Cumbria Post 2013 video

With help from the people and organisations in Cumbria - farmers, landowners and land users - we have created an informative and thought-provoking video.

The full video runs for 28 mins. Please watch this trailer to get a feel for the real thing:Cumbria Post 2013 trailer on YouTube

Free Event for Farmers and Land Managers - Woodfuel Workshops

Map of Halecat, Witherslack (Halecat is signed from A590)


View Halecat Wood Yard in a larger map

Map of Bothel Village Hall

View Larger Map Get Directions View Bird's Eye

Cumbrian Farming Now and Post 2013

At the recent  Cumbrian Fair Trade event at the Rheged Centre, Penrith Dr Frank Peck and Dr Lois Mansfield set the scene for the day with a presentation on Cumbrian Farming Now and Post 2013. The slides from this presentation are presented below. Click the first slide to see the presentation in fullscreen.

New Book - Upland Agriculture and the Environment

Dr Lois Mansfield is pleased to announce the publication of her new book:

Upland Agriculture and the Environment

Lois Mansfield

Agricultural activity in uplands is fundamentally determined by the character of the physical environment, resulting in a low input-low output system and highly valued biodiverse habitats. Over the last 50 years the quality of many of these has unfortunately deteriorated, often blamed on poor agricultural management.

Upland Agriculture & the Environment demonstrates that far from laying this fully at farming’s doorstep, deteriorating habitats and related environmental issues can be traced back to inappropriate political decisions based on poor understanding of socio-economic processes operating on farms and in their related communities. Consequently, upland farm businesses have suffered from low incomes and related succession problems, contracting the sector and destabilising their communities, symptoms of which have been environmental under-management and rural depopulation.

The fortunes of upland agriculture are, however, beginning to re-invigorate. The latest environmental agendas of ecosystem service delivery, food security concerns and carbon management needs are providing new opportunities to diversify income streams. From social and economic pariah to social and environmental necessity, upland agriculture is needed more than ever.

Through a comprehensive understanding of the whole picture, this book aims to demonstrate to readers the critical continuation of upland agriculture in order to address the new environmental agendas.

Contents

• Upland agricultural farming system;
• Defining the extent of uplands;
• Historical evolution of the upland farming landscape;
• The physical environment;
• A High Nature Value landscape;
• Economics of upland agriculture;
• Social dimension of upland agriculture;
• Politics and upland agriculture;
• A Future for upland agriculture;
• References.

 The book contains over 360 pages, 100 tables, 60 figures and 40 boxes.

About the Author

Dr Lois Mansfield is a Principal Lecturer at the Newton Rigg campus of the University of Cumbria, where she has lectured in agricultural geography and related upland topics for 16 years.

This book has been published with the aid of a grant from The Ninevah Trust

“The NINEVEH Charitable Trust promotes, for the public benefit, the preservation of the countryside. We provide funding to any person or organisation with similar objectives in the UK. We seek to be creative about our approach – we include conservation, land management, agriculture, ecology, sustainability, education and research.

Visit www.ninevehtrust.org.uk for more about our aims and achievements”.

If you would like to purchase  copy of this book, please send a cheque payable to: Dr LT Mansfield, c/o Badger Press, Longlands, Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3AS

 Half the proceeds from this book will be returned to the Nineveh Trust to continue their work supporting land management and preservation of the countryside (www.nineveh.org.uk).  Money will also be donated to a Cumbrian Care farm. Care farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices to provide health, social or educational care services for one or a range of vulnerable groups of people. They provide supervised, structured programmes of farming-related activities (www.carefarminguk.org). A small percentage will be retained by the author to continue her applied research into upland agriculture.

Download an order form here

Newsletter 1: May 2011

Introducing Post 2013 Project

Post 2013 is an RDPE (Rural Development Programme Europe) funded project designed to:

· prepare land managers for the changes needed in rural land management in Cumbria in the next 20 to 30 years

· raise public awareness of the issues and how they will impact on them 

It is partnership lead by the University of Cumbria supported by the Federation of Cumbria Commoners and Natural England.  A series of events will take place over the next thirty months  for land managers and the public which will inform and support people’s perceptions and behaviour about land management in the county.

