FARMERS in Cumbria are among those UK-wide that are being offered free business advice through local support groups, organised by the Prince’s Countryside Fund.

Goup workshops and one-to-one support will be provided, and participants will benefit from peer-to-peer learning. The course is set to run until February 2022.

Practical advice is tailored towards beef, sheep, and dairy farms, with a focus on small-to-medium-sized businesses.The Farm for the Future programme is designed to aid farm businesses in decision making following the removal of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).

Up to 1,000 farm businesses will be able to take part, with key emphasis on family farms.

The workshops will be offered as part of Defra’s Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF), through which 19 providers are offering free business advice across England.

The workshops will take place in 11 locations across England, as well as online.

The fund offers a range of further support to farm businesses in the UK.

There are schemes to help new entrants into farming through bursaries and farm support groups.

Further information can be found on The Prince's Countryside Fund website.