Countryside Stewardship

 Closed on 31st July 2020. 
​Successful applications started on 1st January 2021. 

Mid-Tier one-to-one handout
File Size:	1812 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Project - Catchment Sensitive Farming
Partners - North Devon Biosphere, Natural England, Environment Agency, Devon Wildlife Trust and local farmers

Soil Testing

CSF Grant aided guttering

The Taw Torridge and North Devon Streams Catchment Sensitive Farming Partnership was set up in 2009 to work with farmers to help reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture. Diffuse Pollution is the small amounts of pollution (sediments, nutrients and pesticides) that escape off farms on a daily basis and get into streams and rivers.  Each issue may be small on its own but, put together across the whole catchment, diffuse pollution damages the wildlife of our rivers and adds extra costs to drinking water treatment.  In contrast, Point Source Pollution, such as a slurry store failing, is generally easy to identify, locate and regulate.

The partnership (North Devon UNESCO Biosphere, Natural England, Environment Agency and Devon Wildlife Trust) has worked with more than 300 farmers, running workshops and offering confidential advice on reducing diffuse pollution, usually culminating in an in-depth report with costed solutions and possible sources of grant aid.

This year, the Biosphere has focussed on farmers in the Countryside Stewardship Water Quality Priority Area (see Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers on MAGIC).  A half day visit by Creedy Associates, followed by a short report, was available to offer guidance to 20 farmers about which items help improve water quality and will therefore be the most important to include in a Countryside Stewardship Water Capital Grant application.  The reports will help get the necessary approval from Catchment Sensitive Farming. All the reports have now been completed for the year. 

Manures Workshop, Sutcombe

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