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Helping Rural Businesses Thrive |
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A New Year bringing new opportunities Welcome to 2026 and to our first newsletter of the year. If you’re reading this between jobs in the yard or from the cab on this freezing January day, winter has finally caught up with us! After such a mild December we now have solid ground, frozen water troughs and the daily challenge of keeping livestock, soils and businesses moving through the toughest part of the year. Late in December we got the brilliant news that Government are going to change to the proposed Inheritance Tax (IHT), Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) rules — a welcome move that gives more certainty to family farms and succession planning. We’ll unpack what this means in practical terms and signpost the support available to help you make the most of it. Looking ahead, we’re excited about a packed programme at the Hub for 2026 designed around you. Expect more farmer-to-farmer learning and mentoring — because adopting new practices needn’t feel like you’re on your own — alongside events on accessing private funding, getting the best out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and online help sheets and templates to reduce overwhelm and prompt early action on key business decisions. Succession and business continuity planning will continue to be a strong focus this year, and we’re keen to support connections between those looking to step back and new entrants, contract partners or joint venture opportunities. If you’re thinking about the future of your business — whether that’s growth, diversification or handing the reins to the next generation — the Hub is here to help you every step of the way. |
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| NFU Herefordshire - Inheritance Tax & Business Planning Advice & Support Afternoon
Thurs 8th January
1pm to 4pm
The Shell Store, HR2 6SR
Speakers: Kevin Tong - Thorne Widgery Accountancy, Gareth Wall - Sunderlands, Sophie Burgoyne - Lanyon Bowdler & Financial Services Rep - NFU Mutual.
For more information and to book click here |
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| | Herefordshire Grassland Society: Winter Meeting
Developing Productive & Climate-Resilient Pasure with Francis Dunne
Silage Competition Results + short Society AGM
Tues 13th January
6:30pm to 10pm
Grange Court, Leominster HR6 8NL
All welcome, more info click here |
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| WAFM - FREE Mental Health Awareness Workshop
Wed 14th January
6pm to 8:30pm
Bromyard RFC, HR7 4LW
This workshop is open to anyone living or working within the farming community in Herefordshire.
Book your place click here
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| | WEBINAR - Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier: PAWS, ASNW & Resilience Supplements
Wed 14th January
3pm to 4:30pm
Learn more about using these supplements as part of CSHT applications.
For more information and to book click here
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| WAFM - Men in Agriculture Steak Night
Wed 14th January
6:30pm to late
Ledbury RFC, HR8 2LP
*Booking is Essential - Please note this is a Men-ONLY event (Strictly over 18s)*
Book your place click here
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| | Hedgelaying 2 Day Course in North Herefordshire
Thurs 15th - Fri 16th &
Sat 17th - Sun 18th January
Eardisland, HR6
Learn the skill of Hedgelaying. These practical, hands-on courses are perfect for beginners.
For more information and to book click here
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| Brunch & Learn with Wye HR & Marches HR
Tues 20th January
9:45am to 11:45am
Venue TBC, Brecon LD3
Over brunch, learn HR tips, have useful conversations & connect with local business and charity leaders from Powys & Herefordshire.
Book your place click here |
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| | WAFM - One Foot in the Grain Over 50's Farmers Social
Fri 30th January
Breakfast Morning
Hereford Rowing Club, HR4 0BE
Contact Natalie Mark to book, click here
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In many small and rural businesses, IT doesn’t arrive through a master plan. It evolves. A computer-savvy colleague, a family member, or a trusted external contact becomes “the IT person”, and over time they make sensible decisions to keep things moving. This often works well until the business starts relying on the person, rather than the systems themselves... |
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Inheritance Tax reliefs threshold to be raised from £1m to £2.5m for Farmers and Businesses
After over a year of lobbying and campaigning by many in the farming sector, the Government anounced on the 23rd December 2025 that the £1m Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs threshold increased to £2.5m from April 2026 – allowing spouses or civil partners to pass on up to £5m in qualifying agricultural or business assets between them.
To read the full press release please click here |
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New: Farm Resilience & Succession Toolbox
Planning for the future of your farm doesn’t have to be daunting. Our new Farm Resilience & Succession Toolbox is designed to support you every step of the way, with practical guidance to help you get started, make informed decisions, and build a resilient future for your business. Sign up now to receive the guide straight to your inbox and take the first step towards securing your farm’s future.
