Discovering Your High Value Natural Assets
The Discovering Your On-Farm Natural Assets workshop explore the value of natural capital assets on farms and within rural landscapes.
Capacity building - LEP_023_LLC_016
The issue
Rural landholders and regional communities need clearer ways to understand and benefit from the economic and environmental value of natural assets. Key barriers include limited awareness of natural capital, fragmented understanding of emerging environmental markets, uncertainty around supply chain participation, weak links to investors and finance mechanisms, and unclear income pathways. The opportunity is to build natural capital literacy, strengthen regional resilience, unlock value from environmental stewardship, connect landholders to new markets and investment, and support hybrid models combining production, conservation and enterprise development.
The solution
Guest speakers and facilitators delivered a practical workshop exploring five natural asset opportunity areas: environmental markets, supply chains, local economy networks, philanthropy and impact investment, and hybrid emerging models. Despite some speaker cancellations, Robert Pekin, Andrew Ward and Roger Knight adapted the program and guided participants through discussion, examples and workshop activities. The session helped landholders understand how natural assets, regenerative practices and environmental stewardship can connect to future income, investment and regional collaboration opportunities.
The impact
- Facilitated structured group learning on five natural asset opportunity pools.
- Shared an onsite booklet and follow-up video resource to extend access to key information.
- Supported peer-to-peer discussion, knowledge sharing, and strong engagement from approximately 30 participants.
- Improved awareness of natural capital, environmental markets, investment pathways, and diversified land-based income opportunities.
- Adapted delivery successfully after last-minute speaker changes, maintaining a practical and engaging session.
Learnings
- Flexible delivery design is essential when working with external speakers, ensuring content remains strong even when program elements change.
- Printed or pre-prepared resource material significantly improves participant engagement and continuity of learning.
- Participant knowledge-sharing can effectively substitute for formal speaker input in community-based workshops.
- Clear conceptual frameworks (such as the five opportunity pools) help simplify complex emerging topics like natural capital and impact investment.
- Follow-up media (e.g. video documentation) plays a critical role in extending workshop impact beyond the event itself.
- Strong facilitation is a key determinant of success in knowledge-heavy, exploratory sessions
Key facts
- 30 + attendees
- 6 industry Experts
- 2 interactive workshops
- 4 guest speakers with extensive Environmental Markets Experience
- 6 hours working session of information.
- High production video of event available
- Workshop booklet and information