shepherds of the trees – Just transition for upland farmers

Earth and Leaf aims to use just transition to help upland farmers to become “Shepherds of the Trees”.

. . . in order for Shepherds of the Trees to be a success, we don’t just want to plant trees. Don’t forget just planting trees is not enough. We need to block drains, let hedges grow, collect and plant seeds from local shrubs and flowers, dig ponds, remove non native species, all by hand. We must empower the Woodland Trust. And please stop tidying up!

Sustainability

We need less dairy, beef and sheep going forward as a nation. Exports are not the answer. Sustainability is the key.

Funding

Earth and Leaf will sponsor farms to join the project giving farmers long term security.

Timescales

This is a forever timescale, but Earth and Leaf expects to support the scheme for a minimum of ten years.

Benefit the Community with Shepherds of the Trees

Firstly, the farms involved in the Shepherds of the Trees project will benefit from stable and reliable income support from the scheme. Secondly, the local community will benefit from more housing availability and more business premises without building on greenfield sites. Thirdly, there will also be a measure of extra local employment digging ponds, planting trees, rebuilding walls and removing non native plants.

Shepherds of the Trees improves the Environment

No-one knows a farm better than the family who farm it. They must become shepherds of the trees. We must use that expertise. Its not just about planting trees. Because it is about restoring and expanding wooded areas, planting shrubs, digging ponds, encouraging wild flowers and maintaining the resulting environment. Above all, farm animals will still play a part, just in much smaller numbers and of different breeds and species.

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schools and colleges

£0

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individual membership

£2

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FAMILY MEMBERSHIP

£5

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Community groups

£25

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Find us

info@earthandleaf.org

Phone

+447910038697

Address

10 Cathcart House, Prospect Place, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 1LB

Our Upland and Hill Farming Communities need a New Way Forward

Hill farming support from the European Union kept these communities alive. This support has for now been continued by our government, but it ends in 2027. Any support thereafter in unclear and will be likely be completely environmentally related.

In conclusion, for the hills and uplands to become a huge sustainable carbon sink we need structural reform that prevents vast areas of our uplands being used simply for Grouse Shooting and inefficient sheep farming. The best people to make sure this happens are the farmers who live and work there. They must be the Shepherds of the Trees!

Today

This year a mixed upland hill farm is likely to make a profit including subsidy of about £27500.

The future

By 2027 a mixed upland hill farm is likely to make a loss.

Net Farm Incomes for families on hill farms average around £27500 per annum in a good year. In a bad year this can be much lower. Our scheme can level this out. Running alongside UK government schemes of course and not replacing them.

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