Click Here to Sign Up |
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Bird Flu (H5N1) Update
The UK continues to see new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), with several outbreaks confirmed in recent weeks. In response, a nationwide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone remains in force across England, including mandatory housing measures for many keepers. Anyone with more than 50 birds—or those who sell or give away eggs or meat—must now keep their birds indoors and maintain strict biosecurity.
Where cases are identified, 3 km protection zones and 10 km surveillance zones are established, and affected flocks are culled to prevent further spread. The overall risk to poultry is still assessed as very high, particularly for premises with weaker biosecurity.
All keepers are urged to stay alert, follow hygiene and disinfection guidance, monitor flock health closely, and report any signs of illness or unexplained deaths. Avoiding contact with dead wild birds and keeping up to date with local control measures remain essential through the winter period.
Total number of confirmed cases in the UK is currently 81.
For up to date information and guidance visit the goverment's bird flu (avian influenza) page. |
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Bluetongue Update
Defra has confirmed 266 cases of bluetongue across Great Britain since July 2025.
Temperatures continue to reduce and experts now consider the risk of onward spread by vectors midges in the South East, East Anglia, South West, and North East to be negligible.
However, there remains a risk of animals becoming infected through already infected midges or infected germinal products.
The risk of incursion of bluetongue virus (including serotypes not currently circulating in England) from all routes remains at medium (occurs regularly) although the risk of airborne incursion is now negligible.
Farmers and livestock keepers are urged to stay vigilant, watch for symptoms, maintain strong biosecurity, and follow testing and movement rules.
⚠️ Bluetongue is a Notifiable Disease
Any suspected cases—including abortions or birth defects potentially linked to bluetongue—must be reported immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
For full details on movement restrictions, testing requirements, and control measures, visit the government’s bluetongue guidance page. |
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Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax
Make sure you tare prepared; from 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with turnover more than £50,000 must use MTD (Making Tax Digital) for Income Tax.
To help you prepare for the change, HMRC have recorded and live webinars available. To view please click the following link HMRC are hosting a series of webinars.
You can also read more about MTD for Income Tax and how to prepare on the Making Tax Digital website
One of the Hub’s Go-To Businesses, The Hutchinson Partnership, has published an insightful blog post about Making Tax Digital - click here to read. |
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The purpose of the role is to coordinate, maintain and communicate the work of the Herefordshire Food Alliance, supporting project working groups and the wider membership. The role involves networking at all levels, creating publicity, engaging the public, fundraising and general administration. If you are based in Herefordshire and interested in this role, please read more details in this role specification. If you would like to apply, please send an email with CV to hfdsfoodalliance@gmail.com explaining: - What has led you to apply
- How you see your skills, experience and values matching each aspect of the person specification but particularly the essential points
Deadline for applications midnight 16th January 2026 with interviews in the week beginning 24th January. |
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FarmSafer: Lifesaving Training for Herefordshire Farmers
Additional Training Date to be Scheduled - Early 2026
Following the success of the FarmSafer training delivered in 2025, we are pleased to confirm that sufficient funding has been secured to run one additional training date in early 2026. The date and venue will be confirmed shortly.
FarmSafer is made possible through the generous support of Herefordshire Community Foundation and the Jack Hughes Fund. This funding enables 48 farming businesses across Herefordshire to access the fully funded Emergency First Aid with Forestry training — a course specifically designed to address the serious injuries most commonly encountered in farming and forestry environments.
Please note that, initially, workshops are limited to one participant per business.
How to book:
To register your interest and secure a place, please email with the following details:
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Apprenticeships, Training &
Short Courses availableRural Apprenticeships available, based at Holme Lacy campus include: - Animal care & welfare
- Farm Worker
- Forestry & arboriculture
- Welding
- Farriery
For more details click here or for enquiries click here.Training & short courses available throughout the year for: - Felling & processing trees
- Safe use of pesticides
- Tractor Driving
- Welding, metal work & fabrication
- Blacksmithing
- Chainsaw maintenance
For full course details click here or for enquiries click here. |
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| | The Jack Hughes Fund supports the cost of training for members of Herefordshire’s farming community. |
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Who was Jack Hughes?
Jack Hughes was the late founder of the Herefordshire Proficiency Test Committee (HPTC). Jack Hughes did much to ensure that training was available to the county’s farming community, particularly in relation to young farmers.
How much funding can I claim?
The Jack Hughes Fund will fund 70% of the cost of training up to a maximum of £200.
