The story behind my little farm.
The Summer of 2020 was a big turning point in our lives. Like for many, the pandemic confirmed feelings we’d been having for years.... Concerns over the direction the world is moving in and flaws in our current systems.
We went on endless lockdown walks to talk about a solution to our problem. We kept coming to the same conclusion; let’s move out of the city, buy land and start a smallholding to become self-sufficient. That’s how, in the Autumn of 2020, we acquired 15 acres of land in the South Downs. Without knowing a single thing about growing or self-sufficiency, we had embarked on what would become the most meaningful project of our lives.
We learnt how to grow our own food from seed; about composting; the ecosystem; soil health; and life cycles. But most of all, this first year taught us about reconnecting with nature and following her rhythms. Returning to the land each day was an invitation to be present and grounded. We slowed down. We spent whole days immersed in the utter tranquillity and peacefulness of the farm, living at the pace of nature.
However, with these positives also came challenges. We quickly realised that we were becoming tied to the land and its responsibilities. We had to show up, every single day, no matter the weather or other life commitments. Being entirely committed to this farm meant we would have to sacrifice some of the other things that also brought us joy.
That’s when we discovered that there were so many others out there like us. People who felt the call to live differently but couldn’t or didn’t know how to begin. Those that due to circumstance, had to stay living in the city or had a full career and worked long hours or simply couldn’t facilitate being outside milking the Jersey cow at 6am, there were also families who couldn’t afford to buy land and all the infrastructure needed to start a smallholding. We all had one thing in common; a desire for reclaiming ultimate responsibility over our lives. We all wanted food sovereignty, access to high quality nutrient-dense foods, a connection to the land and a brighter future for the generations to come.
And so we thought, what if we created a co-owned smallholding for all these people? So that they could get all the benefits of owning a small-holding without the hard work.
My Little Farm was born.