Farmer Champions — Tree Resilience Project (Paid Role)

by organicresearchcentre

We are seeking six farmers in England to act as Farmer Champions for a national research project focused on strengthening farm business sustainability through improved on-farm tree resilience. The project is funded by Defra through the Centre for Forest Protection and is being delivered by a partnership including Forest Research, FWAG South West, the Organic Research Centre and leading universities.

As a Farmer Champion, you will help co-develop practical guidance and tools to support farmers in managing trees for resilience, and share these with the wider farming community through peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.

Key activities

• Contribute to designing and testing new guidance and tools
• Share your experience of managing trees on your farm
• Speak at events and engage with farmer networks
• Produce communications such as social media posts or articles
• Help promote project outputs to other farmers

Commitment & payment

• Approx. 21 days’ work between April 2026 and March 2028
• £450 per day (incl. VAT)

We are looking for farmers who:

• Manage land that includes trees
• Are confident communicators and public speakers
• Are active within farmer networks
• Are interested in improving tree health and resilience on farms

How to apply

To apply, please:

1. Read the full role description:
   Click for document
2. Complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form:
   Click for form

Key dates

• Application deadline: 1 March 2026
• Interviews: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a short online interview on 16–18 March 2026

This is an opportunity to influence national guidance, share your expertise, and support farmers across England to build more resilient farm businesses.