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Kent Downs Rural Advice Service (KDRAS)
Farm Diversification Toolkit
Following on from the pilot project a need was identified for a reference guide and DIY toolkit to help farmers take a balanced and integrated approach to making changes on their farm. Covering the business, financial, heritage, environmental and planning issues the Toolkit offers anyone a first step introduction and web based ‘source book’.
It is recommended for farmers, consultants, land agents, planners and decision makers as a handy companion guide to taking a fully integrated approach to development in the countryside.
The toolkit provides:
• A step by step method of assessing farm assets and opportunities
• Links into support for new diversification ideas
• Help through the planning process
• Advice on where to access grants
• Help to find solutions that are environmentally sound, financially viable and well thought out in planning terms
• Help to produce your own ‘ Whole farm profile ’, ‘ Whole Farm Development Plan ’ and ‘ Action Plan ’
The ‘Whole Farm Development Plan’ is intended as a confidential document that can be used by the landowner in full or in part to support their diversification ideas and proposals.
Tips on how to use the web based toolkit
We suggest that you:
Read through the first 3 chapters to find out more about the benefits of using the whole farm approach of the toolkit.
Print the flow diagram of the Toolkit overview found on page 4 and a copy of the ‘DIY Whole Farm Development Plan Checklist’ to use as a handy step by step guide and to record your progress.
There is a wealth of links to further advice in this Toolkit. If you want to download or print a full list of the tables providing a list of further advice under each topic click here.
I f you want to download or print a full list of Templates for recording your findings click here
We will be running a few individual workshops supporting the use of the Toolkit for Local Authorities, Planners and NFU groups, in early 2009. Let us know if you would like a workshop. These will be advertised on the following link: http://www.kentdowns.org.uk/news2.asp
Please note:
Some of the links to other websites may take a long time to download if they are large documents, and some of the links will become out of date as other websites are updated.
Let us have your feedback on using the Toolkit so that we can improve it and keep it as up to date as we can.
Contact: jenny.bate@kentdowns.org.uk
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