I founded Land App to help make sustainable land use planning easier, and if the last month’s flooding has proven anything it’s that it’s more important than ever that these plans are quickly and effectively put into practice.
One way to mitigate flooding is the creation and maintenance of wetlands. I believe that landowners and managers need more financial support to achieve this, so was glad to see the increase in pricing in the Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme. Though not a silver bullet fix, we have pulled together a list highlighting the CS wetland options, and the benefits they could provide to your land. We also spoke to Ian Wilkinson at FarmEd to see how they developed their wetland and share his learnings with you. Read the blog now.
We’ve also noticed growing interest from water companies, the Environment Agency, councils, and supermarkets, all wanting to support farmers in enhancing their resilience. This can be achieved through improved water management and quality, which in turn benefits the wetlands. I can’t wait to share the new products we’re developing to help connect farmers and land owners with more private sector funding.
February also marked the roll-out of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). I’ve been interested to see how this is received – I’m excited as I see it as the beginning of the formation of the natural capital market, but there are still valid points to consider, such as whether 10% biodiversity uplift is enough, and the financial impact of this on farmers. I firmly believe BNG is a step in the right direction, which is why we’ve been working to make planning your BNG strategy as easy as possible. If you missed it, I’d recommend watching our well-received webinar covering the tools and support available to you.
On the topic of government schemes. News broke that 1 in 8 farmers have applied to the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme. Whilst increasing scheme application figures are positive, why aren’t they higher? To de-mistify Countryside Stewardship (CS) we’re hosting a panel-style webinar on 22 March, to which we’ve invited industry experts on all sides of Countryside Stewardship to share their views and answer your questions. Register your interest here.
Building on the recent success of our EWCO tools launch, our product development focus also extends to Countryside Stewardship. We’ve learned a lot and are now better equipped to assist you in streamlining CS applications with a CS checker. We aim to reduce your administrative burden, making CS more profitable for you, and ensuring you are well-prepared for the emerging natural capital market. Register now for our upcoming webinar on preparing for Countryside Stewardship, where Dan Geerah, Director of Growth will showcase how these tools can streamline your CS applications.
Other exciting product updates I want to share with you are updates to our real-time collaboration tool to make shared planning and designing easier for you. It’s a much-requested enhancement that will facilitate information sharing and expedite the creation of a fundable plan.
We are committed to supporting the rural economy by scaling Land App, reducing the cost of establishing a land use baseline, identifying market incentives, and designing plans that leverage your land and assets to their full potential. We can already see this adding real value to the environment, society, and rural businesses.
As always, we value your feedback and are committed to continuously improving our services. We strive to make your day-to-day life in the land economy as simple and efficient as possible. Rest assured that we are here to support you every step of the way. On that note, if you could, please spare a few moments to share your thoughts in this brief survey. Your thoughts are invaluable in our efforts to support you more effectively.
We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for your ongoing support and collaboration. Together, we can make a positive impact in the land sector. We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to sharing more news and updates with you.
Best Regards,
Tim Hopkin
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