The Farming for Nature Handbook: A Practical Guide to Protecting and Restoring Nature on Your Farm is a comprehensive and visually rich guide designed to help farmers integrate biodiversity and ecological restoration into everyday farm management.

Written by Dr Emma E. Hart, Brigid Barry, and Dr Brendan Dunford, and published by Dingle Publishing in 2024, the book draws on more than 50 farmer contributors and extensive ecological research to demonstrate how agriculture and nature recovery can work together effectively.

The handbook is built around practical, real-world experience, combining scientific evidence with on-the-ground farmer knowledge. It is designed for farms of all sizes—from small holdings to large commercial operations—and supports a shift toward more sustainable, resilient land management systems.

The book focuses on actionable strategies that enhance soil health, improve biodiversity, and support long-term farm productivity while protecting natural ecosystems.

Key themes include:

• Practical nature-friendly farming methods for real farms
• Restoring biodiversity across grassland, wetlands, hedgerows, and woodlands
• Soil health improvement and regenerative practices
• Water protection and sustainable land use
• Enhancing habitats for wildlife and pollinators
• Balancing farm productivity with environmental stewardship
• Farmer-led conservation case studies and lived experience
• Climate resilience and sustainable rural livelihoods

Each chapter includes tested “top tips” from experienced farmers, alongside management recommendations based on ecological research and over 500 scientific references. The result is a hands-on manual that bridges the gap between academic conservation science and everyday farming decisions.

Rather than presenting farming and conservation as separate goals, the book positions nature as an integral part of productive land use. It highlights how working with natural systems can reduce costs, improve resilience, and create healthier ecosystems that benefit both farmers and the wider environment.

The Farming for Nature Handbook is widely regarded as an essential resource for anyone interested in regenerative agriculture, biodiversity restoration, sustainable farming systems, and rural environmental stewardship, offering practical tools for creating long-term positive change on the land.