Countryside Stewardship

[Verity92]

Anyone giving CSS a look this year?

Having left ELS a few years back, I couldnt get my head around the new scheme. But after a few meetings recently, I am tempted.
Entering problem areas into the scheme does make sense, also squaring off fields with a mix will save on overlaps etc
Interesting for mixed farmers with £100/ha for brassica fodder, and £495/ha for Whole crop cereals, or do the rules just kill it?
I'm only sceptical due to the lack uptake from my neighbours, and also how its my seed merchant really pushing the idea, which isnt surprising as these bird mixes arent cheap !
Obviously it's not money for nothing but surely it beats flogging a lump of clay each year?

 

[Verity92]

Apology if this subject has been killed already!

 

[DRC]

Tread very carefully I’d say, as getting paid seems to be the problem.
I’m still waiting to hear if I’ve been accepted for the scheme that should’ve started on First January 2018. Was promised a decision by end March , so it’s today, or another promise broken

 

[Brisel]

What makes CS attractive is taking out unproductive land, awkward corners etc. Beware of the fancy seed mixes that cost a lot & need regular renewal. Unless you like chasing pheasants out of the covers of have a genuine agenda for wildlife I should keep it simple.

 

[Brisel]

Tread very carefully I’d say, as getting paid seems to be the problem.
I’m still waiting to hear if I’ve been accepted for the scheme that should’ve started on First January 2018. Was promised a decision by end March , so it’s today, or another promise broken

Likewise here. I'm getting towards the time when seed need to be planted, I need EFA land and no offer is forthcoming. If you take the taxpayer's coin, you have to be prepared to suffer the grossly underfunded departments administering brutally bureaucratic schemes.

 

[Verity92]

What makes CS attractive is taking out unproductive land, awkward corners etc. Beware of the fancy seed mixes that cost a lot & need regular renewal. Unless you like chasing pheasants out of the covers of have a genuine agenda for wildlife I should keep it simple.

I know people who do like chasing pheasants out of the covers on Saturdays over the winter! Having briefed the rules this seems ok? Can pheasant cover be entered into winter bird food? as long as the mix it right everyones happy? Though happiness is probably against the rules.

 

[warksfarmer]

Anyone giving CSS a look this year?

Having left ELS a few years back, I couldnt get my head around the new scheme. But after a few meetings recently, I am tempted.
Entering problem areas into the scheme does make sense, also squaring off fields with a mix will save on overlaps etc
Interesting for mixed farmers with £100/ha for brassica fodder, and £495/ha for Whole crop cereals, or do the rules just kill it?
I'm only sceptical due to the lack uptake from my neighbours, and also how its my seed merchant really pushing the idea, which isnt surprising as these bird mixes arent cheap !
Obviously it's not money for nothing but surely it beats flogging a lump of clay each year?

Can’t even get the pack at the minute. Tried numerous times and it never arrives! So stuff them as I’m sure it’ll all change post brexit anyway.

 

[steveR]

If you take the taxpayer's coin, you have to be prepared to suffer the grossly underfunded departments administering brutally bureaucratic schemes.

Never a truer word....

And does anyone actually believe that the Brave New World of friendly farming envisaged by our Beloved Leader is going ot be any better post 2020-22?

I'm still waiting for acceptance of a mid tier water quality scheme. The contractors were poised to go last October, then my "file" went astray! How you can lose an electronic file is still a mystery to me.... Part 2 of my Scheme is due to go for application, and I am still waiting for the Application document

 

[FarmerBruce]

Can’t even get the pack at the minute. Tried numerous times and it never arrives! So stuff them as I’m sure it’ll all change post brexit anyway.

Exactly the same here. Spoke to 2 different people on 2 separate occasions.

 

[Feldspar]

Never a truer word....

And does anyone actually believe that the Brave New World of friendly farming envisaged by our Beloved Leader is going ot be any better post 2020-22?

I'm still waiting for acceptance of a mid tier water quality scheme. The contractors were poised to go last October, then my "file" went astray! How you can lose an electronic file is still a mystery to me.... Part 2 of my Scheme is due to go for application, and I am still waiting for the Application document

Probably someone left the cordless mouse unattended and it chewed through the file.

 

[yellow belly]

I believe defra will have to get their system sorted and pay us on time to get enough farmers to apply for a he schemes
If they don’t then the money will not get distributed and defra will be made to change

Even if I am paid late it will still increase my profits

 

[YoungFarmerBen]

Very interested on the ideas in this thread.
Please tell me your thoughts on Agri-environmental schemes post Brexit by filling out my quick questionnaire for me to complete my dissertation.

https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/aes-post-brexit

It would be extremely appreciated
Ben

 

[Brisel]

Done

 

[gone up the hill]

Anyone giving CSS a look this year?

