Author: Rachelnicolajane

How to Carry Out Your SFI Hedgerow Assessment Hedgerows are often overlooked in farm management, but under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), they hold significant value—both for the environment and your finances. With the SFI’s HRW1 action, assessing and recording the condition of your hedgerows is the first step toward unlocking these benefits.  The winter[…]

All planning applications now require 10% Biodiversity Net Gain and this includes new slurry lagoons, silage clamps and livestock sheds.  While this may seem onerous most typical applications by farmers and landowners will be able to meet the requirements on farm through modest areas of habitat enhancement or creation.  It is essential to have a[…]

£2,500 Funding for New Ponds in Cheshire East Are you interested in creating a new pond and have land in Cheshire East local authority?  Ponds must be located within a target area and we can quickly check if your proposed site is eligible.  There is a payment of £2,500 per pond and groups of 2-3[…]

Bollin Local Landscape Recovery Project. The National Trust, Cheshire East Council and Tatton Estates are proposing an application for landscape recovery funding, the project will focus on the River Bollin catchment.  Landscape recovery money is focused on delivering habitat improvements across large areas and is bespoke funding so those involved can shape the application and[…]

Join us for a Hog Roast and Refreshments Wednesday 25th September Holly Tree Farm, Lower Withington, Macclesfield and we will be sharing a stand with Butcher Barlow solicitors, Bennett Brooks chartered accountants and Meller Speakman.  Join us for a complimentary Hog Roast between 11:30am – 2:00pm, or any time throughout the day for refreshments.  We[…]

Defra’s ministers have said they don’t want to overturn the applecart and are fully committed to environmental land management schemes (ELM).  The first expanded offer agreements started on 1 August 2024 and landowners are being asked to apply in a in a controlled way, so everyone gets the right level of service and support. As with the previous[…]

New Woodland working with the Mersey Forest in Cheshire Interested in Woodland Creation in Cheshire?  ELM Associates have project manged 33ha of new woodland projects this last winter and 31ha the year before.  We now have a wide range of examples and woodland types ranging in size from 0.4ha to 10ha. Working with you the[…]

Trees planted at popular ice cream farm as part of agroforestry scheme A popular ice cream farm in Cheshire is set to introduce more flavours to its menu thanks to the range of trees they’ve planted this season as part of an agroforestry scheme. Snugbury’s is a family run ice cream parlour, operating alongside the[…]

·       The Mersey Forest ·       Malpas, Cheshire ·       Lower Moss Farm ·       Partners: ELM Associates Volunteers from the local beaver and cubs group enjoyed helping to plant and getting muddy Local community join together to plant new woodland on Cheshire farm Volunteers, including residents and a local cubs and beaver group, have helped to plant[…]

With Sustainable Farm Incentive (SFI) payments for establishing grass legume swards under action NUM2 there has been a lot of talk around how best to get these established within existing grass swards.  In a well-balanced grass/clover sward (20-30% clover), the potential nitrogen generated through fixation by the clover nodules is equivalent to 180 kg N/ha,[…]