The Royal Countryside Fund receives new Scottish Government funding to support farmers

The KTIF supports projects that promote skills development or deliver improvements in business practice, resource efficiency, environmental performance and sustainability. The RCF is one of seven projects chosen by the Scottish Government to receive a total of more than £300,000 in funding from the KTIF.

Originally launched in 2016, the Farm Resilience Programme is the RCF’s flagship farmer support programme, which offers free business skills and environment training to family farm businesses across the UK, and has now benefitted nearly 1,400 families. The programme is also supported by Aldi and Morrisons.

This latest funding will allow The Royal Countryside Fund to expand its Farm Resilience Programme to support an additional 80 -100 harder to reach family farm businesses in four locations across Scotland. Eligible farming families will be invited to take part in a series of workshops designed to help their business become more profitable and sustainable, including:

• Understanding your farm business accounts and budgeting
• Know your figures, a future without subsidies
• Your farm and the environment
• Planning for your future
• Farm safety and mental health

The programme, which is free to join, is welcome to everyone in the family or farm business, with a hot meal provided at each meeting. Each session is delivered by an expert agricultural consultant and the free programme is worth over £2,000 per farm. An independent evaluation found that the programme delivers significant economic, social, and environmental benefits for farmers. For every £1 invested by the programme, there is around a £3 return for farmers – not including ongoing benefits to farmers which continue after they have completed the programme.

Keith Halstead, Executive Director of The Royal Countryside Fund, said: “Farming families and crofters are the beating heart of Scotland’s rural communities and The Royal Countryside Fund is committed to giving these families the practical support they need for their business to prosper and thrive. Over the last 8 years, we’ve seen the positive difference our Farm Resilience Programme has already made, in improving profitability, confidence and business skills and this new funding from the KTIF will allow us to expand our support across four new locations, reaching an additional 80-100 faming businesses. In the long term, we hope this will lead to a more resilient agriculture sector, reduced rural isolation, stronger community networks and greater financial viability among small-scale family farms in Scotland.

“I would strongly encourage any family farms or crofters who are looking at ways to make change to their business wish to join this programme to visit our website www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk for further information or contact Clemmie Addison-Atkinson on caddison-atkinson@countrysidefund.org.uk / 07484 532949”

Mairi Gougeon, Rural Affairs Secretary, said: “The Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund supports the agriculture sector to realise the wealth of innovation and skills within it and find practical ways to share these on-farm improvements with the wider community. These seven projects will also help farmers and crofters access resources and develop skills in areas that build towards our targets to reach net zero and better manage resources.

“I extend my thanks to all who applied to KTIF this year for their diverse and inspired proposals, and for their continued engagement with the scheme.”

The programme is open to dairy and livestock family farm businesses and takes a whole-farm and whole-family approach. To find out more and sign up, farmers can visit www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience