Dearne Agri-Environmental Fund
| Budget | £175,000 |
|---|---|
| Partners | Yorkshire Wildlife Trust |
| Key outcomes | Biodiversity enhancement, soil health, water quality, NFM, farm business profitability and resilience |
| Local Watercourse | River Dearne |
What is the Dearne Agri-Environmental Fund?
The Dearne Agri-Environmental Fund is a local grant scheme for farmers in the Dearne Valley to fund projects ideas which deliver lasting environmental benefits and help improve the profitability and resilience of local farm business.
Funded by Don Catchment Rivers Trust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, it offers grants of up to £20,000 for one-off projects lasting up to five years. It is designed to be flexible so that it can fund novel, innovative projects which cannot be funded by existing schemes.
Who can apply?
The fund is available to members of the Dearne Valley Farmers cluster group. If you're not a registered member, sign up using the form on the link below or email [email protected].
What do we fund?
The fund covers one-off projects which invest in your land and business. It covers capital costs and ongoing costs of any necessary maintenance or work (e.g. fuel, labour, machinery use) for up to five years.
The fund isn't designed to provide ongoing revenue payments to compensate for loss of production. However, these may be considered if you can show the need is temporary and the project will leave lasting benefits for your farm business.
We especially hope to recieve applications which:
- Integrate environmental actions into food production systems and other farm enterprises.
- Create opportunities for farmers to work together.
- Are innovative and cannot be funded by exisiting DEFRA schemes, such as SFI, Countryside Stewardship or Capital Grants.
Project ideas to get you thinking:
Soil Improvement
to support a move to more diverse rotations and fewer inputs.
Grazing Infrastructure (fencing, water, multi-species swards) to improve grassland management.
Slurry & Muck Covers to preserve nutrients and reduce leaching
Collaborative Selling to market local sustainable food.
Baselining & Data Collection to support an application for a larger project.
Communal Machinery (slurry separators, mechanical weeders) to support sustainable farming.
Tree Planting for livestock shade, shelter and windbreaks.
Ponds, scrapes and wetlands to hold back water in drought and provide habitat.
How much do we fund?
We fund between £1,000 and £20,000 per project. Items which can be funded through existing schemes are capped at DEFRA rates, though we consider more where actual costs are considerably higher.
Actual cost items are funded at 40-100%, depending on the environmental impact and benefit to the farm business. These are considered on a case-by-case basis but standardised across successful projects.
Succesful projects are funded partly upfront, with the remainder on completion.
Applying as a group?
There's no upper limit on funding for collaborative projects.
• One lead farmer completes the form and manages the application process.
• Funding can go to the lead applicant to distribute or be split across the group.
• Either way, be clear who delivers each activity and which costs belong to whom.
How to apply:
Expression of Interest
Send an expression of interest to [email protected]. Include your name, farm name, and a summary of your project idea.
Farm Visit
If you're eligible, we'll visit to talk through your ideas and suggest opportunities to do more.
Sumbit Application
We'll provide ongoing support with completing your application.
Panel Decision
Your application will be assessed by a panel of DCRT and YWT representatives.
Got an idea for your farm?
Start with a quick email. We'll check your eligible and arrange a time to visit.