said: "We will have
two approaches to working with
clients.
"Those receiving �20,000 or less
in grants will use a simplified
application process and they could
have the money in six weeks.
"The second approach is for larg-
er amounts of money. This process
will take at least three months.
"This whole scheme has been
tailored to Cumbrian farming and
designed around the way it works.
"Its aim is to support farming
and rural businesses in the county."
The cash has come from the
Rural Development Programme for
England, which is funded by Defra
and the EU. The programme is due
to run until 2013 or until the cash
runs out.
As well as farmers and foresters,
it will benefit rural businesses, vol-
untary organisations and commu-
nity groups. Other groups, such as
market town partnerships and
community planning groups, will
also be eligible to apply for grants.
It follows on from the Leader
Plus programme, which closed last
year. It injected �3.75 million into
the county's rural economy and
instigated a further �30 million of
investment.
Mr Banford added: "We're really
excited to finally be able to get this
money into the public realm so
farmers can benefit from it.
"We're eager to work with people
in these credit crunch times
because investment is just as
important now to set businesses up
for the future.
"Inevitably, there will always be
some people who are cautious, but
we're hoping that availability of
grants will give them the confi-
dence to make an investment that
they would otherwise be unsure of
making."
There will be about �1 million for
training, demonstrations and infor-
mation days to help educate farm-
ers about changes to agriculture.
One of the key projects will be
the promotion of wood fuel boilers.
Farmers can apply for up to 40 per
cent of the cost of installing a boil-
er that will provide heating and
hot water. A total of �350,000 will be
available for this.
There will be �300,000 of grants
for micro-hydro plants to supply
farm businesses with electricity
from water courses running across
the land.
The technology is well developed
and working well on farms in
Scandinavia.
Around �800,000 will be available
to promote county produce and
there will be �250,000 to help farm-
ers work together on marketing
their goods.
A number of new advisory ser-
vices will be launched as part of
the programme.
Six staff will work on the Fells
and Dales project and another six
will be based in Wigton, admin-
istering the Solway, Border and
Eden scheme.
Local Action Groups, represent-
ing 50 local organisations, will
make the final decision on grants,
aided by staff and the NWDA.
Mr Banford added: "We're trying
to encourage farmers to think
about the 21st century and farming
as a multi-functional business.
"Modernisation and diversifica-
tion is a significant part of future
farming. People who want to be a
part of that will get a boost from
this programme."
For details on the Fells and Dales
programme, ring 01768 869533,
email info@fellsanddales.org.uk or
write to The Old Stables, Redhills,
Penrith, CA11 0DT.
Eagerly anticipated: The new Fells and Dales programme will deliver half the cash for the Lake District and the south of the county IAN BRODIE
Minimum grants of �1,500 available, no upper limit
Adrian Banford: `This scheme has
been tailored to Cumbrian farming'

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16Page 17Page 18Page 19Page 20Page 21Page 22Page 23Page 24 Produced by PageSuite