ON THE FARM WITH ADAM
A STRONG FUTURE FOR COMMUNITY FARMS
The rising popularity and power of community farms.
Everyone knows how farming works. A wealthy landowner, normally an aristocrat or the local gentry, employs a farmer to tend his estate or, alternatively, rents land out to a number of tenant farmers. Right?
Well, not quite. While the traditional ways of the countryside still exist – and in most cases very successfully – the methods used to run agriculture in Britain have never been more varied and interesting. One of the fastestgrowing models is community farming, where local people invest their time or their money (and in many cases both) in return for a share of the profits or the produce. Not all community farms are run or owned in the same way, but they all have one thing in common – they close the gap between the food producer and the consumer.
CO-OPERATIVE SOLUTIONS
Over the years the Countryfile cameras have visited lots of community farms around the British Isles, most recently a handsome red-brick stately home called Canon Frome Court, set in 40 acres of Herefordshire countryside. The site was a Royalist garrison during the Civil War and in the 20th century the building was used as a secondary school, but today it’s home to 20 families who farm co-operatively and organically. They’ve restored a walled garden, grow fruit and veg, tend to a small herd of dairy cows, keep goats and rear chickens. They even have bees. The community has attracted a fascinating mix of people; rural families work with urban couples, some have decades of experience on the land while others are novices.
The goatherd, Sheila Taylor, used to work in local government but gazed out of her office window daydreaming of the good life. Until three years ago when she and her husband joined the team at Canon Frome Court: “We’d had those chats about having a little smallholding but the reality is it’s really hard work. Here you get all those benefits and if you want a day off or a holiday, somebody will do your job for you.”
On occasions, a willingness to muck in can have remarkable results. You’d think that getting hold of fresh milk and cream was no problem in the Channel Islands – but that’s not been the case on Sark. The 500 inhabitants of the island off the Normandy coast have relied on imported milk since their last local dairy farmer retired in 2017. But instead of complaining, they got campaigning! A charitable trust was set up, money for a new dairy was raised through crowdfunding and an appeal went out to find a farming family up for the challenge of running the new venture.
The chosen couple, Jason and Katharine Salisbury, have moved from Suffolk to Sark. A few weeks ago they took delivery of their milking herd – 14 Golden Guernsey cows that were ferried by boat from the neighbouring island. The dairy is a commercial concern but the land and buildings are owned by the people of Sark; the Salisbury’s rent will be reinvested to develop sustainable farming schemes on the island. Great news for everyone who loves Sark butter.
Community agriculture doesn’t work for everyone and most schemes can’t be 100% selfsufficient. But it has an important role to play in diversifying food production, and I’m impressed by the energy and enterprise of the thousands of community farmers all over the British Isles.
Ask Adam: What topic would you like to know more about? Email your suggestions to editor@countryfile.com