Future Farming Resilience Fund

The Future Farming Resilience Fund :

Access to Free Support for Island Farmers & Land Managers 

The Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF), as funded by Defra, is designed to provide business support to farmers and land managers during the Agricultural Transition. 

To achieve this Defra has awarded a grant to The Wight Rural Hub to help farmers and land managers to: 

• understand the changes that are happening 
• identify how, what and when they may need to adapt their business models 
• access tailored support to adapt 

Wight Rural Hub aims to offer Future Farm Resilience Fund support on the Isle of Wight by: 

• delivering direct interventions on topical sector subjects 
• building upon the positive direction of the interim phase, bringing additional value to those who have already engaged 
• reaching those farmers / landowners who have yet to address the future resilience of their farm business 

In order to qualify for 1-1 support, you must receive BPS (note, you will be asked to provide your SBI number).  Participants who have already taken part in FFRF (Initial and/or Interim Phases with any provider) or have applied for the Exit Scheme can still benefit from this support. 

A key outcome of the FFRF support is to continue to build farmer/landowner confidence to engage with the transition and bring forward changes to their farming business.  This is both a continuation and an extension of the work already achieved in the FFRF Interim Phase. 

Reaching and supporting those businesses who have not yet engaged with FFRF support and continuing the work started in the Interim Phase are the key priorities in this next phase. 

The FFRF delivery plan has been put together in consultation with a farmer focused Steering Group of Island partners.  We are collaborating with partners, other local initiatives and industry professionals to maximise the impact of FFRF funding and to ensure the content delivered is relevant to those using the services and to support other events providers. 

Success of the resilience scheme will be measured against the 6 outcomes; namely that farmers and land managers: 

1. Are encouraged and enabled to become more resilient, competitive, innovative and productive
2. Are facilitated to improve their farming business
   
3. Are clear about what the reduction in Direct Payments will mean for their business
4. Feel confident to make decisions, and do make decisions, about what to do with their business during the Agricultural Transition
5. Feel supported and informed by the government during the Agricultural Transition
6. Get the mental health and wellbeing support they need