By Tarja Wilson, land management advisor, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority:

NOW that lockdown restrictions have been lifted I have managed to make a few site visits to carry out grassland surveys to help support farmers applying for Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship.

It has been a nice change from working from home at the end of a computer and phone.

Unfortunately we missed being able to carry out most of the planned breeding wader surveys this year, where we would look out on farms for special birds such as curlew. It would have been a shame to have missed out on being able to carry out grassland and moorland surveys too.

I know that the drought period followed now by a wet period has created extra challenges for farming businesses. Another challenge which is looming on the horizon is how to adapt to the phasing out of the Basic Payment Scheme and the introduction of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme.

ELM will be based on the principle of public money for public goods, with seven categories of public goods identified. A key consultation on it, which was paused during lockdown, has reopened. So now is the time to have your say.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has organised a series of ‘webinars’ for farmers and land managers, which are taking place this month. The next one is on July 16.

If you type the words ‘Defra’ and ‘ELM policy consultation’ into a search engine it will take you to the right place and explain how to book a place and take part. The webinars are billed as ‘interactive’, which means there should be opportunities for farmers to say their pieces verbally, although there is the option of providing written feedback on the ELM proposals too, again via the Defra website.

Farmers and land managers in the Cumbrian part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park produce many public goods. Public goods are things that benefit society as a whole and cannot be rewarded by the market alone, such as healthy soils and clean air and water.

Public goods could also be farmed landscapes that have thriving plants and wildlife.

Do make the most of this opportunity to have your say and help shape our farming future.