Growing income: Maximising land use opportunities in Bedfordshire

'Farmers and landowners are part of the solution.’ Yes, but what does this actually mean for your farm business? What does natural capital really mean for farming in Bedfordshire?

It doesn’t mean stop farming.

Bedfordshire and the surrounding counties are seeing significant growth and development. Alongside this comes new private and public strategies to protect, maintain, and enhance the natural environment, but can these strategies create real opportunities for farmers and landowners?

This event brings together the right people in the room to explain what natural capital means in practice, what schemes and markets are available now, and what’s coming next.

You’ll hear how natural capital can become another tool in your farming toolbox, supporting your business while keeping land in agricultural use.

Whether you’re curious, cautious, or already exploring options, this session will help you understand:

• What natural capital means for Bedfordshire farms
• Current and future opportunities for farmers and landowners
• The latest policy and regulatory updates
• How to utilise environmental strategies to fit alongside a working farm business

Join us to explore how natural capital could work for your farm, on your terms.

This event will cover

• Re-cap: What is natural capital and why does it matter to you?
  Jargon buster: natural Capital, ecosystem services and nature markets. Everyone from your supply chain to your bank are starting to care about natural capital, so why should you?
• Making sense of all that policy: How is current policy influencing land use and farming and what’s coming down the road that you should know about?
• What’s happening in Bedfordshire? Hear about the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the county, as well as existing Local Nature Partnerships, BNG agreements, grant funding and case studies on stacking options

If you want to get ahead of the environmental plans, come along and find out where your existing farm business fits into the picture.

A hot lunch will be provided. Please register to attend for catering purposes.

Basis & Nroso points available.

Speakers and topics

• What is Natural Capital & can it work WITH farming?
  Dr Laura James, AHDB Knowledge Transfer Manager and 2025 Nuffield Farming Scholar
• Making sense of all that policy
  Saskia van Dongen, AHDB Lead Environment Specialist – Policy
• What does the Local Nature Recovery Strategy mean for Bedfordshire farmers?
  Councillor Nicola Gribble, Bedford Borough Council
• What’s already happening in the county?
  Bedfordshire Local Nature Partnership
• Your farm and nature: Explore diversification options with BNG
  Mitchell Rae (Senior Land Manager) and Rachel Russell (Principal Ecologist), Environment Bank
• Improving soil and water, and grant funding
  Kim Hemmings, Anglian Water Catchment Advisor
• Baselining to build soil resilience and carbon stocks
  Regenerate Outcomes
• Farm case study: Developing unproductive land for private nature markets
  David Felce, Huntingdonshire
• Panel Q&A session to answer all your questions

Molly Bampton
Knowledge Exchange Manager – Cereals & Oilseeds