Pasture & Profit in Protected Landscapes

Pasture for Life Mentoring Project – matching mentors with livestock farmers to encourage high nature value farming methods

The PFLA is a membership organisation of farmers but also butchers, vets, academics, chefs and others, that works to support farmers and landowners to transition towards 100% pasture-fed meat and dairy.

This collaborative project is funded jointly by the Surrey Hills, High Weald and Kent Downs AONBs to deliver farmer led training across these important landscapes.  At a time of huge change in agricultural policy and with the need to address biodiversity loss and climate change, the concept of supporting farmers through change is recognised as a much needed but underdeveloped area of work.  This collaboration aims to deliver the project objectives with an active cohort of farmers who are making changes in their grazing practices.

Outcomes will include:

• A landscape richer in pastoral variety, with more nature friendly hedgerow and woodland management to help improve biodiversity, add value to livestock and mitigate climate change

• The creation of a learning and development model which can be used within the AONBs and by other PFLA regional groups across the country
• A growing group of farmers able to support others in making change and offering knowledge exchange
• More landscape connectivity through farmers working together
• Flood prevention, carbon capture and a landscape better suited to extreme weather conditions
• Business resilience due to low inputs and being part of community developing short and local supply chains, offering quality products

The project has employed a Project Manager who is

• organising study/training days
• recruiting farming mentors and matching them with other farmers
• producing educational resources and providing high-level oversight and expertise

• developing the educational function within the PFLA to enable learning and development to be embedded into its existing structure, helping to ensure a future legacy for this project

Return to project list