SFI Actions – Boundaries - Armitstead Barnett

Within the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024, there are a range of different actions available for boundary features. Applications are open all year and you would enter into a three-year agreement where payments are made quarterly. The SFI aims to reward farmers and land managers for implementing environmentally sustainable practices.

There are actions available for boundaries including hedgerows, walls and earth banks.

By focusing on these boundary actions, farmers will not only improve the sustainability and environmental performance of their land, but will get financial support towards keeping their field parcels stockproof with just a slight change in their every-day management.

Below is a summary of the actions available:

Action	Payment	Action required
CHRW1: Assess and record hedgerow condition	£5 per 100m for one side (you can apply for both sides if you have management of both sides)	Assess the hedgerow and produce a written hedgerow condition assessment. The ‘Healthy Hedgerows’ app, allows this to be done easily by answering 6 simple question. You would only need to do written assessment within first 12 months of start date, from then, only need to assess them for the next 2 years of agreement.
CHRW2: Mange hedgerows	£13 per 100m for one side (you can apply for both sides if you have management of both sides)	Cut each hedgerow on a rotation, no more than once every 3 years, cutting no more than one third of hedges each year.
CHRW3: Maintain or establish hedgerow trees	£10 per 100m for both sides	Make sure there is an average of 1 tree per 100m. Maintain the trees that are there, i.e., don’t damage them unless clear need to. Can also plant a new sapling.
BND1: Maintain dry stone walls	£27m per 100m for both sides (must have management on both sides of wall)	Keep the walls up and in good condition, repair when necessary.
BND2: Maintain earth banks or stone-faced hedge banks	£11 per 100m for one side (you can apply for both sides)	Check condition and repair when necessary, taking photos of before/after and keeping any original features.