Help us develop an ambitious vision for the future of council-owned farmland in England which will help new entrants into agriculture and allow farmers to progress.

This free of charge webinar is open to all farm tenants on County Council smallholding estates.

What Role Do County Council Smallholding Estates Have in DEFRA's Plans for Supporting Farming and the Farmed Environment?

With the Agriculture Act 2020 now on the statute book and DEFRA shortly to announce its plans for the new Environmental Land Management Scheme, spending on productivity and future farm resilience, the webinar will focus on the role that County Council Smallholding estates should play in meeting the Government's wider policy objectives. We will discuss the unique issues faced by farm tenants on local authority estates and how best they can engage with their landlords to take advantage of the new schemes being made available by DEFRA. The webinar will also draw out views on necessary changes to legislation and Government policy for county farms estates more widely. Speakers will include TFA Chief Executive, George Dunn and Martin Lines Chair of the UK Nature Friendly Farming Network.

Background

Our recent research found the extent of council-owned farmland, sometimes known as County Farms, has halved in the last 40 years, as budgetary pressures have meant local authorities have felt forced to sell off this valuable public asset. However, in the face of COVID-19, the climate emergency, and Brexit, County Farms could be one of the most powerful tools we have for helping to deliver diverse, thriving and ecologically abundant farming for current and future generations.

With this in mind, Shared Assets, the New Economics Foundation and CPRE are now working together with current tenant farmers, estates managers, councillors, new and prospective farmers, and other relevant stakeholders, to help develop an optimistic and progressive vision for County Farms across England and their role in meeting the challenges of the transition in farming under the new policy framework.

**Please note places at the workshop are limited, and if over-subscribed we will make a selection of attendees which ensures diversity of experience, background, and location, so as to have as meaningful a discussion as possible. This event page is a 'pre-registration' page - if you have been successful in being selected for the event we will invite you to sign up for the private event before it takes place.

A Collective Vision for County Farms' future - tenant farmer perspectives