Cumbria’s Farmer Network has been given a £20,000 boost by the Royal Countryside Fund.
The cash from the fund’s Farm Support Group Initiative will support a range of sustainable projects and will allow the Farmer Network to continue to run a not-for-profit support network, helping farmers across a large area of northern England.
Adam Day, managing director at The Farmer Network, said: “The Farmer Network is an independent not for profit farmer support organisation.
“We are led by farmers for the benefit farmers with a mission to support farmers and their families.
“We try to help them overcome challenges to the business and also to make use of any opportunities that might be available across Cumbria, The Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland.
“The Royal Countryside Fund Strategic Grant is a vital source of funding for core areas of the business to help us maximise our support to farmers, investing in staff and management time, use of contractors and being able to upgrade business tools and equipment.
“Without it we would not have the resources or the confidence to be able to invest as widely as we are doing, to support farming communities across such a large area of the North of England.”
Keith Halstead, executive director of The Royal Countryside Fund, said: “This funding is about powering-up family farms and giving them the support they need to survive and thrive. Our aim is to support rural communities across the UK, helping to sustain a living landscape of working family farms and prosperous rural life.
“Farmers are currently facing a whole raft of challenges and we know it’s a difficult time for so many families, so it’s vital our funding goes to where it will make the most impact.
“The farm-support groups we’ve chosen to fund are truly innovative and collaborative organisations that are working with their local communities to find new and sustainable ways to build a better future.
“These are all community-led support groups which can help farmers find the right opportunities, look after their health and wellbeing, and promote sustainable, economic, social and community development.”
