Tens of thousands of pounds worth of grant money to support regenerative farming methods in Suffolk and Essex beauty spots could be clawed back, an Ipswich conference was warned.
The first Regenerative Farming Conference was held at the town's Museum of the Environment (MOTE) at Arlington's in Museum Street on Friday, November 24.
It brought together farmers and conservation experts to discuss how the county can ramp up its efforts to make its farming more wildlife-friendly - and some of the funding mechanisms which exist.
Among the speakers was Alex Dinsdale of the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths and Dedham Vale National Landscapes - previously known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
He explained how the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grant was launched in 2021. It is due to end in March 2025 - but tens of thousands of pounds is still left in the kitty which will be returned to central government if unclaimed.
Launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the scheme - which covers National Landscapes but can extend beyond them where there is a benefit to them - is delivered by local authorities.
"It's been very well received and it's provided an excellent way to fund meaningful and beneficial projects," he said.
The scheme covers a gamut of 14 outcomes including reducing flood risk and resilience to climate change.
Two projects which have received funding involved using roller crimpers to knock down and kill cover crops instead of using the weedkiller glyphosate. "This can be a fantastic way to kill cover crops before drilling," he said, "especially if you do it on a frosty day."
One scheme involved creating new orchards by the River Alde using old heritage varieties of fruit and nuts. Others include rhododendron control and mink eradication.
"Farmers and land managers come to us with an idea and we'll make sure it aligns with those 14 ideas - it doesn't have to align with all of those outcomes," he said.
Farming in Protected Landscapes Support Officer Lynn Eldrett confirmed afterwards that for the 2023/24 year there was currently a £74,935 underspend in Dedham Vale and £42,943 for Coast & Heaths - although applications were in the pipeline.
"This is the maximum funding which may be available to spend by March 3, 2024," she explained.
"We have new projects which are currently being worked up into applications, so it may well be that these funds will also be committed shortly, however we always welcome interest from potential applicants."
The conference also heard from Jennie Rawson of Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) who explained how her organisation was now involved in farm advice across the county. The focus was on sustainable land use for "growing food and also recovering nature", she said.
"We want to see 30% of Suffolk in nature recovery by 2030," she said. "There are lots of us working together on this vision."
Nature reserves covered just 2% of land, she pointed out. "We need these habitats to be bigger, better and more joined up," she said.
SWT has been involved in the recovery of more than 100 ponds with another 25 in the pipeline, she said. It was also working on projects with Suffolk farm clusters. Another area of focus for the trust is "ghost ponds" where ponds are completely lost but precious seedbanks remain and can be revived through restoration projects.
The event was hosted by MOTE and organised by Suffolk County Councillor Debbie Richards.
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