Having left ELS a few years back, I couldnt get my head around the new scheme. But after a few meetings recently, I am tempted.
Entering problem areas into the scheme does make sense, also squaring off fields with a mix will save on overlaps etc
Interesting for mixed farmers with £100/ha for brassica fodder, and £495/ha for Whole crop cereals, or do the rules just kill it?
I'm only sceptical due to the lack uptake from my neighbours, and also how its my seed merchant really pushing the idea, which isnt surprising as these bird mixes arent cheap !
Obviously it's not money for nothing but surely it beats flogging a lump of clay each year?

The rules plus the low payment of £100 ha kill it for mixed farmers on the brassica crop @Verity92 , £30 acre will barely cover the seed costs let alone drilling/fert costs + the rules state you cant poach it when grazing etc so in a wet winter/ spring like this you wouldn't be able to graze it so will then have to top it off and then ensure you drill the following crop within 6 weeks of this.

Imagine having no grass for your sheep now but all these fields of kale etc that you dare not graze for fear of breaking the rules and so you end up having to buy a lot of expensive cake/ silage to feed them instead, the small print/ low payment rates means things like brassica crops are just unworkable and not worth the hassle unless you don't intend to graze them.

 

[steveR]

Very interested on the ideas in this thread.
Please tell me your thoughts on Agri-environmental schemes post Brexit by filling out my quick questionnaire for me to complete my dissertation.

https://harper-adams.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/aes-post-brexit

It would be extremely appreciated
Ben

Done

 

[phil the cat]

The rules plus the low payment of £100 ha kill it for mixed farmers on the brassica crop @Verity92 , £30 acre will barely cover the seed costs let alone drilling/fert costs + the rules state you cant poach it when grazing etc so in a wet winter/ spring like this you wouldn't be able to graze it so will then have to top it off and then ensure you drill the following crop within 6 weeks of this.

Imagine having no grass for your sheep now but all these fields of kale etc that you dare not graze for fear of breaking the rules and so you end up having to buy a lot of expensive cake/ silage to feed them instead, the small print/ low payment rates means things like brassica crops are just unworkable and not worth the hassle unless you don't intend to graze them.

Been having a look at this today. In theory, an extra £100/ha for not spraying out the volunteers seems good. It depends what is classed as poaching which is a bit open to interpretation. In forage rape we usually see the storks left if they’re thick and a few hoof prints round. Would maybe suit lighter land more?

 

[Brisel]

I looked at the forage brassicas option and ruled it out. Whilst I like the payment for something I'm growing anyway (on light land), the crop yield would be limited by barley volunteers, plus you'd never be able to control any pests like sawfly. Try growing turnips nearer the south coast without an insecticide and you'd be looking at skeletal leaves by the end of September.

 

[gone up the hill]

Been having a look at this today. In theory, an extra £100/ha for not spraying out the volunteers seems good. It depends what is classed as poaching which is a bit open to interpretation. In forage rape we usually see the storks left if they’re thick and a few hoof prints round. Would maybe suit lighter land more?

Should work on lighter land but anything else not much good on the poaching side in a normal winter ( unlike this year ) but crop yields will be much lower than a conventional crop so £40 acre will hardly cover costs if it even does that!

Whole point of this scheme ( mid tier ) is just to cover the cost ( at best ) of any inputs acre, it is not meant to give the farmer any income over and above this which is why the whole scheme is a complete waste of time for most farms as it doesn't stack up unless you can get/ want a lot of capital grant items.

 

[Brisel]

It was only designed to cover profit forgone for the measures you sign up to. Good luck if you think you can turn a profit from this. As you say, the only way is of you get a lot of capital grants.

 

[gone up the hill]

It was only designed to cover profit forgone for the measures you sign up to. Good luck if you think you can turn a profit from this. As you say, the only way is of you get a lot of capital grants.

What they are basically saying is we will cover the costs/ acre but that is like saying to a shop keeper he should sell all his goods at cost price and not try to make a profit.

Madness!

Take the low input grassland, I think last year they paid £38 acre, yield of say silage under this option would be down 40% at least so for ease of talking say 4 bales an acre at £15/ bale ( excluding baling/wrapping etc costs ) = income forgone of £60 acre yet they only pay £38 acre, just doesn't stack up ( and that doesn't include the loss of grazing after you have taken a cut of silage )