Projects
The Farmer Network applies for funding to help deliver activities support farmers across our three Network areas. Our funding is from a wide range of sources including the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund, The Royal Countryside Fund, Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, Local Authorities, Natural England’s Catchment Sensitive Farming Programme and Cumbria Community Foundation.
Details of our funders and the activities they support are on the Project Pages for each of our Network areas.
Support from The Royal Countryside Fund
All our Network areas also benefit from the Royal Countryside Fund who have supported the Farmer Network since 2011. For 2026, we have been awarded funding of £10,000 from the Royal Countryside Fund’s Farm Support group grant to help towards staff costs and have also been awarded an Emergency Grant of £4,000 to help towards the cost of events and support for farmers impacted by Bluetongue and the drought conditions experienced this summer.
The Farmer Network also delivers the Farm Resilience Fund programme on behalf of the Royal Countryside Fund with groups supported at Hexham and near Skipton in 2026.
Next Generation Support
One of the Farmer Network’s key aims is to support our “next generation” of farmers in helping them progress their “farming ambition”.
In Cumbria, support for the next generation is funded by Cumbria Community Foundation and consists of a series of workshops and a small grant.
In Northumberland similar support is funded by the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. In both Cumbria and Northumberland, a small grant is available of up to £750 for young farmers who have attended the workshops which can be used to pay for training, small items of equipment, professional advice, software and marketing costs.
In the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale, support for the next generation is funded by The Farming in Protected Landscapes Programmes and includes skills events and workshops.
