Actually applying for SFI

[Pan mixer]

Watching Harrys Farm this evening he mentioned a deadline for aplplication for SFI, as it is getting closer (he said August 18th) I thought that I ought to have a look.

It says apply from your normal RPA portal, off I go to that, press the SFI button, nothing there.

Is this just me?

 

[ploughman1963]

I think he is confusing Mid-tier application deadline with SFI - deadline for mid-tier is 18/8/23

 

[Clive]

Watching Harrys Farm this evening he mentioned a deadline for aplplication for SFI, as it is getting closer (he said August 18th) I thought that I ought to have a look.

It says apply from your normal RPA portal, off I go to that, press the SFI button, nothing there.

Is this just me?

sfi has no deadline - apply anytime

Harry is referring to CSS mid tier

 

[Pan mixer]

So where is the Sfi application thingy then?

 

[Andy26]

So where is the Sfi application thingy then?

I couldn't find it either, there was an SFI section, but nothing there.

 

[4course]

So where is the Sfi application thingy then?

up sh!t creek suggest you ask defra if theve got a paddle

 

[Pan mixer]

I couldn't find it either, there was an SFI section, but nothing there.

Thanks, that is what I wanted to hear, my pc has a habit of blocking things from the RPA.

As Clive says Harry must be on about mid tier - he didn't say I think.

Originally SFI was supposed to be open mid August I think.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Thanks, that is what I wanted to hear, my pc has a habit of blocking things from the RPA.

As Clive says Harry must be on about mid tier - he didn't say I think.

Originally SFI was supposed to be open mid August I think.

Every one at Defra/RPA are on holiday now.
Nothing will happen anytime soon.

It all begins to look so complicated!!
I was looking at the hedge thing and realised that I have loads of hedges marked on field boundaries that don't exist. Can I apply for all these non existent hedges?
Also do I apply for both sides of a hedge where it divides my fields and only one side along the road?
The roadside ones are dangerous if not cut every year so do I just leave the inside bit and still get the money?

There was a letter in the FW last week from Natural England saying that they have 30,000 advisors who help farmers on a regular basis.
I have a High level CS scheme and have not seen anyone for over 4 years! I asked for a derogation last year to feed cattle during the drought. No one ever came back to me and didn't understand what I was asking for. Just carried on, wouldn't even know if I had an advisor!!

 

[Princess Pooper]

So where is the Sfi application thingy then?

They are rolling it out slowly from 'now' (August) so presumably we will all get an email at the point at which our business is invited.

 

[Jimfandango]

It all begins to look so complicated!!
I was looking at the hedge thing and realised that I have loads of hedges marked on field boundaries that don't exist. Can I apply for all these non existent hedges?
Also do I apply for both sides of a hedge where it divides my fields and only one side along the road?
The roadside ones are dangerous if not cut every year so do I just leave the inside bit and still get the money?

I have not applied for those ones. When I applied last time around they got back to me and said remove a load of hedges because they were more trees than hedges. So I guess in your case they would probably do similar. It's all peanuts anyway. I'm required to do tonnes of paperwork for a fraction of the old BPS. The whole thing is barely worth the hassle unless you are prepared to turn it all into weedy bird cover, which seems to be the desired outcome.
My main gripe is with the mapping pillocks. We had some little Hitler with a gps strapped to his back walk our farm the other day. He has turned all of our fields along the river into a thousand different parcels. This has made applying for hedgerows and bufferstrips, etc very complicated.
It's all far too complicated

 

[farmerm]

Every one at Defra/RPA are on holiday now.
Nothing will happen anytime soon.

It all begins to look so complicated!!
I was looking at the hedge thing and realised that I have loads of hedges marked on field boundaries that don't exist. Can I apply for all these non existent hedges?
Also do I apply for both sides of a hedge where it divides my fields and only one side along the road?
The roadside ones are dangerous if not cut every year so do I just leave the inside bit and still get the money?

There was a letter in the FW last week from Natural England saying that they have 30,000 advisors who help farmers on a regular basis.
I have a High level CS scheme and have not seen anyone for over 4 years! I asked for a derogation last year to feed cattle during the drought. No one ever came back to me and didn't understand what I was asking for. Just carried on, wouldn't even know if I had an advisor!!

Natural England must be like Jesus with a staff divisible like bread and water.....


But even with some sort of magic... 30,000 would be a tad excessive, with that number they could easily give us all face to face communications on a monthly if not daily basis

 

[Steevo]

Every one at Defra/RPA are on holiday now.
Nothing will happen anytime soon.

It all begins to look so complicated!!
I was looking at the hedge thing and realised that I have loads of hedges marked on field boundaries that don't exist. Can I apply for all these non existent hedges?
Also do I apply for both sides of a hedge where it divides my fields and only one side along the road?
The roadside ones are dangerous if not cut every year so do I just leave the inside bit and still get the money?

There was a letter in the FW last week from Natural England saying that they have 30,000 advisors who help farmers on a regular basis.
I have a High level CS scheme and have not seen anyone for over 4 years! I asked for a derogation last year to feed cattle during the drought. No one ever came back to me and didn't understand what I was asking for. Just carried on, wouldn't even know if I had an advisor!!

View attachment 1128008

Natural England must be like Jesus with a staff divisible like bread and water.....


But even with some sort of magic... 30,000 would be a tad excessive, with that number they could easily give us all face to face communications on a monthly if not daily basis

So checking in FW the actual statistic at source:

500 advisors…

…that have strong relationships with 30,000 farmers

 

[farmerm]

So checking in FW the actual statistic at source:

500 advisors…

…that have strong relationships with 30,000 farmers

View attachment 1128077

Can we have a poll, hands up if you have strong relationships with Natural England and or one or more of its advisors?

 

[gone up the hill]

SFI applications open from Mid August.

You can only apply if/when they INVITE YOU to do so.

So i imagine a few high profile pro SFI farmers like @Clive / The NT/ RSPB etc will be invited to apply straight away.

Everyone else will have to wait untill.... Well basically no one has any idea!

 

[Clive]

SFI applications open from Mid August.

You can only apply if/when they INVITE YOU to do so.

So i imagine a few high profile pro SFI farmers like @Clive / The NT/ RSPB etc will be invited to apply straight away.

Everyone else will have to wait untill.... Well basically no one has any idea!

i’ve been in sfi for over a year now as have many - first sfi pilot then sfi from jan this year when anyone could have joined - no invited or special treatment in any of that

however newly announced’23 standards meant old agreement ended recently and we will start a new one so yes i would expect to be back in sfi assp

 

[Berties mum]

They are rolling it out slowly from 'now' (August) so presumably we will all get an email at the point at which our business is invited.

 

[Pluto]

Does anyone know if the SFI guidance is available in printed form? Tried to ring the RPA but got no answer, said they would ring back, but that didn’t happen either

 

[Tubbylew]

Post in thread 'Sustainable farming incentive - handbook for 2023 has been published' https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index...r-2023-has-been-published.392265/post-8877458

 

[Good stuff]

When can I apply for sfi 2023 standards when i have already joined doing the old standards

 

[livestock 1]

They might scrap it