March is certainly arriving with a different feel to it. After what has been a very wet winter, the slightly drier spell we’re seeing – and a few brighter days in the forecast – is welcome relief. There are still plenty of livestock housed while we wait for ground to properly dry out and grass to get moving, but it does at least feel as though we’re edging closer to a proper turn in the season. Here’s hoping for a lift in temperatures and more settled conditions as we march forwards into spring.

This month we have full details of the SFI 2026 offer, helping you get clarity early on what’s available, what’s changed and how to prepare ahead of the application windows. We also have a number of events coming up, including our “Selling Nature?” event on the 26th, where we’ll be exploring private nature markets in practical, farmer-focused terms – what’s real, what to watch out for and what it could mean for your business. As ever, our aim is to keep things straightforward and useful – providing the information and conversations that help you make confident decisions for the year ahead.

Upcoming Events

Webinar - Herefordshire's Local Nature Recovery  Strategy - Farm & Landowner

Wed 4th March

12pm to 1pm 

Find out more about Herefordshire's new proposed LNRS which has now been launched for public consultation. 

To book your place click here

Webinar - Introducing the New Nutrient Management Planning Tool on Gov.UK

Wed 4th March

12pm to 1pm

This free webinar will demonstrate the new NMPT-GB nutrient management planning tool.

To book your place click here 

Herefordshire Grassland Society: Winter Meeting

The Future of British Agriculture in an Uncertain, Fast Changing & Complex World with Louise Manning

Stow Ag - Meeting Sponsor

Short Society 2025 Annual General Meeting

Tues 10th March 

6:30pm to 10pm

Grange Court, Leominster HR6 8NL

All welcome, more info click here

Webinar - Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2026

Thurs 12th March  

10am to 12pm 

Join Defra for a 2 hour webinar, where they will explain what grants are available, how to apply, and what to expect from the process.  

For more information and to book click here 

WAFM: Free Mental Health Awareness Workshop   

Mon 23rd March    

6pm to 8:30pm  

Ledbury Rugby Club, HR8 2LP   

To book please email click here 

Selling Nature? What farmers need to know about accessing private funding & nature markets - Advice Afternoon 

Thurs 26th March    

12:30pm to 4pm

Shell Store, HR2 6SR  

Join us for clear, impartial guidance & hear real farmer experiences. 

To book your place click here 

WAFM: One Foot in the Grain Over 50's Farmers Social

Fri 27th March    

11:45am to 2:45pm

Bromyard Rugby Club, HR7 4LW  

Booking is essential, please email to reserve your place.  

FarmSafer: Emergency First Aid with Forestry Training Workshop  

Fri 10th April    

8:30am to 4pm 

HFYFC, YFC Centre, HR4 9QJ  

Fully funded by Herefordshire Community Foundation & the Jack Hughes Fund. 

To book please email  Please state your Name, Address, Contact Tel No. 

Hub Go-To-Businesses

The key message from DEFRA is that SFI26 will be simplified and more focused.

The number of actions has reduced from 102 to 71, removing 31 actions, primarily those with low uptake or limited environmental impact alongside food production. Despite this reduction, there remains sufficient flexibility to tailor agreements to individual farm businesses.

Funding & Schemes

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026  

Defra has released guidance for the FETF 2026, opening on 17 March 2026. The fund offers £50 million to help farmers, growers, foresters, and contractors invest in equipment and technology that boosts productivity, animal welfare, and slurry management.

Funding & Eligibility

£50m split across: Productivity (£20m), Animal Health & Welfare (£20m), Slurry Management (£10m)

Grants: £1,000–£25,000 per theme, with a £75,000 maximum per business

Funding is competitive; only approved items (around 290) qualify

What’s New

• Updated equipment lists and some new technologies added

• Vet advice and new entrant uplifts removed

• Applicants must use the same contact details as in the Rural Payments service

This is the last standalone FETF; future schemes will combine the strongest elements

Themes & Key Items

• Productivity: autonomous UV‑C treatment, precision sprayers, rainwater harvesting, robotic silage pushers

• Animal Welfare: ventilation systems, biosecurity improvements, livestock handling equipment

• Slurry Management: robotic slurry collectors, low‑emission spreaders

Ensure your contact details match details registered in the Rural Payments service.   After the aplication window closes in late April, all applications will be reviewed and scored. 

To read the full guidance click here 

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) - 2026  
What’s New in the Sustainable Farming Incentive

Defra has published an update on the Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for 2026 (SFI26) and what farmers can expect from the next phase of support.

Application Windows & Eligibility

• Window 1 opens in June 2026, prioritising small farms (up to 50 ha) and farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement.

• Window 2 opens in September 2026 and welcomes applications from all farms.

