Farming Diary by Andrea Meanwell, farming officer, the Lake District National Park Authority:

AFTER months of waiting, we are delighted that our new programme of work, Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL), was launched on July 1.

It is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ national FiPL programme, and part of the Agricultural Transition Plan.

You can find details of the programme at lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/farming/farming-in-protected-landscapes

The grants programme for farmers has more than £1 million available for farmers in the Lake District this year, and there are four areas that can be supported:

• Climate - for projects that help address climate change, such as rewiggling a straightened watercourse for biodiversity and natural flood management, or assisting farms to take action to reduce carbon emissions.

• Nature - includes work that supports nature-friendly sustainable farms which allow natural processes to develop across an area of land, or wetland creation to support a variety of wildlife.

• People - includes projects that provide opportunities for people to engage with the landscape. This could be working with new audiences to help them experience the Lake District, or offering farm walks to help give people a greater insight into farming. It could also mean improving parking facilities or replacing stiles with gates to make routes more accessible for locals and visitors.

• Place - includes work that supports cultural heritage. This could be conserving historic features on a farm or repairing dry stone walls. It could also be supporting a locally-branded food initiative that promotes the links between the product and the landscape in which it is produced.

To make an initial enquiry about the grants, please visit our website and fill out our enquiry form.

I will then get in touch to arrange a farm visit to discuss your ideas with you.