Natural Enterprise, the organisers of the Isle of Wight Farming Conference are delighted to announce a donation of £798 to the Rural Careers Fund, following the highly successful Isle of Wight Farming Conference held on 27 February 2025.

The Rural Careers Fund supports individuals under 25 (and in exceptional cases, older applicants) with strong Isle of Wight connections. It enhances the Island’s agricultural sector by offering two types of financial assistance: annual scholarships up to £3,000 for full-time qualification courses, and bursaries up to £200 available year-round for short courses, equipment or accreditation fees.

The conference, themed “Striking the Right Balance,” brought together farmers, land managers, industry experts and key stakeholders to address the challenges and opportunities facing modern agriculture on the Isle of Wight. With robust discussions on balancing food production with environmental stewardship, adapting to climate change and navigating future farming subsidies, the event fostered meaningful dialogue crucial for the Island’s agricultural future.

Wight Rural Hub also took the opportunity to showcase the free support it offers to help farming businesses maintain resilience and take advantage of future opportunities and funding. The Hub called on the Island’s business community to get behind the rural sector by showing their support for farming on the Island through Wight Rural Hub. If you would like to become a Wight Rural Hub supporter, please get in touch.

Graham Biss, Managing Director of Natural Enterprise, commented: “The enthusiasm and engagement from all participants made this inaugural conference a great success. We’re particularly pleased that the event has generated significant funds for the Rural Careers Fund, which will help nurture the next generation of farming talent on the Isle of Wight.”

Special recognition goes to the event’s headline sponsors: BCM Wilson Hill, IW National Landscape, Moore Barlow, Southern Water and Wight Rural Hub, whose generous support made the conference and the Rural Careers Fund donation possible.

The success of this year’s event has already sparked planning for the Isle of Wight Farming Conference 2026. Natural Enterprise welcome input on topics, speakers and panel themes that would bring the most value to the Island’s agricultural community.

To share feedback or get involved in planning next year’s conference, please call 01983 296244 or email estee.phillimore@wightruralhub.co.uk.