Funding Caps & Fairer Access

• A £100,000 cap per agreement per year will be introduced.

• Each farm business can hold only one SFI26 agreement.

• Rotational actions are capped at the area included in Year 1 of the agreement.  The area claimed can still be reduced in further years to suit field size and rotation, but it can no longer increase.
  
  
• 10 actions now have caps - this includes: 
  •  CIPM2/IPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips
  • CAHL1/AHL1: Pollen and nectar flower mix
  • CAHL2/AHL2: Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land
  • CAHL3/AHL3: Grassy field corners or blocks
  • CIGL1/IGL1: Take improved grassland field corners or blocks out of management
  • CIGL2/IGL2: Winter bird food on improved grassland
  • WBD3: In-field grass strips
  • AHW7: Enhanced overwinter stubble
  • AHW9: Unharvested cereal headland
  • AHW11: Cultivated areas for arable plants

Scheme Design & Payment Changes

• The number of actions has been reduced from 102 to 71, focusing on those with strong environmental and food production value. The following actions will not be available to apply for in 2026 agreements:
  • CHRW: Assess and record hedgerow condition
  • CHRW3: Maintain or establish hedgerow trees
  • BFS2: Buffer in-field ponds on arable land
  • BFS3: Buffer in-field ponds on improved grassland 
  • BFS4: Protect in-field trees on arable land
  • BFS5: Protect in-field trees on intensive grassland
  • AHW1: Bumblebird mix
  • AHW12: Manage woodland edges on arable land
  • GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (endorsed)
  • GRH11: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)
  • HEF2: Maintain weatherproof traditional farm or forestry buildings in remote areas
  • HEF5: Control scrub on historic and archaeological features
  • HEF8: Maintain designed or engineered waterbodies
  • CIPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan
  • CNUM1: Assess nutrient management and produce a review report
  • OFA1: Overwinter stubble (organic land)
  • OFA3: Supplementary winter bird food (organic land)
  • OFA6: Undersown cereal crop (organic land)
  • PRF3: Non-mechanical robotic weeding
  • SOH4: Winter cover following maize crops
  • CSAM1: Assess soil, test soil organic matter and produce a soil management plan
  • SOH2: Multi-species spring-sown cover crop
  • SPM2: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (50-80%)
  • SPM4: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (50-80%)
  • WBD5: Manage intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
  • WBD8: Manage grassland to reduce nutrient levels in groundwater
  • WBD9: Nil fertiliser supplement.
• The following payment rates have been reduced:
  • CSAM3: Herbal leys is now £224/ha
  • CAHL2: Winter bird food is now £648/ha
  • CNUM3: Legume fallow is now £532/ha
• The previously offered management payment has been removed entirely.
• All remaining actions that can be applied for can be found here: SFI26: details, definitions and what to expect – The Farming Blog

Simpler & More Flexible

• All actions are now 3‑year commitments instead of 5, making the scheme more accessible, especially for tenant farmers.
• Base actions and their associated supplemental actions must be applied for together, simplifying management and improving value.

What’s Ahead

Defra will publish full SFI26 guidance and budget before the first window opens and provide regular updates as funding windows are launched.  They are expecting a high uptake in June so we encourage those planning to apply, to prepare as much as possible ahead of the window opening. 

Higher Tier Capital Grants 2026 – What You Need to Know.

• Specialist livestock and water management infrastructure
• Woodland and habitat management works
• Grassland restoration activities
• Protection of historic and environmental features

• Be registered on the Rural Payments Service
• Have land parcels correctly mapped
• Speak with a Natural England adviser to agree suitable capital items

• Work must not start before approval
• All required permissions and consents must be in place

Regulation & Compliance

Bird Flu (H5N1) Update

As of February 2026 highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) remains a significant threat to wild birds and poultry, with very high risk levels in the UK.  In response, a nationwide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone remains in force across England, including mandatory housing measures for many keepers. Anyone with more than 50 birds—or those who sell or give away eggs or meat—must now keep their birds indoors and maintain strict biosecurity.

Where cases are identified, 3 km protection zones and 10 km surveillance zones are established, and affected flocks are culled to prevent further spread. The overall risk to poultry is still assessed as very high, particularly for premises with weaker biosecurity.

All keepers are urged to stay alert, follow hygiene and disinfection guidance, monitor flock health closely, and report any signs of illness or unexplained deaths. Avoiding contact with dead wild birds and keeping up to date with local control measures remain essential through the winter period.

Total number of confirmed cases in the UK is currently 94.

For up to date information and guidance visit the goverment's bird flu (avian influenza) page.

Bluetongue Update

Defra has confirmed 304 cases of bluetongue across Great Britain since July 2025.