Are there any limitations?
Applicants must live in Herefordshire. Funding is limited to two applications per annum from a family farming business. Applicants must be over 18 years. Applications must be received and approved before you attend your course.
How do I apply?
The Jack Hughes Fund is managed by the Herefordshire Community Foundation for an application form you need to go to their website: Click Here |
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Innovation Funding for Farmers - ADOPT Grants Open. DEFRA has launched the ADOPT Fund (Accelerating Development of Practices from Trials) to support farmer-led projects that test and demonstrate innovative ideas on-farm in 2025. This is a great opportunity for farmers, growers, and foresters in England to lead the way in improving sustainability, productivity, and resilience.
A dedicated ADOPT Support Hub, led by ADAS with support from the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the Soil Association, is also available to provide free advice and connect applicants with relevant expertise.
There are two types of grants available: |
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The Full ADOPT Grant: Round 5Between £50,000 and £100,000 for practical on-farm trials and demonstrations of new approaches or technologies.
Round 5: Applications Open Now, closes 11am on 4th February 2026
Please click the following link - Full ADOPT Grant Overview & Application
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Herefordshire Rural Hub are registered as ADOPT facilitators who can assist with applications.
Please contact Dan Smith if you would like help preparing an application.
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| | The ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 6Support Grant: £2,500 to help you work with a Project Facilitator, who can assist with your application and project planning, for applicants who are new to the process.
Round 6: Applications opens 15th January 2026, closes 11am on 25th February 2026
Please click the following link - Full ADOPT Grant Overview & Application
You do not need to apply for a Facilitator Grant to apply for a Full Grant.
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Increased Payments for Vet Visits
from January 2026. Defra has announced increased payment rates for government-funded livestock vet visits, taking effect from 22 January 2026. The changes aim to reflect rising costs and ensure farmers continue to receive high-quality animal health and welfare advice. |
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The increase applies to Animal Health and Welfare Reviews and optional Endemic Disease Follow-up visits. On average, payment rates will rise by around 16% across cattle, sheep and pigs, with the new rates automatically applying to all eligible visits from 22 January 2026 onwards. |
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Farmers who already have an approved Improve Animal Health and Welfare (IAHW) agreement do not need to take any action, as updated terms will be issued by the Rural Payments Agency. Farmers who do not yet have an agreement must apply and receive approval before arranging a vet visit in order to receive funding. Minimum livestock numbers apply.
Further details are available on the Defra Farming blog. |
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Farmer & Advisors Guide - Requirements and benefits of Nutrient
Management Planning
During 2025, the Hub and the Environment Agency have produced a new guide to help farmers, land managers and advisers understand the rules that apply to them and how to comply with them.
Look out for a hard copy of the guide at local Hub & Farm Herefordshire Partnership events or click the link below for a pdf version. |
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Download your own
Nutrient Management Planning - Farmer Guide
Click Here
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Herefordshire's Nutrient
Balance Programme |
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Agriculture is currently identified as the greatest source of nutrient loss in the Wye catchment. However, the modelling behind this relies on outdated data and several assumptions. To build a more accurate picture of our true nutrient load, we are encouraging all farmers to complete a FarmGate Nutrient Balance — free of charge — with a local Farm Herefordshire partnership adviser.
All individual nutrient balances are confidential, with results aggregated into a locally owned dataset.
Why take part?
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Contribute to a county-scale, industry-led approach to assessing on-farm nutrient load
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Improve efficiency by ensuring nutrient imports are balanced with exports
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Gain valuable insight into your farm’s nutrient position
Book your free visit today: Click here |
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Farming with Nature
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust supports customers with habitat and conservation advice including:
- Wildlife & Habitat Surveying
- Habitat Management Plans
- Biodiversity Net Gain
Find out more and get in touch via www.herefordshirewt.org/farmingwithnature |
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| | Species-Rich Grassland: Advisory Services from Herefordshire Meadows
Herefordshire Meadows offer several charged services for landowners:
- Advice & guidance regarding management or restoration of species-rich grassland.
- Grassland assessment for suitability of SFI options for livestock, soil health, flood and drought resilience and biodiversity.
- Grassland surveys e.g. assessing suitability for GRH6 option.
- Guidance regarding permanent grassland, floodplain and cultivated land.
