THE Duchess of Edinburgh is set to embark on a two-day visit to Cumbria.
From September 8 to 9, Her Royal Highness will carry out a programme of engagements focused on celebrating innovation and opportunity within the county’s farming communities and rural economy.
The visit will highlight schemes supporting young people in agriculture, sustainable food production, and the development of rural skills.
As patron of The Addington Fund since 2021, the Duchess will officially open the charity’s first farm under its New Entrant Scheme at Whins Farm.
The scheme supports first-generation farmers by offering new routes into agriculture and aiming to secure the future of small-scale hill farming.
She will also visit Home Grown Here, a project focused on community-led sustainable food production.
Here she will meet volunteers, growers, and partners who are working to strengthen food supply chains, promote environmental stewardship, and improve access to fresh food.
The Duchess will also meet with representatives from the Royal Countryside Fund and other organisations involved in the Supporting Rural Communities Programme, which champions innovative approaches to economic resilience and opportunity across rural Cumbria.
At Low Beckside Farm, the Ernest Cook Trust’s flagship learning and demonstration site, the Duchess will meet young people and learn how farming education and skills training are helping to inspire future generations and support the sustainability of land-based industries.
She will also meet representatives from LANSS, West Lakeland Farmer-Led Nature Recovery CIC, and Penrith Young Farmers, which recently celebrated its 90th anniversary.
The Duchess’s two-day visit will conclude in Borrowdale with stops at Nook Farm and Seatoller Farm.
Here she will see how upland farming businesses are blending traditional practices with innovation and diversification to sustain some of Cumbria’s most iconic landscapes.
Share