From pilots to progress – a farmer-focused journey

Earlier this summer (not that it felt much like summer!), we shared the excitement of delivering our first pilot project at Smaden Head Farm. As the colder weather sets in, our delivery team has been back at the farm, planting up hedgerows alongside fantastic volunteers from the National Trust and Balfour Beatty. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to lend a hand – the sense of teamwork was truly inspiring.

Second pilot project: Upper Wensleydale

Since our last update, we’ve begun delivering our second pilot project in Upper Wensleydale. This larger project includes:

• 15 scrapes
• 12 leaky barriers along a small watercourse
• 2 small areas of new native hedges and trees

Together, these features will store nearly 700,000 pints of water, reducing flood risk for the downstream community. Beyond that, they’ll help capture carbon and provide essential habitat and food for wildlife.

One unique feature of this project is the creation of a new “willow carr.” Working with Steve Heaton from Natural England’s Tree Action Plan team, we sourced and planted four locally native, but rare, willow species. These trees not only enhance habitat diversity but also add to flood resilience – a great example of the multiple benefits nature-based solutions can offer.

A huge thank you to Nick, the landowner, who has been positive and supportive throughout the project. Nick also kindly featured in “Overcoming challenges in Natural Flood Management (NFM): Insights from North Yorkshire land managers”. In this video (filmed prior to delivery), Nick and other land managers in Yorkshire's Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse (SUNO) catchment area share the challenges they face in their potential and ongoing NFM projects.

Pilots and partnerships

Our pilot projects have been invaluable for learning and refining our approach. We are incredibly grateful to our pilotees for their support and enthusiasm in bringing Ousewem to life. With their input, we have a clear offer for farmers and landowners.

The enthusiasm we’ve seen isn’t limited to our pilots. Since delivering our pilots, Ousewem has expanded its natural flood management (NFM) focus areas to include Arkengarthdale, Masham, Bellerby and Bishop Monkton. These areas join our initial phase of focus catchments - Appersett, Gayle, Hawes, and Hunton - where further projects continue to be delivered.

We're already working closely with landowners and farmers in these areas, alongside Natural England and where relevant, Catchment-Sensitive Farm Advisors (CSFAs) from Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscapes.

Do you have land in Arkengarthdale, Masham, Bellerby, Bishop Monkton, Appersett, Gayle, Hawes, or Hunton that’s hard to farm due to wet or soggy areas?

If this sounds familiar, we’d love to hear from you. We may be able to help by funding fencing, gates or other infrastructure – by exploring tailored NFM solutions for your land. Email: [email protected].

Challenges of farming

Through our conversations with farmers, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the challenges they face, including:

• wide-reaching changes to the agricultural funding regime
• rising energy and input costs
• volatile markets
• ever changing weather patterns
• the impact of the new budget and tax implications for farmers and landowners

Every landowner has their own unique exposure to these risks. While we cannot fix everything (and may signpost to other sources of support and funding in the catchment), we aim to work collaboratively to enhance the resilience of farms and landholdings. By doing so, we also increase the resilience of downstream communities, spreading the word about NFM.

Looking ahead

The delivery team is gearing up for an exciting 2025, with plans to deliver projects in Arkengarthdale, Masham, Bellerby, Bishop Monkton, Appersett, Gayle, Hawes, and Hunton.

We invite Yorkshire’s farmers and landowners to join us. Together, we can lay the foundation for a resilient Yorkshire, promoting sustainable practices that strengthen our landscapes and benefit everyone.