South East farm clusters: What are they?

In this blog, CLA South East surveyor Rosie Salt-Crockford gives an overview of the network of farm clusters established across the region...

At a recent event, my colleague Lucy Charman and I were asked about farming clusters, what they were and how you might be able to find one to join.

Never one to miss the opportunity to turn a simple question into a blog, I figured I would do a quick run through of all the clusters here in the SE region (insofar as we’re aware of them) for members who might have similar questions.

Put simply, clusters are a vehicle for farmer-led, larger scale conservation efforts.  Clusters stemmed from an understanding that one farm can only do so much for the local environment, but by joining together with neighbouring like-minded landowners, some real improvements to nature could start to take place, supported by agri-environment schemes. 

Each cluster will agree and set its own priorities, which could be habitat or species focused, or climate resilience based such as a flood resilient landscape, or clean air/soil focused.

Landscape scale improvements might be made via increased connectivity of habitats, such as hedgerows, or outcomes could be something altogether far more ambitious such as seeking to reverse the decline in farmland birds and/or pollinators in their area.

A large number of existing cluster groups have been funded via Natural England’s Facilitation Fund, which helps to cover the cost of an independent facilitator for the cluster, who helps to target available funding and arrange for regular member meetings and events to take place. There are increasing numbers of clusters run independently by groups of land or riparian owners who wish to facilitate improvements to the biodiversity in the area, or the water quality in their catchment.

Anecdotally, many cluster members also report increased wellbeing due to the camaraderie of the cluster groups and the regular sharing of information.

Since the first cluster pilot scheme in 2012, many have sprung up across the South East region. If joining a cluster, or indeed starting a new one, is of interest to you then do look at the below list of clusters that we know of in the SE region, further details on the NE facilitated clusters and how to contact the lead/facilitator can be found on this website.

Oxon/Bucks/Berks

Central Chilterns

Christmas Common

Thames Farmers

Cotswold Cluster

Hampshire/Wiltshire/IOW

Wessex Farm Conservation

Winchester to River Test

Winchester Downs

Wallop Group

Allenford

Martin Downs

Selborne Landscape Partnership

Eastern Hampshire Downs

Greenscape

Surrey/Sussex/Kent

North Downs Escarpment

Rother Valley Farmers

Arun to Adur

East Yar

Eastern South Downs

Pevensey Levels

Upper Rother & Dudwell

Upper Beult Cluster

East Kent Sustainable Farming Group.

There are also three very recently created clusters in north east Kent which cannot be found on the above website. These include one around Snodland, another on and around the Isle of Sheppey and finally one on the Isle of Grain, which together are hoping to create a better link between the Chalk Downs of Kent to its northern coast.

Many of the clusters will have dedicated websites, sharing aims and achievements which you can access for more information and contact details.

Some of the clusters also join together alongside other businesses and organisations to deliver landscape scale projects like Weald to Waves a project linking the Sussex High Weald to the Sussex coast, encompassing 20,000 hectares. Or the Big Chalk programme that hopes to recover and secure the future of chalk and limestone landscapes with projects running the length and breadth of South East England to the Midlands and Norfolk coast.

“Alone we can do so little… together we can do so much” - author and activist Helen Keller.