Fordhall Farm - The Future of Farming

[marksimonbrown]

by Dan Grace 
Ref: www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/12/329362.html
In a corner of the Shropshire countryside a unique experiment is 
taking place. Fordhall Farm, one of the pioneers of organic 
agriculture, is the setting for the first Community Land Trust in 
this country. But it's a race against the clock to raise the funds 
needed to prevent the land being sold to developers.

In a corner of the Shropshire countryside a unique experiment is 
taking place. Fordhall Farm, one of the pioneers of organic 
agriculture, is the setting for the first Community Land Trust in 
this country. But it's a race against the clock to raise the funds 
needed to prevent the land being sold to developers. 

As one looks across the farm, the squat, ugly features of the Muller 
factory that borders its land serve as a constant reminder of the 
threat that is hanging over it. Farmed by generations of the Hollins 
family, it was Arthur Hollins who returned the farm to traditional 
methods after the WWII boom in chemical fertilisers. Creating first 
a successful yogurt producing business, and then moving to organic 
meat, poultry and egg production the farm thrived. However by the 
mid-nineties pressure from developers to sell the land began to 
leech money away into legal costs and the farm went into decline. 

In 2003, in direct response to this threat, the next generation of 
Hollins set up the Fordhall Project. Its aim was not only to turn 
around the decline, but to develop Arthur's ethos even further. 
Headed by Charlotte (Project Leader, 23) and Ben Hollins (Farm 
Manager, 21), with Sophie Hopkins (Project Manager, 23), the project 
has been given until July 2006 to raise the £1 million necessary to 
buy the land. 

One of the most unique things about Fordhall is the way this money 
is being raised. The land is being bought by a Community Farm Land 
Trust, which individuals can buy shares in (with the cheapest at 
£50), and so have their say in how the farm is run. The shares 
themselves do not generate a profit, removing the motive for 
speculation, and therefore creating a solid sustainable base for the 
funding. With the Community Land Trust owning the land, it is rented 
back to Fordhall Farm. The land owned by the trust will be protected 
by a covenant ensuring that it is used for farming purposes, thus 
eliminating the threat of future development. The trust is run by 
the board of directors includes a seat for Shropshire Wildlife 
Trust, and one for those who work Fordhall, the rest being occupied 
by shareholders. It is, in essence, a model for creating a 
sustainable, community orientated mode of farming. 

As well as livestock farming the farm has a farm shop selling their 
own produce along with a selection of other local and organic foods. 
But plans for the future go even further. The aim is to create a 
place thoroughly rooted in the community, providing educational and 
recreational opportunities for all. There are plans for an education 
centre with seminar and resource room, a bunkhouse, for visiting 
groups, tea rooms, and the further development of the nature trail 
that snakes across the farm. 

You can help by buying shares, talking to your friends, writing 
letters to newspapers, generating publicity for this bold 
experiment. Get involved with a genuinely radical project and help 
define a new, sustainable future for agriculture. 

For more information contact: 
 project at fordhallfarm.com 

And see: 
www.fordhallfarm.com 
www.communitylandtrust.org.uk