[cloddopper]

Can anyone help with a few pointers for Munchkin .
 
Part of her geography home work is to mention some grants & subsidies the big one being the single farm payment .
 I've had a look online and could spend a week finding out things and be none the wiser .
 In just as few words can you guys and gals that know about it wrt, sheep hill farming .....
So what is the single farm payment , what is it for , how is it paid and finally how is the amount awarded assessed ?

[Hellybee]

Speak to your local FUW office, they ll know it all x

[cloddopper]

Thanks Hellybee .

unfortunately there is nothing readily readable on the site as a short overview , Trouble is her home work has to be presented tomorrow , when her group of pals asked the teacher today where to look for help or where should they start looking all she said was do some more Google Searching . ( This seems typical of a lot of todays teachers save for those who usually teach the sciences and mathematics )

 She is using her schools "  Kick " internet chat programme ,so far none of the class has got a clue as none of them are of farming back grounds ...

So we are still asking for help on this .

[Hellybee]

Look at glastir, we were under tir gofal, the one before glastir.   Then there's tir mynydd and one or two others, we opted out so I don't know now what is still running,mor if they now all come under glastir. 


Tir gofal based itself on the harmony between conservation and  farming, not cutting hay til after certain dates, no over grazing, stock levels, fertiliser rules, managing wood land, managing hedgerows sympathetically etc etc,  originally they also paid for fencing for so many metres and beautiful wooden gates.  They stopped that in our first year here. 


Anyways yes look at glastir

[Hellybee]

I'm sure glastir runs on a points system

[shep53]

Just put in EXPLAIN WELSH SINGLE FARM PAYMENT SCHEME  and read a good welsh gov site and a uk gov site should help with the basics

[Marches Farmer]

Single Payment Scheme is a subsidy paid to active farmers. It helps to keep down the cost of food by supplementing farm income in return for them meeting certain criteria in the way they manage their farm.  One of the main criteria is that the land should be maintained in Good Environmental and Agricultural Condition, so able to produce food and not damage the environment.  This involves a lot of different things depending on what kind of farm it is, but could include not spreading slurry close to a water course, only spreading muck at certain times of year and not letting the land get poached (gateways churned into mud, for example) by having livestock on it during the Winter.

[Dogwalker]

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/farmingandcountryside/farming/schemes/singlepaymentschemesps/?lang=en

[cloddopper]

Thanks Marches Farmer ,

Handing the project in has been put back due to teachers going on strike .

That's the sort of simple stuff the schoolies seem to want along with repeating some figures that they stated  in the " Hypothetical Welsh hill farm " blurb that they  gave out , they made a very pointed comment about how good EU money is for subsidising Welsh farming.

Do buildings and machinery grants also come from the EU ..is there such a thing these days ?
 

[Backinwellies]

If her teachers knew anything on the subject themselves they would know it was all in flux .... and decisions on what will be the future of payments and what for has not yet been announced.

 SFP is beautifully summarised by Marches Farmer.  Glastir is an additional payment for carrying out some further environmental activities such as putting up bird boxes, managing land for wildlife, developing woodland, using renewable energy and keeping a suitable stocking rate of animals.    Further grants for woodland development may reappear when the announcement is made but who knows?

SFP is paid annually in Euros ... so actual amount is dependent on exchange rate.   A large form is completed by farmers who have 'entitlements' to claim each year which details cropping, animals and non farming activities. The areas paid on are measured to the nearest 0.01 of a hectare. 

There is very little else available.... unless anyone knows different?

[hafod]

How about the Young Entrant Support Scheme. 50% match funding for farmers in Wales under 40 who have recently taken over as head of holding. http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/farmingandcountryside/farming/schemes/youngentrantsupportschemeyess/?lang=en

In theory a good idea.....

There have also been sustainable production grants in the past but nothing at the moment as we are just coming to the end of a funding round with a new one starting next year. in the past there has also been support for organic conversion and farm diversification.
 

[cloddopper]

Thanks folks,
 Holly has also visited a 19 acre smallholding this afternoon , I've let her read these posts and go into the llnks, we have also discussed some of the relevant content.

She's got plenty of useful info but dare we tell the teachers that they are about four years out of date with their project info ..so much for them going on strike for better term & conditions etc ..... I'd rather they were teaching subjects in a more up-to-date relative to peoples lives way .

[SallyintNorth]

Didn't see this at the time, so too late now for Holly's project, sorry.  I hope she did well! 

You got some good info anyway, but here's my take on it

[Jukes Mum]

  :roflanim:love this!!