Farm Cluster Groups were first created by Teresa Dent, Chairman of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, in 2012 with a group of farmers on the Marlborough Downs.
It was apparent that there is only so much an individual acting in isolation can achieve on their own and that by working together, helped by an advisor or “facilitator”, they could collectively deliver greater benefits for soil, water and wildlife over a much larger area.
Visit the Farmer Clusters website.
The Group is made up of 38 farmers or land managers who are working together to improve wildlife and biodiversity on a landscape scale and covers an area of approximately 9,230 hectares around the Winchester area. They are doing this along side producing food, improving the soil and water quality.
The Winchester Downs Cluster is an independently funded group set up in 2018. In the beginning it was funded through the Natural England Facilitation Fund but this changed in 2022. The group meets regularly throughout the year to discuss a wide range of topics through farm walks, wildlife surveys and educational talks from an array of different experts.
