EFAs for this year

Location
Cambridge
I'm sorry but I'm going to look like a real simpleton here, as I don't have a clue about EFAs. We have been growing plenty of peas & beans for years, and so when EFAs came in, I never had to think about them as we were already covered. Now the legumes have been disqualified, I don't know what's going on.

I know I will have to make up my area with field margins, hedges etc, but when do these have to be implemented? If RPA don't even know the rules yet for this year, how the f**k are we supposed to make plans when we have already drilled up 20% of the farm!
 
Location
Cambridge
OK, still confused. This is what I think happens, could someone tell me if I have made a mistake?

Hedges - for each side of a hedge which I have control of, 1m = 5m2 of EFA area

Field margins (fallow land) - for each 1m2 I have, it' 1m2 of EFA area. We have some old HLS strips that are no longer needed in our new CS agreement, I can use these presumably?

Catch crops - to be sown by August 20th 2018, and retained until October 14 2018. Must be made up of the same species allowed in the cover crop rules?. 1m2 = 0.3m2 of EFA

Correct?
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
OK, still confused. This is what I think happens, could someone tell me if I have made a mistake?

Hedges - for each side of a hedge which I have control of, 1m = 5m2 of EFA area

Field margins (fallow land) - for each 1m2 I have, it' 1m2 of EFA area. We have some old HLS strips that are no longer needed in our new CS agreement, I can use these presumably?

Catch crops - to be sown by August 20th 2018, and retained until October 14 2018. Must be made up of the same species allowed in the cover crop rules?. 1m2 = 0.3m2 of EFA

Correct?

Looks right to me.....assuming field margins and fallow land are indeed the same. Fallow is 1:1 for sure.
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
OK, still confused. This is what I think happens, could someone tell me if I have made a mistake?

Hedges - for each side of a hedge which I have control of, 1m = 5m2 of EFA area

Field margins (fallow land) - for each 1m2 I have, it' 1m2 of EFA area. We have some old HLS strips that are no longer needed in our new CS agreement, I can use these presumably?

Catch crops - to be sown by August 20th 2018, and retained until October 14 2018. Must be made up of the same species allowed in the cover crop rules?. 1m2 = 0.3m2 of EFA

Correct?


Hedges and buffer strips will get you out of jail. Check out the rules / restriction son the cover and catch crops before you commit and then find do not like the rules - may be to restrictive given I think you tend to like the more mixed species in a cover crop. Lack of pulses EFA option no real fuss.
 
Location
Cambridge
Hedges and buffer strips will get you out of jail. Check out the rules / restriction son the cover and catch crops before you commit and then find do not like the rules - may be to restrictive given I think you tend to like the more mixed species in a cover crop. Lack of pulses EFA option no real fuss.
Our average field size is around 25ha, and a lot don't have hedges. We are in CS and all watercourses are already buffered as part of that, many other strips too.

I can live with the catch crop rules, I don't mind a narrow mix there for a couple of months.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
not really looked into this much as like David I have had plenty of legumes in my rotation. If you use margins is what species they contain defined ?

i.e. cam I use them as game covers ? ( I'm mean wild bird refuges of course !) We have planted a lot of sunflower and maize strips this year to attract more wildlife and make the farm look a bit more pretty and wonder if this would help tick the box v?
 

Guy Smith

Member
Location
Essex
As I understand the regs - they should be made up of at least three of the following: Barley, Triticale, Kale, Quinoa, Linseed, Millet, Mustard, Fodder Radish, Sunflower.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
As I understand the regs - they should be made up of at least three of the following: Barley, Triticale, Kale, Quinoa, Linseed, Millet, Mustard, Fodder Radish, Sunflower.

Great - mine would qualify with sunflower, millet and linseed plus a load of stuff not on the list

We should all plant a few sunflowers imo - amazing what a visual win it is for our industry, have had some really positive comment from villagers that normally have nothing good to say about the big bad farmer
 
Location
Cambridge
Great - mine would qualify with sunflower, millet and linseed plus a load of stuff not on the list

We should all plant a few sunflowers imo - amazing what a visual win it is for our industry, have had some really positive comment from villagers that normally have nothing good to say about the big bad farmer
if you're talking about cover/catch crops, you can ONLY plant what is on the list. No buckwheat, sunflowers, linseed etc etc etc
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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