Muddy boots training to give Defra staff better farming insight

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) Allerton Project has been awarded a four-year contract by Defra to deliver baseline agricultural training for government staff in England.

The programme is designed to deepen understanding of modern British agriculture among staff involved in policymaking, environmental regulation, advisory roles and direct engagement with land managers and farmers.

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Joe Stanley, head of training at The Allerton Project, said: “Most Defra staff are not from farming backgrounds, yet they have to make important decisions which affect the agricultural industry.

“This contract enables us to share our knowledge and upskill the Defra team, providing a solid foundation to assist in policy and practice.”

It combines classroom-based learning with practical, on-farm experience to provide participants with insight into how farms operate, the challenges they face and the opportunities linked to food production, nature recovery and climate adaptation.

Training sessions are being delivered through a bespoke digital portal developed specifically for the programme.

This allows secure registration, access to learning materials, resource tracking and feedback collection.

Mr Stanley added: “This isn’t training around nature-friendly farming or environmental schemes.

“It’s about farming nuts and bolts, and that’s why Defra would like their people to be more informed about it.

“It’s good that Defra has identified that this is something they might be lacking.

“The better informed they are, the better they can make decisions for the benefit of the industry.”

Defra staff take part in the training © The Allerton Project

In-person sessions

The first in-person sessions have already taken place at The Allerton Project, with further dates scheduled across England.

Early feedback from participants has been extremely positive.

One attendee said: “This was such a great opportunity with such informative hosts who were happy to answer any questions we had.

“What a great way to introduce anyone working within Defra to farming.”

For many participants, the programme represents their first visit to a commercial farm and first direct engagement with farmers and environmental land management in practice.