Hill Farming Gathering, 31 January 2008 – Feedback report

Nearly 100 hill farmers from the Lake District, the East Fellside, the Howgills and a contingent of hill farmers from the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors met in conference at Melmerby on the 31st January. The gathering was part of an initiative being run by the Fells and Dales LEADER+ Programme and the Carnegie UK Trust on sustaining hill farming communities in the North of England. Listening to and participating in the debate were a number of policy makers from Defra’s Uplands and Commons Branch, Natural England and three of the North of England’s National Parks.

The conference was chaired by Geoff Brown of the LEADER+ Programme who began by pointing out that although 2007 turned out to be a very difficult year for hill farming, 2008 was a new year and that the intention was to have a positive and forward-looking gathering. The LEADER+ Programme was concerned to assist the hill farming community to make a better case for itself with policy makers, to take what decisions it can for itself and to fly the flag for hill farming.

A full report from the gathering can be downloaded using the link below.