Visit the website to find out more, including current availability of funding for capital works or other free services. |
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Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) SupportCSF have four advisers working across Herefordshire: Alice Probert and Rob Edwards cover the Arrow, Lugg, and Frome catchments, Nick Hinchliffe covers the Wye, and Amy Stephens handles the Leadon. CSF offers free, confidential and impartial advice. The team of local advisers can help you with: Nutrient, slurry and manure management, Soil health, Pesticide handling, Natural flood management , Reducing ammonia emissions, Sustainable water use, Guidance on farming schemes and regulations, Even though DEFRA capital grants are currently closed, CSF can still offer advice visits which can include discussions and potential approvals for any future capital grants windows. If you are interested in applying for future grants we would strongly recommend getting in touch with CSF as soon as possible to ensure you have the right supporting documents lined up ready to apply in good time before the next window opens.
Booking a CSF Visit
To request support, email a completed Catchment Sensitive Farming Advice Request form to csf.severn@naturalengland.org.uk. |
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| | Herefordshire Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project:
Advice & grants available
Advice and grants are available to support farmers in priority catchments to deliver actions on their farm to store more water on their land and in their soils to protect properties downstream at risk of flooding.
The project covers:
- Bodenham Brooks (above Bodenham)
- Brimfield Brook (above Brimfield and Orleton)
- Cheaton, Cogwell and Ridgemoor Brook system (above Leominster and Frome)
- Dulas Brook (above Ewas Harold)
- Pentaloe Brook (above Mordiford)
- Tedstone Brook (above Bromyard)
- Red, Norton and Twyford Brook system (above Rotherwas, Hereford).
To find out more click here and/ or contact the WUF Advisers
Tom Jolley: tom.jolley@wyeuskfoundation.org
Jonny Pugh: jonny@wyeuskfoundation.org
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Contractual Relationships in the
Combinable Crops Sector.
Your view matters... The purpose of this consultation is to gather evidence on how supply arrangements currently operate within the UK combinable crops sector and to explore the nature of relationships between producers, first purchasers, and input suppliers. It also seeks views on whether the functioning of these contractual arrangements can be improved to create a fairer and more resilient supply chain.
Deadline: 4th February 2026 - Click here to have your say.
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Water Abstraction Rights Consultation.
The Environment Agency has launched a consultation on water abstraction rights, which could affect farmers ability to secure licenses in the future. You can share your views on how you think this should work by answering 9 short questions on the NFU website.
The consultation focuses on regulating access to water directly from the environment and how water abstraction rights are allocated to new water resources proposals.
Deadline: 2nd February 2026 - Click here to have your say.
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Have Your Say on Rural Crime Prevention..
The Rural Resilience Research Group at Harper Adams University are inviting Herefordshire farmers & contractors to take part in research on crime prevention and protecting agricultural assets.
The study explores how people make decisions about crime prevention, particularly the use of technology-based measures to safeguard machinery, tools, and livestock. Researchers are keen to understand:
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What influences your decisions on security?
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What barriers stop you from using certain prevention methods?
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How do the police support you in exploring available options?
If you’d like to take part, contact Kreseda Smith to arrange a short interview and brief questionnaire (taking place between Now and May). Interviews can be held at a time and place that suits you.
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To advertise events, services, training and job opportunities with us click here.
Deadline for print copy 25th of each month. |
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| | Kate Speke-Adams -
Hub Managing Director
For details about our projects & opportunities to work with us click here. |
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| | | | Sarah Starkey -
Hub Farm Resilience Project Manager
For info about any of our resilience projects click here. |
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| | Sue Powell -
Hub Finance Officer
For queries about finance & invoicing
click here. |
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| | | | Rhia Bell -
Hub Administrator
For info about our events, newsletter & partnerships with Hereford Grassland
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| | Dan Smith -
Hub Farm Facilitator
For advice & support on nutrient management, grassland management or to share potential event topics click here. |
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| | | | Max Eckert -
Hub Wyescapes Programme Manager
For information about our Wyescapes Landscape Recovery project click here. |
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| | Jennie Hermolle -
Hub Wyescapes Engagement & Communications Manager
For information about our Wyescapes Landscape Recovery project click here |
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We're proud to be part of the
Royal Countryside Fund's
Farm Support Group Initiative |
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Disclaimer The Herefordshire Rural Hub accepts no liability for any direct, indirect or consequential loss arising from any action taken in reliance on the information contained. |
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Herefordshire Rural Hub,
Agriculture House, Beech Business Park,
Tillington Road, Hereford
HR4 9QJ
Tel: 01432 268428
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