• England: 274 cases of BTV-3, 1 cases of BTV-8, and 7 case's involving both BTV-3 and BTV-8

• Wales: 22 cases of BTV-3

Temperatures continue to reduce and experts now consider the risk of onward spread by vectors  midges in the South East, East Anglia, South West, and North East to be negligible.
However, there remains a risk of animals becoming infected through already infected midges or infected germinal products.

The risk of incursion of bluetongue virus (including serotypes not currently circulating in England) from all routes remains at medium (occurs regularly) although the risk of airborne incursion is now negligible.

Farmers and livestock keepers are urged to stay vigilant, watch for symptoms, maintain strong biosecurity, and follow testing and movement rules.

⚠️ Bluetongue is a Notifiable Disease
Any suspected cases—including abortions or birth defects potentially linked to bluetongue—must be reported immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

For full details on movement restrictions, testing requirements, and control measures, visit the government’s bluetongue guidance page.

Training & Development

Following the success of the FarmSafer training delivered in 2025, we are pleased to confirm that sufficient funding has been secured to run one additional training date in 2026. 

Friday 10th April at HFYFC, Yfc Centre, Beech Business Park, Hereford HR4 9QJ
9am to 4pm

FarmSafer is made possible through the generous support of Herefordshire Community Foundation and the Jack Hughes Fund. This funding enables 48 farming businesses across Herefordshire to access the fully funded Emergency First Aid with Forestry training — a course specifically designed to address the serious injuries most commonly encountered in farming and forestry environments.

Please note that, initially, workshops are limited to one participant per business.

How to book:
To secure a place, please email with the following details:

• Name

• Address

• Contact telephone number

• Farm/business address (if different)

Apprenticeships, Training &
Short Courses available

• Animal care & welfare
• Farm Worker
• Forestry & arboriculture
• Welding
• Farriery

• Felling & processing trees
• Safe use of pesticides
• Tractor Driving
• Welding, metal work & fabrication
• Blacksmithing
• Chainsaw maintenance

The Jack Hughes Fund supports the cost of training for members of Herefordshire’s farming community.

Advice & Support

Farming with Nature 

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust supports customers with habitat and conservation advice including:

• Wildlife & Habitat Surveying
• Habitat Management Plans
• Biodiversity Net Gain

Find out more and get in touch via www.herefordshirewt.org/farmingwithnature

Species-Rich Grassland: Advisory Services from Herefordshire Meadows

• Advice & guidance regarding management or restoration of species-rich grassland.
• Grassland assessment for suitability of SFI options for livestock, soil health, flood and drought resilience and biodiversity.
• Grassland surveys e.g. assessing suitability for GRH6 option.
• Guidance regarding permanent grassland, floodplain and cultivated land.

Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Support

CSF have four advisers working across Herefordshire: Alice Probert and Rob Edwards cover the Arrow, Lugg, and Frome catchments, Nick Hinchliffe covers the Wye, and Amy Stephens handles the Leadon.

CSF offers free, confidential and impartial advice. The team of local advisers can help you with: Nutrient, slurry and manure management, Soil health, Pesticide handling, Natural flood management , Reducing ammonia emissions,  Sustainable water use, Guidance on farming schemes and regulations,

Even though DEFRA capital grants are currently closed, CSF can still offer advice visits which can include discussions and potential approvals for any future capital grants windows.  If you are interested in applying for future grants we would strongly recommend getting in touch with CSF as soon as possible to ensure you have the right supporting documents lined up ready to apply in good time before the next window opens.

Booking a CSF Visit
To request support, email a completed Catchment Sensitive Farming Advice Request form  to  csf.severn@naturalengland.org.uk.

Herefordshire Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project:
Advice & grants available

• Bodenham Brooks (above Bodenham)
• Brimfield Brook (above Brimfield and Orleton)
• Cheaton, Cogwell and Ridgemoor Brook system (above Leominster and Frome)
• Dulas Brook (above Ewas Harold)
• Pentaloe Brook (above Mordiford)
• Tedstone Brook (above Bromyard)
• Red, Norton and Twyford Brook system (above Rotherwas, Hereford).

Consultations

To advertise events, services, training and job opportunities with us click here. 

Deadline for print copy 25th of each month.

Meet the Team

Kate Speke-Adams -
Hub Managing Director

For details about our projects & opportunities to work with us click here.

Sarah Starkey -
Hub Farm Resilience Project Manager

For info about any of our resilience projects click here.

Sue Powell -
Hub Finance Officer

For queries about finance & invoicing 
click here.

Jennie Hermolle -
Hub Wyescapes Engagement & Communications Manager

For information about our Wyescapes Landscape Recovery project click here 

We're proud to be part of the
Royal Countryside Fund's
Farm Support Group Initiative