A CONFERENCE exploring how farmers in the National Parks and Areas Of Outstanding Natural Beauty can adapt their businesses as farm payments are phased out will be taking place next month.

Farmers are invited to join the second conference hosted by the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA) at the University of Cumbria in partnership with the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC).

The Conference on May 26 will explore how proposals from Defra's Landscapes Review, which was chaired by Julian Glover, can be put into action. Defra will be speaking at the conference and updating on the new Farming in Protected Landscapes grants, an exciting three-year project. Seventy percent of England's land is farmed and the proportion of land farmed or grazed in the country's National Parks is nearer 80 percent.

The keynote speaker is Dame Fiona Reynolds, a commissioner of the FFCC, Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and member of the Landscapes Review.

Questions asked will include: How can farming deliver for nature as well as food in our AONBs and National Parks? Will ELM and Defra schemes enable this to happen?

Participants will have the chance to hear inspiring speakers, submit ‘lightning presentations’ and contribute through workshops. The conference is online from 0900-1300. More details at www.farmingwithnature.co.uk Tickets can be booked at: trybooking.co.uk/ZWZ. Confirmed Speakers and Workshop Chairs: Emma Browning - Cornwall AONB Partnership Manager; Kevin Bishop - CEO Dartmoor National Park Authority; Jake Fiennes - Head of Conservation, Holkham Estate; Elaine King - CEO Chilterns AONB; Richard Leafe - CEO The Lake District; Dr Ruth Little - University of Sheffield; Sion McGeever - Defra Deputy Director, Landscapes, Peat and Soils; Robin Milton - Chair of UK National Parks and the Exmoor National Park Authority.

A pre-conference free evening webinar session May 25 from 19.30 to 2100 will look at how can farmers in National Oarks and AONB's contribute to meeting the Government's ambition of 30 percent of England to be protected for Nature by 2030.

This will be chaired by Beccy Speight, CEO of the RSPB. Free Tickets can be Booked Here: http://trybooking.co.uk/ZXD. Panellists include Tim Farron MP, Chair of the APPG on Hill Farming, Caroline Cotterell a Director of Natural England, John Atkinson, Cumbrian Hill Farmer and Trustee of RSBT and Helen Radmore, Dartmoor Hill Farmer and Junior Vice-Chair of TFA.