Fordhall’s story
Following a fight to save their father’s farm, siblings Charlotte and Ben Hollins helped Fordhall Organic Farm become England’s first community owned farm in 2006.
Owned through a charitable community benefit society, Fordhall Community Land Initiative (FCLI), Fordhall is a great example of community and organic farming working together and with nature.
The numbers highlight the power of community engagement and involvement in this shared enterprise. Fordhall has 30 staff, over 100 volunteers and around 8000 community shareholders.
In practice, FCLI is the landlord and collects rent from Ben Hollins, who works as the tenant farmer and manages the organic land, livestock and sustainable pasture system, as well as the farm shop and catering vans. Managed by Charlotte Hollins, FCLI provides experiences with nature, works collaboratively on the farm to support wildlife and runs activities and events for the local community.
FCLI does not want Fordhall to be an isolated success and Charlotte provides consultancy advice to other community groups and farmers who want to learn and following in their footsteps.
More recently, Charlotte has become one of the community leaders involved in the We're Right Here campaign (also supported by Carbon Copy) to establish a new Community Power Act which would help those locally who wish to take on assets and services within their communities.
Useful learnings from Fordhall
Nurture diversity to become more resilient. Diversity of people and wildlife, in all shapes and forms, is what makes Fordhall thrive. In Charlotte’s words, ‘When you’ve got diversity and collective action and a shared vision, and everyone’s working together, you’re resilient.’
Tap into community power and collaboration. One of the learnings through the campaign to save Fordhall Farm was the incredible power of collective action. ‘When you get enough people that come together, and they might only have to do something small, you can create big change and overcome whatever you think is the biggest barrier. Because no barrier is too big to overcome that collective action.’
Fordhall's metrics
Sustaining livelihoods on the land – working in partnership with nature and the tenant farmer to protect the soil and provide sustainable food and livelihoods. Experiencing nature – creating and maintaining inclusive connections between people and nature to improve well-being and understanding of the environment. Supporting biodiversity – minimising impact on the climate whilst also enhancing the natural environment. Promoting healthy eating – providing nutritious food using local seasonal produce and encouraging responsible eating choices through education. Inspiring others to do something similar – sharing our story and expertise, empowering people to adopt an ecosystem approach to food, land management and community ownership.
