The following is a list of both farming support and research organisations. Please feel free to send details of other links you would like to share to info@devonchurchesruralforum.org.uk
Devon Young Farmers Club "is an organisation that dates back to the 1920’s and was started to give young people in the countryside a way of socialising with other young people in their areas. Today there are 644 clubs in England and Wales, 38 of which are in Devon alone! The main function of the clubs these days is exactly the same, but today YFC offers young people so much more than just a social life. By joining a Young Farmers Club you open the door to a world of opportunity where you can meet new people, learn skills, help the community, travel abroad, compete in many competitions from simple club vs club formats all the way up to national level, and of course the opportunity to have a great time doing it all!"
Farming Community Network “The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times. We have a network of over 400 volunteers across England and Wales, many of whom are involved in farming, or have close links with agriculture, and therefore have a great understanding of the issues farm workers and farming families regularly face.”
"The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution is a welfare charity which changes lives for the better.
We offer financial support to farming people in hardship of all ages. We treat every application for support on its own merits, working with compassion and discretion.
To qualify for long-term financial support, applicants must normally be 65 or over and have worked in farming for at least 10 years. Dependants can also qualify for assistance. The trustees retain the discretion to help people at all times.
We provide short-term and long-term support to people and many become ‘full beneficiaries’ of the charity, receiving ongoing regular payments.
Every case is different and the help we offer is wide ranging.
To find out what we can do for you please call our confidential Freephone helpline 0808 281 9490. You’ll be put through to a member of our welfare team, based in Oxford.
R.A.B.I. operates in England and Wales – a sister charity, RSABI operates in Scotland."
The Addington Fund "is a registered farming charity and our main area of work is to provide homes for farming families living in England and Wales who have to leave the industry, through no fault of their own, and by doing so will lose their home. In times of emergency and where hardship prevails we may be able to assist with a grant towards certain business costs."
http://www.addingtonfund.org.uk/
The Agricultural Christian Fellowship (ACF) “is open to all Christians in all branches of Agriculture, Horticulture and related activities. It exists to help them to make a Christian response to the many blessings, challenges and problems they face.”
http://agriculturalchristianfellowship.uk/
National Farmers Union “We’re here to give you a voice and protect your way of life now and in the future. Our purpose is to champion British agriculture and horticulture, to campaign for a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure the best possible deal for our members.”
https://www.nfuonline.com/home/
https://www.nfuonline.com/about-us/our-offices/south-west/
https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/
And to sign up for the weekly NFU Bulletin which provides a wealth of up to date farming news and comment
https://www.nfuonline.com/membership/your-nfu-publications/our-nfu-bulletin-newsletter/
At NFU Countryside we celebrate all that's great about the British countryside, from our beautiful landscapes, to Britain's fascinating flora and fauna, and the farmers who bring us our food. Perhaps our key purpose is to stress that the British countryside is a living, working environment – not a Constable portrait (as lovely as those are). With that in mind we like to focus on those who live and work in the countryside – the farmers, vets, farriers, small business owners and smallholders that make the place tick.
https://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/home/
Rothamstead Research “is a world-leading, non-profit research centre that focuses on strategic agricultural science to the benefit of farmers and society worldwide.”
Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Southwest – “FWAG SouthWest seeks to support, enthuse and inspire fellow farmers to value the environmental assets on their land and use them to secure sustainable and profitable businesses for the future.”
The Soil Association “is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use”.
https://www.soilassociation.org/
West Country Rivers Trust "We are an environmental charity (Charity no. 1135007, Company no. 06545646) established in 1994 to help restore and protect the water environment in the Westcountry for the benefit of people, wildlife and the local economy. We also aim to advance the understanding of community groups and the public about water and the importance of a healthy, functioning environment."
http://wrt.org.uk/project/river-exe/
Campaign for the Farmed Environment “CFE helps farming businesses, by signposting to best practice in soil management, crop nutrition and pesticide use. CFE helps farmers support the natural environment, whilst farming productively. CFE gives farmers the opportunity to demonstrate their ‘green credentials’ to the rest of the industry and the general public.
http://www.cfeonline.org.uk/home/
Leaf – Linking Environment and Farming “We work to inspire and enable sustainable farming that is prosperous, enriches the environment and engages local communities.”
DEFRA – Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
Innovative Farmers “is a network of farmers and growers who are running on-farm trials, on their own terms.”
https://www.innovativefarmers.org/