CAFRE Enniskillen Campus is to host a farm walk which will focus on the creation and management of options available under the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS).

The EFS grant scheme opens for applications at the end of this month and two briefing sessions will take place, one starting at 2.30pm and the other at 7pm, on Wednesday, August 24.

Farmers attending the event will have the opportunity to see the ongoing environmental work on the CAFRE Enniskillen farm including hedging, woodland creation, riparian strips, orchard creation, winter feed crops for birds, annual wildflower margins and pollen and nectar margins as well as discussing all available EFS works.

This event is open to those who already have an EFS agreement in place, as well as those wishing to make an application to join EFS.

It is important to note that Tranche 1 participants will have to re-apply to the scheme to participate in Tranche 6.

The scheme options and the associated capital works will be discussed at the events with the aim of helping applicants make an informed and accurate application.

The event will also allow existing EFS applicants to get information and advice on how to maintain the EFS options that they have already put in place and to ensure that inspection criteria are met.

With more than 5,500 EFS participants, to date, the sixth tranche of the wider scheme will open for applications at the end of August.

Registration for the event is very easy using the Eventbrite link on the CAFRE events page, www.cafre.ac.uk/events.

Those attending are advised to bring suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for the farm walk.

Further information about the Environmental Farming Scheme (Wider level) and the various Options is available on the DAERA website; see https://tinyurl.com/4bjh6phv.