Grants up for grabs for Somerset farmers: How you can bid

The online event, organised by the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group SouthWest (FWAG SW) for Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) and Bristol Water, will see farmers bid for funding by submitting works that will achieve the aims of the auction, in this case to protect water sources and prevent flooding.

It will run online from Monday, March 1 to Monday, March 15 at somerset.naturebid.org.uk.

Cllr David Hall, chair of the SRA, said: “This will be our fourth online auction and this year farmers are being offered a choice of up to 12 different measures, more than ever before.

“The aim is to help slow the flow of water down to vulnerable areas while delivering other benefits. Moves like grassland slitting and subsoiling, for example, don’t just aerate the ground and let more rain filter in, they also improve the soil.

“So farmers are being asked to think about win-wins. If there are simple things that can be done that benefit everyone, grants may be available.”

Total funding available this year is £60,000, the biggest sum yet, with £40,000 coming from the SRA, and £20,000 from Bristol Water. Bristol Water’s money is reserved for two areas; within roughly four miles of Westbury-sub-Mendip and includes Chewton Mendip, Wookey, Wedmore and Cheddar and the Egford Borehole catchment north of Nunney near Frome.

Bristol Water especially wants to reduce the amount of soil and nutrients running off into watercourses and reservoirs.

The online system works by letting farmers pinpoint places on their land where they believe selected activities would get good results, then they bid for funding.

After the auction closes, bids get checked by FWAG SW, with grants given to the best, most competitively-priced ideas.

Matt Pitts, catchment strategy manager at Bristol Water, said: “Collaborating with farmers, Somerset Rivers Authority and FWAG SW makes perfect sense.

"By working together, we can make a much more impactful positive contribution to the local environment.

"If we can keep water cleaner naturally at source, then there’s the potential for a real benefit to not only wildlife, but in reducing the intensive water treatment process.”

BENEFIT: Nearly 1,000m of hedgerow has been planted thanks to a grant from the auctions

The 12 measures for which grants will be given this year are: Grassland subsoiling, Grassland slitting, Maize management, Hedge planting, Hedge planting on banks, Lines of tree planting, Leaky dams, Buffers to intercept run-off, Winter cover crops, Grass swales, Filter fences and – only available in the Bristol Water areas – watercourse fencing to help improve water quality and livestock’s safety.

Holly Purdey, of Horner Farm in Porlock Vale, urged farmers to participate.

She said: “Thanks to a couple of winning bids in previous auctions we’ve been able to plant nearly 1,000 metres of new hedgerow for better field layouts.

"It’s now easier to manage rotational grazing, keep soil healthy and minimise water run-off.

“The online auction system is simple to use, with clear guidelines provided. Support from FWAG SW is available if you need it.”

At the other end of the county, Richard Masters, of Sharpshaw Farm in Nunney near Frome, said: “It took just a few minutes to place my bid online. The money I received meant I could better manage my ground, a win-win for us and the environment.

"I would recommend giving it a go.”

The auction covers the length and breadth of Somerset, with one limitation. As the main purpose of NFM activities in Somerset is to slow the flow of water down through the higher parts of river catchments, the online auction system at somerset.naturebid.org.uk will not allow farmers to place bids for most of the low-lying land in Internal Drainage Board areas.

The only exception this year – because of Bristol Water’s involvement – is the chunk of the Somerset Levels near Westbury-sub-Mendip.