Images: above Saddlescombe Farm, R. Puzey. Below Chalk Farm, H.Brown
Free, farmer-led events and mentoring
Pasture and Profit in Protected Landscapes was a free, farmer-led programme of knowledge exchange through farm walks, events, mentoring and training opportunities running between May 2023 and March 2025 in the South Downs National Park.
Building resilience
Farmers in the Pasture and Profit programmes shared how adapting their grazing practices to achieve:
•Improved pasture, soil health and landscape management
•Mitigation of the effects of extreme weather
•Reduction in inputs, workload and cost associated with indoor housing
•Reduced worm burden on stock
•Increased biodiversity
Reaching out
The economic viability of farming is under strain, soil health and biodiversity are depleted and the farming lifestyle can be hard to uphold when isolated from community. In this challenging economic, environmental and social landscape, the programme of events offered the chance to reach out to other farmers to share ideas, challenges and approaches to improve the resilience of each unique farm business.
Alongside events the programme also offered flexible mentoring, access to courses and development opportunities, all fully funded and built according to each farmer’s specific needs and circumstances.
Events so far
The programme saw its first launch event at Saddlescombe Farm back in October 2023. Here is a list of some of the topics the events have covered since then to give you an idea of what the farmers have been discussing and sharing. These have been a mixture of in-person farm walks and discussion and online webinars.
- Bale Grazing and Outwintering
- Integrating livestock into your arable rotation
- Grazing Planning
- Soil health Series
- Thriving farm businesses and work/life balance – is it really possible?
- Enterprise strategy
- Managing cattle to deliver grassland restoration
- Soil Health Indicators and Soil Mentor
- Establishing and maintaining herbal leys
- Navigating funding options for grassland and livestock
The programme was run by Pasture for Life, and was funded by FIPL and supported by the South Downs National Park Authority.
Event images by Ali Laws. Top left: Park Farm. Top right: Chalk Farm. Bottom left: South Farm. Bottom right: Saddlescombe Farm