Free Trees for Farmers through Warwickshire Rural Hub

Warwickshire Rural Hub is pleased to be able to offer Free Trees for Farmers again this year.

The trees are being funded by Warwick District Council, Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

The trees are available to farms lying within these local authority areas.

The Free Trees for Farmers scheme is also being supported by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, as well as the Trees Call to Action Project (a partnership between the Heart of England Forest and the district councils of Stratford, Wychavon and Warwick, aiming to increase tree cover across the three districts by working with local communities and landowners).

Zoe Bell, a Farm Environment Adviser who facilitates the Arden Farm Wildlife Network said, "We are pleased to be able to offer free trees again this year. Last year we gave out more over 20,000 trees, which have provided a huge boost for biodiversity, locked away carbon and enhanced the local landscape."

Various tree packs are available, which allow farmers to find the perfect species mix for their land, including hedgerow packs, fruit tree packs, and woodland packs. Farmers can apply for anything from a single tree pack up to hundreds of trees.

The Trees Call to Action Project can also offer practical support for farmers looking to plant on a larger scale where they may need to undertake Environmental Impact Assessments, for example if they want to plant on a woodland scale using the Government's English Woodland Creation Offer grant.

If your farm falls within the local authority boundaries and you would like to plant trees this coming winter, you can apply online by clicking here or visiting https://forms.gle/MEjqc26oRZjRV9Qn6 

The deadline for requesting trees is Sunday 21^st July 2024 at 11pm.

The trees will be available for collection on a specific day in December 2024 or January 2025 (depending on nursery lead-in times) and will need to be planted as soon as possible after being collected.