Info
The Norfolk Rural Business Advice Service is the name for the advisory service established in September 2000, a Shaping Norfolk's Future initiative.
The Norfolk Rural Business Advice Service is dedicated to help Norfolk farming and rural businesses generate sustainable growth and to embrace change.
Independent experienced professionals provide a free service in:
Support to individual farming and rural businesses
Advice and support to public and private sector partners
Skills development to enable continued competitiveness within business
Whether you need a business health check or have an idea for expanding or venturing into a different field of business, the team is available to help:
- Assessment of present business
- Opportunities for development
- Guidance on grants available
- Help preparing a business plan
- Gauging market potential for your ideas
- Develop your own and staff’s skills
- Ongoing monitoring and support
The Norfolk Rural Advice Service has been involved in many different projects over recent years. Below are some of the areas farmers may, and indeed have, diversified and extended into.
- Farm shops
- Leisure & recreational facilities
- Vermiculture
- Food processing
- Alternative crops
- Environmental crops
- Equestrian facilities
- Office/workshop space
- Workforce training
- Tearooms
- Holiday accommodation
In developing links between agriculture, food and rural partners and the professional bodies and establishments that correspond with them, the Rural Business Advice Service strives to make information and support as widely available and accessible as possible.
For further information contact:
Norfolk Rural Business Advice Service,
Easton College,
Easton,
Norwich Norfolk
NR9 5DX
email mmack@easton.ac.uk
Basic information on Farmers' Markets in Norfolk can be found here.
Several studies indicate that the way we transport food around the globe is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. One such study has been compiled by Dr Caroline Lucas, MEP for South-East England. Click here for the study in pdf.
Waste Management Regulations will apply to agricultural waste in 2004. Agricultural waste includes discarded pesticide containers, plastics such as silage wrap, bags and sheets, packaging waste, tyres, batteries, clinical waste, old machinery and oil etc. Defra has produced a manual to help farmers and growers deal with recycling and disposal of agricultural waste. Follow this link to view the document in its entirety, or follow this link for a leaflet summarising the changes and opportunities for agricultural waste.