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National Farmers Network in England
Proposal
To help small rural farming families in England to create a positive, sustainable future for themselves, and for future generations, through setting up a strong, community-led support network. The network would help maintain traditional farming skills whilst providing small and family farming businesses with a firm foundation from which they can improve their opportunities, learn new skills, compete and innovate. The network would empower individuals, reinvigorate communities and enable disparate and often remote farming communities to share knowledge and come together with a collective voice. |
We are very grateful to the Peak Park in supporting PDRDF to set up a website as the focus for the National Farmers Network.
Farmers can contact us with any ideas as to how they feel the website could support them in their work and open up contact with other farmers similarly situated. |
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Why is this important?
 Small and family farmers are an underprivileged and underrepresented group in society, often living on the minimum wage, in areas with depressed local economies. In one area alone, Derbyshire’s Peak District, farm incomes have fallen by 75% over the previous 10 years. Added to this, farmers work long hours in tough conditions and with unemployment rates high, community confidence in isolated rural areas if often very low.
However, rural communities and small and family farmers play an essential role in the upkeep and maintenance of the land and the preservation of traditional farming skills. They are keen to innovate and adapt to new market conditions and new ways of working but very often lack the access to the networks and support – due to the nature of their work and life – that urban and suburban communities take for granted. A national farming network would hope to readdress the balance by enabling remote family farmers and their communities to share information, learn new skills and build their confidence together.
The National Farmers’ Network
The network will be a grass roots farmer-led organisation that will aim to radically improve opportunities for small and family farmers in England.
 How would this be achieved?
Promoting best practice through a knowledge-exchange forum
Through a mix of small scale local group work, newsletters, workshops and an interactive website we propose establishing a forum where family farmers can share their ideas, exchange solutions and good practices and to learn from each other. The Forum will bring together and strengthen existing independent farmer groups and local farmers’ networks and respond to requests to support the development of new groups.
Empowering communities through mutual collaboration
We also propose to encourage farmer and community-led initiatives. These might include supporting farming families to pool resources and collaborate around, for example, buying feed equipment, etc., administration and marketing services.
Empowering farmers and providing hands-on support
Using a collaborative and ‘people-centred’ approach, we would propose developing a support out-reach programme to help farmers examine their business objectives and priorities and to build upon their assets.
 Building market awareness for business success
The Network would also seek to build strong relationships between farmers and their end-customers. We would do this in order to provide the farming communities with greater understanding of their customers’ requirements and shopping habits and to give consumers a valuable insight into traditional food production methods, organic farming and the role small and family farming plays in the protection and preservation of the countryside.
Providing a valuable consultation base for government
We would see that a national farming network with a single point of access would serve as a valuable consultation base for national and regional governments. We would aim to build strong and positive relationships with national and regional policy makers.
Building confidence in farming communities through providing a collective voice
No collective body currently represents the views of the small and family farmer and very often, farming communities believe their interests to be overlooked. A national farming network would play an important role in giving an underrepresented section of society a louder voice to government and elsewhere.
Providing a unique and complimentary farmer support service
Over recent years a number of farmer-led initiatives and organisations have emerged out of the farming industry, aimed at supporting farmers through the challenges brought about by the changing economic and legislative environment. These include the Family Farmers Association, the Small and Family farms Alliance, Farm Crisis Network, the Small farms Association, Cumbria Rural futures and the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Service. Each provides a unique service to family farmers. The National Farmers Network is working with these organisations to compliment their work and to avoid duplication. Those that are working at a local level will have the opportunity to share their practices through the Network. The organisations mentioned are either represented on the National Farmers Network Steering Group or work with us in an advisory capacity.
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