The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme to recruit its 1000th farmer

Family farm businesses are now invited to register for the fourth year of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme. 

Held in 15 locations across the UK and delivered by local partners, the multi-million pound programme allows up to 20 farming families to join the highly successful initiative in each location, and receive free business skills training. Aimed at dairy, beef, and sheep farmers, it helps farming families to make changes to improve their business and ensure their viability. Over 700 families have taken part in the past three years and the Fund hopes to sign up its 1000^th farmer by this September.

As a result of taking part in the Programme, 9 in 10 farmers said they had a better understanding of their costs, and 91% said regular family communication has improved.

The Poad Family from Cornwall, who took part in the Programme last year said of their experience: “Without any doubt it has united us as a family and given us and our farm the direction its needed. It’s one of the best things that we’ve done – it’s brought open discussion back into the family home.”

Julie, who works with the Programme said: “The benefits from the Programme are so widespread, the ripples from the initial meeting and the benchmarking don’t stop going out - it provokes so much thought and so much planning.”

Support is provided through one-to-one on farm advice, as well as a series of seven group workshops delivered by professional consultants. Topics covered include benchmarking costs, business planning, succession planning and environmental management.

For year four, the National Trust are sponsoring 60 of their tenants to take part in four of the locations. The Trust’s tenants are crucial to the delivery of their land management objectives, and the Trust is determined to play a key role in helping its farming tenants to build resilience into their farming business. 

Anwen, who took part in the Programme in Brecon last year said: “If someone asked me whether they should join The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme I would say certainly."

Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme has gone from strength to strength over the past three years and is continually responding to the unique challenges facing farming families. We are introducing the Managing Your Farmed Environment workshop this year, which will help farmers to be more informed about their own environmental assets and opportunities for delivering public goods. The workshop will encourage a cultural change in the way farmers think about their contribution to the environment and in the opportunities for delivering public goods.  

"Our partnership with the National Trust will help us to reach even more farming families and we are very grateful for their support.”

We would like to thank all our sponsors for their support of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme.

For further information and to register your interest, please visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience by August 30th.

Notes to Editors

The programme is supported by Aldi, Morrisons, NFU Mutual and National Trust. 

The programme has been confirmed for farmers near the following locations:

Aberdeenshire

Carmarthenshire

Cornwall

Kent

Lancashire 

Norfolk

Northern Ireland 

Orkney 

Shropshire 

South Hams

Yorkshire 

The National Trust groups are confirmed in the following locations:

Devon and Somerset  

Lake District  

Peak District  

LlÅ·n Peninsula/Snowdonia  

The Prince’s Countryside Fund was established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2010 and aims to enhance the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life. We believe that the British countryside is our most valuable natural asset and its contribution to our everyday life cannot be underestimated. 

To help support and secure the future of the countryside we: 

• Provide more than £1m each year in grant and programme funding to projects across the UK thanks to support from our partners, events and donations 

• Celebrate and promote the value of the countryside  
• Lead projects to strengthen farm businesses, such as The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme 
• Commission research into issues affecting farming families and rural communities 
• Bring together individuals and businesses to help tackle current challenges 
• Help communities in crisis through our Emergency Fund 

To find out more, visit the Fund’s website at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk