The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s highly successful initiative, The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, is open for family farm businesses from across the UK to sign up. Registration opens from September 7th until October 31st, 2020, but workshops will not take place until local social distancing regulations allow.
Held in 15 locations across the UK each year and coordinated by local partners such as FarmCornwall and The Farmer Network, the multi-million-pound programme allows up to 20 farming families to take part in each location.
Participants receive free business skills and environmental management training worth £2000 per farm, delivered by expert consultants including Kite, the Andersons Centre, and Savills. The training helps farming families to make changes to improve their business and ensure their viability.
Nearly 1000 families have taken part and now in its fifth year, the Fund has committed to running the PFRP until 2027, through the period of agricultural transition.
Derek, a farmer who took part in 2019-20, told us: “The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme allows farmers to be open and honest with others. It’s a great way for people to come together, to put your head above the parapet and own how well your business is doing, to talk things through with others in a similar situation and with the expertise of the consultants.”
“I would without a shadow of a doubt recommend this Programme. It shows you how you can progress the business to do what it is supposed to do, to support yourself and your family, provide a good quality of life, and prepare for retirement. Farming is what we want to do in life, so it’s important to be doing it the best we can, and make the best use of our time and resources”
Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “British agriculture is undergoing its most significant change in a generation, so it is vital that farming families future-proof their business, now. The free business skills and environmental management training provided by The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme is proven to increase confidence and help farm businesses ready themselves for change. I’d like to thank all of our programme sponsors for their support of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, particularly Aldi, Morrisons, and the National Trust.”
The Prince’s Countryside Fund is only able to carry out their work thanks to the generosity of individuals, trusts and foundations, and corporate sponsors and donors: Aldi, Booths, Waitrose Duchy Organic, Forest Holidays, Gregory Distribution, Jordans Cereals, M&S, McDonald’s UK and Ireland, Morrisons, New Holland Agriculture, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, Saputo Dairy UK, Waitrose, and Warburtons.
For further information and to register your interest, please visit: www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience
