STOKE CLIMSLAND FARM CLUSTER
Stoke Climsland Farm Cluster
📅 Timeline
June 2023 – May 2026
🎯 Key Aims
The Stoke Climsland Farm Cluster is working collaboratively at a landscape scale to improve both water quality and biodiversity.
Our shared goal is to:
- Create connected, wildlife-rich corridorsacross our farmed landscape
- Minimise the impact of land use on the water flowing through our farms into the River Tamar
- Operate as part of a “living laboratory”to learn and adapt together
💰 Funding
Supported through the Stoke Climsland Facilitation Fund – DEFRA
🤝 Partners
- DEFRA
- Westcountry Rivers Trust
- Tamar Valley National Landscape
🌱 Who We Are
We are a group of 24 farmers, working across 3,000 hectares in Stoke Climsland Parish and surrounding areas. Our focus is on collaboration and shared learning during a time of significant agricultural transition, ensuring farming practices evolve to support nature and water resilience.
🛠️ What We’ve Been Up To
- Building the Cluster:
Establishing trust and momentum through a mix of formal meetings and social events
- Identifying Opportunities:
Exploring ways to enhance water quality and biodiversity on both individual farms and at a cluster level
- Exploring Funding:
Investigating available support to back environmental improvements and long-term landscape ambitions
- Looking Ahead:
Considering opportunities such as Landscape Recovery by visiting and learning from other including examples like:
-
- Central Dartmoor Farm Cluster(via Mark Owen)
- Penwith Landscape Recovery(via Cheryll Marriott, Cornwall Wildlife Trust)
- Collective Action
Submitting group funding applications — for example, Successfully obtained FiPL-funding to undertake bespoke Ecological Surveys on Cluster Farms.
- Topical Learning:
Inviting expert speakers on key issues — including SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) updates delivered via BIP (Business Information Point).