Increasing farm resilience to climate change through Farming Connect courses

New skills and training can help farmers and their employees address some of the challenges to their businesses from climate change.

As part of Wales Climate Week, which runs from 11-15 November, Farming Connect is urging farmers to enrol in courses aimed at increasing their resilience to changing weather patterns and to comply with environmental regulations.

Philippa Gough, of Lantra Wales, says there are many online and in-person courses open for applications, some that are particularly relevant in terms of the climate, and all are 80% funded for businesses registered with Farming Connect.

With Wales’s reputation for growing high quality grass and lots of it, one of these explores grassland systems.

Grassland has the potential to offer multiple ecosystem services and, in addition to food production, can reduce biodiversity loss and, as a carbon sink, help to mitigate climate change and aid the transition to zero-carbon.

The course, which is delivered online, has nutrient management and environmental protection themes throughout and looks at the role of plant breeding and management, managing pests and diseases, the use of technology for pasture management and many other subjects.

Offered through IBERS at Aberystwyth University, it qualifies participants for a CQFW Level 7, starts in September and runs for 13 weeks.

While grassland is very much a part of livestock nutrition in Wales, there is another course which explores this topic more broadly.

The Livestock Nutrition course, also offered through Aberystwyth University and at CQFW Level 7, covers the evaluation of feeds as well as the principles of metabolism and nutritional requirements of the animal, with the aim of applying this knowledge to formulating rations.

A one-day course, Environmental awareness, audit and management of your business, provides participants with the tools to complete an environmental audit of their farm or other land-based business, while identifying where they can save resources, use the best available techniques and comply with new legislation.

Meanwhile Introduction to Peatland Restoration is another one-day course, this time aimed at enabling farmers and other land managers to understand the options available to sustainably manage peatland on their farms.

It is delivered at Lake Vyrnwy, by RSPB Cymru which has been restoring peatland habitats for several decades, and will combine indoor learning with a site visit.

For farmers who want a practical introduction to environmental sustainability, to equip them with the knowledge, understanding and motivation to create measurable sustainability impact within their organisation, there is IEMA Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce.

As well as the courses on offer, Farming Connect also provides a range of ‘bitesize’ online e-learning modules.

“These can be accessed from the comfort of your own home at a time convenient to you,’’ says Philippa.

Some of the modules relevant to climate include Agricultural Air Pollution, Agroforestry, An Introduction to Sustainable Farming, Climate Change and Land Management, Grassland Management, Natural Capital and Net Zero and Soil Health.

For further information about these courses and others, visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/business/skills-and-training