About Farmer Clusters

There is only so much that an individual farm business can achieve on their own. By working together, supported by an advisor or 'facilitator', farmers and land managers can make progress on sustainability priorities while maximising the benefits to them and their landscapes.

Landscape leaders training course

Are you interested in setting up a Farmer Cluster, or what they can achieve? On this course key actors in new Farmer Clusters, including facilitators and lead farmers, will gain a better understanding of the skills needed to create and support them.

Landscape leaders training course

Guidelines

Get started with our Farmer Cluster guidelines.

Follow the links below for guidance on every stage of your Farmer Cluster journey, available in the network's current languages.

Resources

Our library of Farmer Cluster Resources

Farmer Clusters

Extended Farmer Cluster resources

Explore a range of additional resources related to running a successful Farmer Cluster

Monitoring

Biodiversity Monitoring

Learn more about biodiversity monitoring with a range of resources tackling the topic from different perspectives.

Land management

Biodiversity-friendly Land Management

Start with this collection to find out more about biodiversity-friendly farming and land management practices.

Farmers

Resources for farmers

Wherever you are on your journey to sustainable farming, discover useful resources to help improve your farm's ecological health in ways that work for you.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Scientists are so often far away and so that's why we bring them into the Cluster to better access the reality of nature, see the impacts of what we do and to carry out, or share, new research. There are going to be big changes, certainly in the next ten years, and it is our role to anticipate them as best we can in order to find solutions.

Eric Delarue

Basse Durance Farmer Cluster, France

Farmer clusters allow activities for biodiversity or soil health to reach across a large geographical area, rather than one farmer working alone in isolation on a few hectares of land. They encourage cooperation between neighbours and other stakeholders and are an important social activity in an occupation that otherwise can be quite isolating

Gill Banks

Farmer Cluster Facilitator, Scotland, UK

Il cluster OliValgraziosa mi dà la possibilità di continuare a studiare e mantenere la biodiversità nel mio lavoro, a trovare nuove soluzioni, a capire meglio gli equilibri che mi circondano. Grazie a Framework posso anche beneficiare delle testimonianze ed esperienze degli altri clusters

Silvia Benucci

Farmer, Farmer Cluster OliValgraziosa, Italy

Stability, sustainability and resilience, that’s what we aim for, both financially and environmentally. We've got priorities like: will it make our life easier? Is it the right thing to do? Will it suit our business? Our Cluster Facilitator knows exactly how our farm runs, so she can help integrate the ecology side of things and help us apply for funding schemes as a group, which is fantastic.

Jimi Collis

Cranborne Chase Farmer Cluster, UK

It's always great to meet some new folk and maybe neighbours that you thought you knew, and you see them in a new light, talking about subjects that you didn't think they would be interested in. Subjects like climate change and sustainability that we didn’t use to talk about. We’re definitely learning things. It’s good to meet like minded people, in casual setting, especially if there's a big cream sponge involved!

John Lamont

Buchan Farmer Cluster, Scotland

Biodiversity has changed, what we saw as children is no longer seen. Climate change is a big threat. But these are people in my region who care about their environment and the sustainability of their businesses.

Rafael Olmo Palma

Cazadores de Aguilar Farmer Cluster, Spain

Most farmers want to feel like their farms are delivering biodiversity gains and Farmer Clusters are a fantastic way to do this cooperatively at a landscape scale. The farmers can direct their own conservation efforts and set their own priorities and targets together.

Niamh McHugh

Ecologist, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, UK

Farmland biodiversity is super important. As a farm business, we want to publish good numbers and that includes biodiversity numbers. In Cluster meetings you can talk about what works for you and learn what others do. That makes for a nice bond in the local area.

Hilchard Waalkens

Zeeasterweg Farmer Cluster, Netherlands

Farmer Clusters offer a great opportunity for farmers to network and a space where we can treat each other with respect. Every farm is unique and it’s important to learn how others approach similar challenges in different ways.

Daniela Ablinger

Farmer Cluster Facilitator and Dairy Farmer, Mostviertel and Salzkammergut, Austria

What’s interesting is getting to know people from farms that do similar or different things who you can learn from. I believe that my generation is much more open to managing biodiversity and to extensive management.

Christian Knoll

Mostviertel Farmer Cluster, Austria

Community is crucial. Sometimes I felt like I was hiding in the mountains seeing no one. Now I know my neighbours and we can discuss issues together. Before we didn't even talk to each other about our olive groves.

Davide Milazzo

Val Graziosa Farmer Cluster, Italy