Forest Friendly Farming Projects
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Rural Safety Pilot Project
The aim of this pilot project was to evaluate the need for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to provide a permanent resource in order to protect the rural community. The activity was beyond the scope of existing Fire Service budgets. The pilot year saw a Rural Safety Officer visiting farms, smallholdings and stables to give practical advice in order to reduce the likelihood of fires and accidents occurring and at the same time equipping the Fire Service with essential data in order to make their intervention role more efficient.
New Forest Drift Exhibition
The project involved mounting and running a major photographic exhibition to raise awareness of the practice of Commoning in the New Forest amongst a number of target audiences.
New Forest Woodcraft Project
The New Forest Leader area is a source of timber which is a sustained renewable resource. The vast majority of harvested timber enters commodity markets that involve transporting wood away from the Forest and only a limited number of jobs for people who live in or near it. This competition encouraged the utilisation of local timber for value added products so that more of the income from timber was returned to the New Forest community.
The New Forest Section of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society
Survey of New Forest field systems and purchase of modern surveying equipment
New Forest Livestock Society
The New Forest Livestock Society was formed to provide the day-to-day essential running of the Beaulieu Road Saleyard. In order to maximise the potential use of the Saleyard, the society publicised the yard to the widest possible audience, so increasing attendances, and subsequently raising the values of the New Forest Pony.
Food from Field & Forest
The New Forest show is visited by 90,000 people each year and is often the only contact that people attending the show have with local farmers and producers. The annual Food from Field and Forest stand provided an ideal opportunity to educate people about sustainable farming in the New Forest and the contribution it makes to the maintaining the local landscape and the cultural identity of the area.
New Forest Farm Plastic Recovery Scheme
A pilot in Bramshaw Parish for a Forest-wide scheme to help farmers dispose of plastic waste. The pilot ran for six months to: confirm the volumes of waste; identify the best approach to, and associated costs of, collection and disposal; develop a sustainable commercial model; promote awareness of the environmental issues.
Animal Accident Reduction Initiative
The deployment of mobile speed signs to encourage motorists to reduce their speed to improve animal welfare, reduce animal accidents and the financial loss incurred by the commoning community through animal accidents and fatalities on Forest roads
New Forest Pounds 2006
The construction/rebuilding of further pounds around the New Forest
The New Forest Records Series
A project to transcribe and publish documents relevant to the historic administration and usage of the New Forest
New Forest & Isle of Wight Skills Directory
A joint New Forest & Isle of Wight LEADER+ directory highlighting traditional trades and skills.
New Forest Producers Tent at the New Forest Show
LEADER+ funding was used to support the New Forest & Hampshire Producers tent at the New Forest show.
New Forest & Isle of Wight Food Trail
A joint New Forest and IOW Food Trail leaflet and map to raise awareness of the accessibility of local produce in the both areas.
The New Forest Breakfast
This project aimed to develop better, more effective connections between local producers and small tourism businesses in the New Forest through the development and promotion of local breakfast menus and local ordering and collection points for that produce.
Food, Farming & Environment Centre feasibility study
Feasibility study to determine the viability, characteristics and requirements for the development of a unique facility that embraces all the local components of food, farming and the environment.
New Forest & Isle of Wight Small Business Grant Scheme
This was a joint project with IOW LEADER+ to encourage small business start-up and development through the availability of a small grant scheme. Successful applicants received mentoring visits and participated in training.
New Forest Trust Website
The Trustees developed a website that allowed them to make available information about the Trust and its work and to form the basis of a tool for educating the public about conserving the New Forest.
New Forest Jam & Chutney Business Plan
Preparation of business plan to enable the New Forest Jam & Chutney company to expand and supply the ever increasing market from modernised and efficient premises in a constructive, environmentally sustainable way
The need for affordable housing and holdings for NF Commoners
The project is a defined piece of research which will examine:
- The number, character and distribution of holdings necessary to support commoning;
- The accessibility of holdings to commoners; and
- The socio-economic background of active commoners and the circumstances of new entrants and leavers to the practice.
New Forest Fresh Food Hampers
A new business start-up which aimed to bring together local producers and the tourism trade within the area, by supplying hampers of fresh local food and delivering them to self catering properties. Having sampled the produce within the hamper it is anticipated that customers will seek out suppliers thereby increasing the sales of small producers.
Pondhead Coppice Re-establishment
A local woodland contractor received LEADER+ funding, over 5 years, to re-establish an area of hazel coppice and to establish a small business to sell the produce.
Archaeological Survey
To undertake an archaeological and landscape survey of New Forest commons for which no survey has so far been published. The group also completed the archaeological database for the Forest, prepared in 2003, and which so far covers only the Crown lands of the Forest.
New Forest Pounds
Construction of a new holding pen and pound at New Park Brockenhurst and two new pounds at Canterton and Bartley
Local Food for Healthy Children
Children from seventeen schools were given the opportunity to taste local food and to understand the link between the landscape that surrounds them and the food that they eat. The children were taught the importance of a healthy diet and learned how eating local produce could help them achieve this
New Forest Trust
This Trust was initiated to provide a new mechanism for raising funds to support existing or new projects and activities which were consistent with its objectives of conservation, education and research. Funding was given to help with the Trust launch.
Forestry Commission Apprenticeship Scheme
An apprenticeship scheme training up to 6 new apprentice forest workers. Training includes core practical skills required to sustainably manage the New Forest and thus encourage the development of a new generation of forest workers and contractors.
New Forest Pony Publicity
Funding for Pony Publicity Group volunteers to attend equine events across the country promoting New Forest ponies. This work has helped increase awareness of the capabilities of New Forest ponies and is also believed to have improved sales at the new Beaulieu Road Saleyard.
FFF Questionnaire
The FFF Questionnaire was produced and sent to commoners, farmers, selected retailers and producers within the New Forest Heritage Area. The questionnaire asked for basic information on a number of subjects, which relate to key topics within the New Forest LEADER+ Development Plan. The information derived from the questionnaire will be used to monitor New Forest LEADER+ progress and inform future projects funded through LEADER+ and the FFF project.
FFF Local Produce Development Officer
The Local Produce Development Officer provided advice & support to all New Forest producers to enable them to fully participate in Forest Friendly Farming (FFF) initiatives. The post also helped with organising training and developing opportunities to run local events to raise the profile of locally produced goods.
New Forest Products Website
Start up funding for a new internet based business promoting and selling products grown, produced or manufactured within the New Forest.
New Forest Abattoir
Funding for a feasibility study for a local abattoir..
FFF Local Produce Co-ordinator
The Local Product Co-ordinator helped local producers to make the most of opportunities to produce and market forest friendly produce. The project encouraged collaborative working, the development of the New Forest Marque and set up events to promote forest friendly produce e.g. farmers markets forest friendly produce in local shops, hotels/b&b's, pubs and restaurants
Local Food Festivals
Food festivals help to raise awareness of the availability of local produce in New Milton and Ringwood.
Forest Friendly Farming Adviser
This post helps deliver the New Forest Countryside Stewardship Scheme by providing free advice and financial support for positive habitat management and environmental improvements to landholdings.
Forest Friendly Farming Website
Funding for the Forest Friendly Farming Website.
What's in this field!
'What's in this field' provided internet based information to farmers on environmental designations, archaeological features or rights of way within or adjacent to their land to help them make better informed decisions.
New Beaulieu Road Saleyard
The replacement of the old Beaulieu Road saleyard with new pens and a sale ring made from local timber.
