Waver Wampool Farming Futures
Healthy roots, rivers and revenues
Working in partnership with local farmers, this project promotes sustainable land management practices that protect and enrich soils, enhance water quality, increase farm productivity and build long-term resilience for farm businesses.
The catchment
Nestled in north Cumbria, the Waver Wampool Catchment spans 378 km² of predominantly flat, productive farmland, with Wigton at its heart.
The region is well-known for its thriving dairy, beef, and sheep farming. However, land managers are increasingly grappling with challenges such as soil erosion and compacted, waterlogged soils.
The area's network of rivers and becks have also been heavily straightened over time, leading to significant ecological changes. As a result, these waterways currently fall short of achieving 'good' status under the Water Framework Directive.
Challenges facing our land managers
Farmers are facing an increasing number of challenges and pressures from evolving changes in subsidies and regulations to the ever-increasing threat of climate change.
By supporting our catchment’s land managers to improve soil and nutrient management, we will not only help to ensure that farm businesses can continue to remain productive and resilient in the face of change but create thriving and healthy landscapes to benefit everyone.
Supporting farmers to make positive change
We help farmers implement nature- and farm-friendly solutions in the right places – whether in-field, along boundaries, or around the yard. Our team supports land managers to:
Keep farm business plans up to date and effective
Provide bespoke soil and nutrient management planning
Funded activities and capital delivery
Offer in-field management expertise to safeguard long-term productivity
We also provide guidance and application support to help farmyards and tracks make the most of available grants, while meeting regulatory standards for muck management and infrastructure.
Farm events
We deliver a programme of farm events tackling catchment-specific issues that threaten the future of productive and sustainable farming. Events feature:
Real on-farm examples, peer-to-peer learning with involvement from farmers within the catchment
Expert advice from knowledgeable farm advisers and partners such as AHDB, Cumbria Farmer Network, and CSF
Connections to our Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer for funding support and resources
Practical guidance on making the most of funding opportunities, improving farm resilience, and managing water on-farm
Capital delivery
We help farmers access and deliver a wide range of improvements that bring real benefits for farm businesses and the environment. Our offers are designed to be practical, achievable and to add long-term value.
Current opportunities include:
Nutrient management plans and in-depth soil sampling with follow-up guidance and support
Riparian buffer strip creation
Access to a shared aerator to reduce soil compaction
Rainwater harvesting systems
Constructed wetlands
Our offer to farmers is made up of four key strands, each helping to support and guide your their work on the land.
Farm visits
We offer farm site visits with tailored advice, giving farmers the chance to access one-to-one guidance that responds directly to their motivations, needs, and circumstances. Each visit is designed to explore practical and sustainable solutions that fit the realities of everyday farm management. Our advisors work alongside farmers on their own land, taking the time to understand business priorities and future plans, so that recommendations are realistic, relevant, and effective.
Public engagement
We work with rural communities to:
Highlight the importance of local food production and food grown on their doorstep
Explain the food supply chain and how it connects producers and consumers
Facilitate connections with suppliers, supermarkets, and processors
Provide education, learning opportunities, and support
Want to find out more? Get in touch with our Farming Officer, Tasha Pearson, for a friendly chat about what could work for your farm. If you’re a farmer or land manager in the Waver Wampool catchment, you can also join our mailing list for updates and opportunities.
Monitoring change
We’re proud to be the local site operator working for the Environment Agency’s first ever air sampling project. This initiative evaluates the impact of ammonia mitigation measures under the Catchment Sensitive Farming Partnership. Managed by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the project focuses on monitoring ammonia levels near Wedholme Flow SSSI and National Nature Reserve. Each month, our team visits the catchment to replace 30 samplers located across the landscape.
Waver Wampool’s ‘Farming Futures’ Project Assistant, Joe Lyall out collecting samples
Project funders
Project partners
