A collaboration between The Royal Countryside Fund (RCF) and the Duchy of Cornwall culminated in celebratory lunches for Duchy farmers who participated in an innovative workshop programme. The event celebrated their hard work, dedication, and the tangible improvements seen in their farm business management.
The workshops were part of a bespoke version of The Royal Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme. Launched in 2016, the RCF designed this programme with a vision to support small family farms, emphasising both a whole farm and a whole family approach.
The initiative aims to support farmers in navigating the evolving challenges in agriculture by providing free business and environmental skills training. Over the last eight years, it has been instrumental in supporting small family farms to build more resilient and sustainable farming practices.
Robynne Leigh-Firbank, one of the Duchy farmers who took part, said, “Although we know our costs, we are forever changing something to make things better, more efficient, and sustainable. It was nice to see where we did come up in the benchmarking workshop and where we could improve.”
The collaboration with the Duchy of Cornwall has provided a platform for Duchy tenants to gain practical knowledge and apply it to their farming operations.
Between November 2023 and February 2024, 15 farms from the Duchy of Cornwall estate took part in the workshops, which resulted in over 80% of the farmers reporting an improved level of efficiency and business management on their farms.
Heather Webb, Head of Future Farming at the Duchy of Cornwall, said, “The Duchy of Cornwall was delighted to partner with The Royal Countryside Fund and invest in the finance and business skills of farmers on the Estate. The bespoke Farm Resilience Workshops provided Duchy farmers with a valuable opportunity to develop their business skills to help reduce costs and, navigate the agricultural transition and identify new funding schemes. We’re thrilled that over 80% of those who took part are likely to be more efficient and innovative in the future, a testament to the success of the workshops.”
Maddy Taylor, Head of Operations at The Royal Countryside Fund, added, “Supporting family farms with practical guidance around business and environmental management is at the heart of our charity. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved through working with the Duchy of Cornwall on this programme and delighted to see the real benefits for the tenant farms who took part.”
To learn more about The Royal Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme, visit www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/farmresilience.