Focus on Rural Land Management

We are developing a series of day or half day technical events to address the specific practicalities of working with the new agendas.  Experts in each of the 7 challenges will lead the discussions.

If your group or organisation is concerned with a specific issue or group of issues, please contact us and we will tailor the event especially for you, at a date to suit you. Some  financial support is available for these events.

What are the Issues for Cumbria after 2013?

· Taking control of Carbon

· Coping with less Water

· Living with Climate Change

· Sustaining the Farming Economies

· Managing our Common Land

· Valuing our Ecosystems

· Nurturing Biodiversity

· Up-skilling upland managers

· Raising visitors’ understanding

How we are raising public awareness:

· Information Display Library Tour

· Trade Fair / Agricultural Show Stand

· A short film about the land management challenges for Cumbria

· Awareness-raising Talks for groups and organisations by expert speakers

· Funded support for food package  labelling explaining the issues

Book us for your Event—email lois.mansfield@cumbria.ac.uk

Awareness raising talks, technical events, information stand and copies of the film can be ordered by contacting the  team with the date(s) of your planned event.

Introduction to the Post 2013 Project

Project overview

Future land management in Cumbria is due to undergo radical evolution in the next 40 years. These changes will be due to a range of external pressures and processes which include:

• Taking control of water – flooding, quality and availability
• Living with climate change – dealing with warmer and wetter conditions
• Sustaining the farming economy – making sure farming is socially and economically viable
• Managing our common land – ensuring its sustainable exploitation
• Valuing our ecosystems – understanding the range of goods and services they bring us
• Nuturing Biodiversity – supporting our world class heritage

We need to ensure everyone in Cumbria is prepared for the changes.

Dr Lois Mansfield led a successful partnership bid to the two Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) LEADER projects in Cumbria to raise awareness of the issues facing land management from 2013 for producers and consumers. Working with Natural England and the Federation of Cumbria Commoners, the project provides a range of mechanisms to consider climate change, food security, peak oil, agri-environment grants, EU expansion, changes in upland EU legislation, biodiversity, common land management, green energy, micro-generation and carbon footprints.  Projects include a DVD, peripatetic library tour, trade show stands, evening and day talks, specific training events and 3^rd party product labelling.  
 

Sponsors

This three year project is funded by LEADER RDPE and is partnership between the University, Natural England and the Federation of Cumbria Commoners to support the knowledge and skills needed to meet the Post 2013 agenda. 

 

Projects

Free general talks about the Post 2013 agenda designed for any interested groups such as WI, Farmers, Scouts, Young Farmers, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, food processors, regional supermarkets, other social gatherings
Typically of 40 minutes to 1.5 hours length evening or day time
Please contact : Lois Mansfield on 01768 893567 to book your free talk 

Free Specialist knowledge and skills events looking at topics such as microgeneration, ecosystem services, carbon capture.
Typically half or whole days, delivered by ‘experts’ for everyone with a practical interest
Please contact: Lois Mansfield on 01768 893567 for further information 

Trade show stands Providing general awareness raising of the issues, come and find us at events all over Cumbria

3^rd party projects The focus here is to raise awareness of the Post 2013 issues through goods and services used by the wider public such as newspapers, food wrappers, fuel forecourts

Production and distribution 2 short DVDs Aimed at schools and the general public these talk about the issues and why they are important (under production)

Wandering Library exhibition Visiting the libraries of Cumbria raising awareness of post 2013 issues

Land Management Solutions booklet Your ‘one stop shop’ pocket guide to the important topics and where to get practical advice and guidance for your needs. Case studies included.

Whole Valley Planning Helping two communities in Cumbria to develop their resource assets towards a more independent sustainable future. Facilitated by Friends of the Lake District on behalf of the partnership (watch this space for their work as it develops).

Contact us

Dr Lois Mansfield
email: lois.mansfield@cumbria.ac.uk
Tel: 01768 893567