Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority launches innovative farming programme
A new scheme has been launched to help farmers and landowners across the National Park work together – improving habitats, protecting wildlife and building long-term landscape resilience.
Ffermio Bro, funded by the Welsh Government and running through to March 2028, forms part of a wider effort to strengthen collaborative land management across Wales’s Designated Landscapes.
Rooted in the farming community, the scheme brings people together to deliver meaningful environmental improvements – supporting nature-friendly practices and helping to create healthy, connected ecosystems across the Park.
Arwel Evans, Farm Conservation Liaison Officer at the Park Authority, said:
“Pembrokeshire has a rich agricultural heritage that has shaped our landscape – from the milk and beef produced on lush pastures to our famous ‘Tato Newy’ (early potatoes). Farmers have been custodians of the land for generations, and through our new Ffermio Bro scheme, we hope to support them in building resilient enterprises while helping our declining wildlife thrive in the future.”
The scheme offers several ways for farmers and landowners to collaborate, depending on their location and shared priorities. Some projects will focus on thematic goals, with farms across the Park working toward common outcomes without needing to form formal clusters. Others may involve catchment-based collaboration, where farmers along the same river or stream coordinate efforts to improve water quality. There is also support for more locally based work, such as joint initiatives on common land or projects that help connect habitats across the landscape.
Applications for funding under £10,000 will be assessed by the Ffermio Bro team, while larger projects will go before a dedicated panel.
Ffermio Bro focuses on a number of interconnected priorities that support sustainable land management. These include improving fresh water management to protect rivers, streams and aquatic ecosystems; promoting regenerative farming techniques that build soil health and support long-term food production; and safeguarding shared grazing land through commons protection.
The scheme also supports the restoration of traditional boundaries, such as hedgerows and stone walls, which are a distinctive feature of the Pembrokeshire landscape. In addition, funding is available for projects that help conserve and enhance the Park’s wildlife through targeted species protection.
Arwel Evans added:
“This is a farmer-led scheme, and we welcome all ideas for improving habitats and nurturing wildlife.”
Farmers and landowners within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park can now submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the first funding window, which closes on Monday 23 June 2025.
For more information or to start an application, contact the Ffermio Bro team at ffermiobro@pembrokeshirecoast.wales or complete the Expression of Interest form online at www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/ffermio-bro.
