Severn Rivers Trust, Robert Owen Community Banking Fund and Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust are proud to be a member of the Sustainable Farming project, led by Open Newtown. This project is funded through the Welsh Government Rural Development Programme and is part of a wider partnership which brings together like minded organisations working in Newtown and its surrounding areas, engaging communities and businesses in sustainably managing their natural resources alongside piloting new models for health, wellbeing, and resilience.

The Sustainable Farming project aims to support Upper Severn farmers to optimise the management of their natural resources.

Our farmed environment is under pressure from issues such as loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and nutrient overload to name but a few, meaning farm businesses are not operating to their optimum. These pressures are only likely to increase with the impact of climate change and financial uncertainty. There is also a lack of value and understanding of farming practises from the urban consumer.

Working in partnership, Severn Rivers Trust,  Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust and Robert Owen Community Banking Fund will create a comprehensive support package for farming businesses which will include establishing a proven method of monitoring the current effects of these pressures, advice on improved management of water, soil, and nutrients, as well as suggestions for habitat restoration.

The partnership will also establish a farmer’s cluster in the Upper Severn area, bringing farmers together and working with them to develop solutions to mitigate against existing and future pressures, building a more resilient business.

Underpinning this, the partnership will begin to rebuild the connections between the residents of Newtown and the farmers that surround and serve it, to enhance the understanding between the farming community and the urban consumer.

For more information about this project and Open Newtown, please follow this link.