Last updated at 20:59, Thursday, 03 June 2010

Sympathy and raw passion fill Sandy Brown’s eyes as she looks upon devastated farming land which was thriving and full of livestock before the November floods swept through it.

 

More than 160 farms in Cumbria were affected by the floods, which swept gravel, white goods, fences and uprooted trees on to once lush green land.

It destroyed stone walling and eroded miles of riverbank, leaving many fields unsuitable for farming. Acres of land have been lost to the rivers.

Many farmers resolved their problems quite quickly, but some of the remaining 57 farms in Cumbria face another year or two before their land is fit for use.

Sandy, 40, of Riverside Terrace, Cockermouth, has been appointed NFU farm recovery co-ordinator, based at Mitchell’s Lakeland Livestock Centre.

She is determined to resolve as many issues as she can for farmers.

Her position is funded by Cumbria Community Foundation and will last six months, with the possibility of an extension.

Sandy says: “I have been working with the flood recovery since day one. I have been working with the farmers around here who have been affected and I felt that I was the right person for the role.

“I have also personally been affected, as my house was flooded, and I felt that I could sympathise with them and help them get back up and running as quickly as possible.”

Sandy, who was formerly a catchment officer for Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent tributaries with Natural England, adds: “I was raised on a Welsh upland sheep farm near Builth Wells so I can sympathise and give advice on the red tape farmers are faced with, in particular the strict water and habitat regulations.

“I am passionate about the environment and farming and it is important that I work closely with the farmers because many of them don’t realise there are so many controls on what they can and can’t do. If they have a problem I will find the best way of solving it.”

The first task Sandy will be involved in is co-ordinating the removal of gravel from fields.

She will also identify opportunities for farmers to diversifywhich may include joining Natural England’s High Level Stewardship Scheme and advising farmers who want to sell their badly affected land.

“We have some aggregate companies who are willing to take the gravel free but it is all about finding the farmers in the right location for these companies,” she explains.

“We are identifying the possibility for farmers to diversify their land and how they can put this into an agri-environment scheme through Natural England. This scheme would help farmers to improve habitats as well as help with the flood damage.“This could include fencing off land close to the river’s edge or leaving it as a woodland flood plane or as a habitat for birds.

“I will also be working closely with farmers who want to sell their badly affected land through Defra.”

Any farmers needing any help or advice, please contact Sandy on 01900 822016.

 

First published at 19:20, Thursday, 03 June 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk