As a Land and Farm Advisor, my first year has been exciting, varied and hugely enjoyable. It's a wonderful way to engage with the local landscape and with people of all kinds of views and needs. I've been welcomed onto beautiful farms and smallholdings I'd never otherwise have set foot on, and given the chance to build a real community of nature-friendly landowners.

Last year brought a looming shake-up in how government land subsidies are earned, in the shape of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). We've had many long, honest conversations with landowners about how to meet their goals while working within the SFS guidelines, and which habitats fit where on their land. After decades of being told to squeeze every inch of ground for maximum output — graze, graze, graze — it's little wonder many farmers baulked at being asked to grow bigger hedgerows, dig ponds in pasture, and plant more trees. Another scheme doomed to failure? Another badly thought-out government plan? The scepticism is easy to understand. But as a team, we believe SFS is heading in the right direction — if we're serious about building climate resilience while backing our farmers with honest, ongoing, transparent conversation.

Once trust is built with a landowner, our first step is always to survey. This tells us what's already living there, and what could be encouraged to thrive. Sharing those results, including species a landowner may never have known were on their own land, has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job. When something rare or unusual turns up, farmers tend to swell with pride and quietly become its fiercest protector. Late spring brings nesting bird and mammal surveys; by summer we've shifted to botany and insects; and come autumn, fungi take centre stage.

Last winter, we were lucky enough to access free trees through the Woodland Trust. For landowners keen to expand tree cover, fill gaps, or start new hedges, we supplied everything needed, including deer guards and stakes, at no cost. There's nothing quite like standing in a field with a landowner, spade in hand, building trust one tree at a time. It's how we bridge the divide, and prove that we're all working toward the same thing: productive, sustainable, resilient landscapes, managed with care and empathy. A legacy for the generations that follow.

We've also managed to reduce grazing pressure in places without costing landowners a penny — improving soil quality and water retention along the way. Some of our landowners have joined SFS; others have chosen a different path. A few newer farmers have taken the leap into organic conversion.

Nature and food production don't have to be rivals — they can flourish side by side. Better soil brings a richer mix of species: herbs, grasses, flowers, pollinators, birds, each playing its part. Better crop and hay yields mean healthier fodder, and healthier fodder means healthier livestock. And after this summer's punishing dryness and the ever-present threat of fire, water retention and river quality matter more than ever.