TWENTY-NINE environmental professionals from across the UK travelled to the Ribble Valley to take part in a farm advice training course.

Called Pinpoint, it was designed to help farmers save money while also helping prevent the pollution of local watercourses. By implementing often simple changes farmers can avoid potentially heavy fines, save money on their water bills and prevent the erosion of valuable nutrients and soil from their fields. Participants included staff from Natural England, Forest of Bowland AONB and Lancashire Wildlife Trust, and was delivered by experts from Westcountry Rivers Trust.

Sarah Bolton, agricultural projects officer from Ribble Rivers Trust who helped to organise the training, said: “We’re thrilled with how the training has gone, the feedback has been very positive and we hope the course will help land owners, farmers, and environmental professionals reduce pollution in to brooks and rivers. By looking at how they manage the water on their property we can do this by helping them save money, so everyone wins.”

This training was delivered as part of the Ribble Life Together project, which is working to create a healthy water environment within the Ribble catchment that will bring economic and social benefits to all.

It involved two farm visits, identifying potential issues and options for solutions, backed up by information on current legislation and best practice. Participants had a tour of Laund Farm, Chipping, a predominantly sheep farm, including around 500 Friesland milk sheep, and nearby Clarke House Farm, which is a dairy farm milking approximately 80 cows and also home to Farm Plastics Recycling Limited, which collects and recycles plastics from around 2,000 farms across the UK.

Simon Stott, from Laund Farm, said: “We’re proud of what we do here and try to do everything to a high standard, but there’s always something you can do to improve so it’s been useful talking to everyone and thinking about what our next project might be.”

Jointly funded by the Forest of Bowland AONB’s Sustainable Development Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the training formed part of the development phase of the Ribble Life Together project and Ribble Rivers Trust is hoping to organise further training in future.

Anyone wishing to find out more can visit ribbletrust.org.uk or contact the trust on 01200 444452.