Brown&Co
Brown&Co are delivering the Future Farming Resilience Fund for Defra.
Free Business Advice For Farmers in England
The Future Farming Resilience Fund enables Brown&Co to provide free farming advice to farmers up until March 2025. The support will help farmers prepare for the 7 year Agricultural Transition period, which will see the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) reduce to zero after 2027.
We have worked with hundreds of farmers over the past 2 years delivering the initial phases of this project. Our service is based on a one to one on farm approach and has enabled support to be delivered directly to over 1400 farmers and many hundreds more through remote and digital engagements. We have worked with farmers across all of England and with all farm types.
As a business owner we often get very emotionally attached to our businesses… its always beneficial when somebody that's not emotionally attached to the business looks at it from a financial point of view and a succession point of view. And often we can't see that when we're engaged on a day-to-day basis in the work that we do as a farmer. Will Mumford, Cambridgeshire, Arable Farmer.
Why Choose Brown&Co?
In this new phase we have widened our offer as a result of farmer feedback to provide greater focus and specialist advice to support their businesses.
We believe our enhanced multi-disciplinary offer to farmers is unique. With Land, Planning, Commercial and Agri-business divisions all under one roof, we are able to provide professional support across a range of disciplines delivered from our in-house teams. Whether it is finding a commercial use for a disused barn, investigating planning potential, managing business finances, working collaboratively with neighbours, producing a Greenhouse gas footprint or chatting through your business options going forward Brown&Co can support you on this journey.
We will continue to offer a business review delivered through an on-farm visit. Our advisors will provide farmers with the knowledge to make positive decisions, create a forward plan and support their business to adapt and succeed through a challenging transition period.
You have provided me with the ability to see the wood through the trees quite literally. Sarah, Warwickshire.
Types Of Business Advice Available to Farmers
Alongside this business review, in addition we are offering 6 areas of greater focus. These can all be tailored to individual needs and can be delivered after an initial business review or as standalone advice. These reviews are available to farmers who have worked with Brown&Co or with other providers in the previous phase of the project as well as new farmers who wish to work with us going forward. These 6 interventions are:
- Supporting businesses to manage the present and plan for change through applying budgeting and business planning tools.
- Supporting technology adoption and grant access, benchmarking performance and facilitating collaborations to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
- Identifying land or property that could generate new income or capital injections. Offering support and opinion to progress change.
- Assessing land based natural capital assets, identifying potential for enhancement and securing new income streams. Understanding how woodland, water and biodiversity can generate income as part of producing an environmental strategy for the business.
- Supporting tenants to deliver new diversifications, plan for land expansion or land reduction, work effectively with landlords and plan for succession.
- Supporting farmers to produce a GHG baseline and action plan to reduce GHG emissions and position for carbon income streams.
The Brown&Co team are working across all of England with all farmers and farm types including arable, livestock, mixed farms, root crops and diversified businesses.
Details of participating farmers are all completely anonymous and advice will be kept entirely confidential.
To be eligible for support farmers must have a single business identifier (SBI).
We would encourage sign up early into the scheme as we envisage high demand and limited places. Once signed up we can mutually agree at what point in the future you would most value your support to be delivered.
How Do I Sign Up For Free Farming Advice?
Please complete your details below to start the sign-up process:
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to be eligible for the Future Farming Resilience Fund service?
To be eligible for the Future Farming Resilience Fund service you will need to live in England, have a valid SBI Number and have previously claimed BPS.
When is the application deadline for support through the Future Farming Resilience Fund?
The deadline to receive funding through the Defra funded Future Farming Resilience Fund is March 2025.
Can I use the free farming advice to help me navigate the new Sustainable Farming Incentive?
Yes, our professional farming advice can guide you through the new Sustainable Farming Incentive. We'll help you identify the best choices for your farm's success.
We need suggestions on what we can do to compensate for the loss of BPS payments, is this possible to achieve in the free meeting?
Yes, a consultant will go through what options you have available that best suit your needs and farm business structure. We will then provide you with a report following the meeting that will include an action plan.
For further details
Please contact your local office, a member of our team will be happy to assist.
Or you can watch our series of webinars.