Lead Partner: Voluntary Action Cumbria
Description
‘Hill farming in the north of England’ is an action research project delivered by Geoff Brown and Viv Lewis on behalf of Voluntary Action Cumbria. This three-year project began in July 2006. We are using community development approaches to encourage hill farmers in three northern National Parks (Lake District, North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales) to articulate their concerns and find solutions that will enable them to continue and reinvigorate their occupations and livelihood. At the same time we are working with young people to develop activities that attract, create and retain suitably skilled and knowledgeable young people who wish to take up hill farming. We are also collaborating with National Park staff, representatives from the National Farmers’ Union and other staff in relevant agencies.
We believe that by sharing ideas and resources we can build up a collaborative network of hill farmers and advisers to gather robust evidence that demonstrates the value of hill farmers’ contribution to bio-diversity, landscape, public amenity and public access, and cultural heritage. Using this evidence we aim to influence policy makers’ knowledge, understanding and attitudes towards hill farming.
How do we know what's going on in hill farming?
We are using three approaches to find out:
Tapping in to existing local farming events to gently research and probe current concerns among hill farming communities. In December 2006 we organised the collection of old photographs from members of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association. We used these photos at their 90th anniversary event as mental prompts to the immense changes that have taken place over the past three generations. The only constant is that there still is a strong connection between people and the landscape and the breed of sheep through which this connection is made.
Creating new events to encourage hill farmers to make connections, learn from each other and discuss common areas of concern both now and in the immediate future. We held the first of three inter-area farm study visits in Cumbria in February 2007. 3 Cumbrian farmers generously hosted visits to their farms and 35 hill farmers and other interested people learnt about traditional Herdwick sheep farming systems in the Borrowdale valley, farm diversification and working with agri-environment schemes.
- Working with hill farmer advocates who are respected amongst their peers and have good local knowledge and contacts. Six hill farmer advocates have been identified and they are collecting evidence and information about the social, economic and environmental sustainability of hill farming as a land management system in their area.
How will we identify and motivate young people?
We are using the hill farmer advocates, farm visits, National Park staff and other contacts to create registers of interested young people in the three areas of study. We are planning:
- A programme of fact-finding missions via visits to other hill farming areas in the north of England
- A bursary programme for 6 young people to visit and carry out enquiries in other hill farming areas further a field
- Explore the ‘Fresh Start’ initiative/approach in the north of England hill farming sector
How will we communicate our findings and influence policy?
- By involving working hill farmers alongside members of Defra’s Upland Land Management Advisory Panel and National Park advisory groups with the visits programme and the delivery of the project.
- By distributing reports of our activities and findings to advisers, lobbyists and policy makers as well as our participants.
- By organising meetings with politicians and senior civil servants as the action research unfolds.
Contact Details
Geoff Brown/ Viv Lewis
Voluntary Action Cumbria
The Old Stables
Redhills
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 0DT
01768 868617
geoffbrown@fellsanddales.org.uk
Website: http://www.fellsanddales.org.uk/