The Pebble Trust supported the delivery of the Royal Countryside Fund’s 2023/24 Farm Resilience Programme in the Highlands and Islands. At the core of the programme is a series of workshops to support family farms and croft businesses. The aim was to equip farming families with the skills and knowledge to build financial and environmental sustainability and to maximise profitability and resilience.
The programme aimed to reach farms in more isolated geographical locations as these business often don’t have easy access to support and networks. 50 farmers signed up in Scotland including 22 farming businesses in Orkney. 70% of the businesses that participated had never been involved in a similar group before.
The programme comprised seven workshops including a business health check, reducing costs and planning for the future. All members of the family were invited to attend – to bridge the generational divide and prompt important conversations. At the end of the programme 75% of family business felt communication within the family had improved and 50% said they now plan to start succession planning.
Simon, one of the Orkney farmers who participated in the Farm Resilience Programme
Building relationships
Meeting other farmers during the workshops enabled participants to build relationships that have continued now that the programme has ended. Many participants rated the social aspect of the programme very highly and 80% of participants reported increased levels of confidence at the end of the programme.
The programme was coordinated by Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) which is a charity dedicated to the relief of hardship and poverty amongst people who depend upon the land for their livelihoods in Scotland. This enabled the programme to connect with RSABI’s wider network, and for the first time the programme included a new workshop examining farm safety and supporting farmer’s wellbeing.
Upon completion, participants became part of the Farm Resilience Network, ensuring ongoing support. The Farm Resilience Programme continues to operate in Scotland and if you are interested in finding out more, please visit the Royal Countryside Fund website.
What’s next for the Farm Resilience Programme?
We will continue our successful partnership with RSABI as it helps us to stay connected to local people and issues. The Royal Countryside Fund is committed to delivering the Farm Resilience Programme in Scotland, Wales and NI. This is a key part of our strategic commitment to continue to support farm businesses over the next six years. Our overarching aim is to maintain and build our reputation as the trusted source of advice and support for farming families seeking a sustainable future. In doing so, by the end of six years, we hope to have engaged with a further 6,000 family farms of which 85% will feel more confident, connected and sustainable, and be working within our network of 10,000+ farm businesses.The Farm Resilience Programme is a big part of this.
Many thanks to The Royal Countryside Fund for providing this month’s blog post.