Free advice & support. Your farm, your choice.
Stockfree Farming is a Scottish charitable trust that supports farmers and crofters across the UK and Ireland to explore alternatives to livestock agriculture. We offer free, expert, and confidential advice at every stage – from an initial conversation about what might be possible, through to detailed transition planning, enterprise budgeting, funding support, and connection to markets.
We were founded in 2020 by Rebecca Knowles, who has a background in agriculture and a commitment to finding practical routes forward for farmers navigating a changing industry. Since then, the organisation has grown into a diverse team, with advisors spanning conservation agriculture, organic horticulture, agroforestry, soil science, business development, habitat creation, cereal production, and more.
Eleven out of eighteen of our advisors are working farmers and growers themselves. We connect farmers with farmers.
Farming is changing. The financial pressures, the shifting policy environment, and the growing public interest in how food is produced are all real forces that farmers are already feeling. What has been missing, for too many farmers, is a clear and practical route through that change.
We believe that stockfree farming – agriculture built around crops, soil health, and ecological systems rather than livestock – offers a viable and often financially stronger path forward for a significant number of farms across the UK.
We also believe that farmers deserve proper support to pursue that path – with clear information, honest advice, and no cost.
Our job is not to tell farmers what they should do. It is to help them understand what their options are, with the full picture in front of them.
Around 85% of the land that feeds the UK is currently used for livestock production, which provides just 32% of our calories.
Meanwhile, the UK is only 53% self-sufficient in fresh vegetables, and 15% in fruit. Livestock farming remains the largest source of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and the Climate Change Committee has set out a pathway that includes a significant reduction in cattle and sheep numbers by 2035.
These are structural realities, not opinions. They are already shaping the policy environment, and they will continue to do so. Stockfree Farming exists to ensure that farmers who want to navigate this transition have the support, the knowledge, and the practical tools to do it well.
Our peer-reviewed research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, is the first study to examine the emotional and moral dimensions of livestock farming in depth. It found that more than half of livestock farmers experience some degree of moral concern about their work with animals, and that more than a quarter say it has a negative effect on their mental health.
These findings are not used to judge. They are used to open a conversation that many farmers have not had the space to have. We approach every interaction with the same respect we would want for our own livelihoods.
Agriculture degree, University of Aberdeen. Background in hill sheep, beef, and market gardening. Based in Aberdeenshire.
Veterinarian and daughter of a former sheep farmer. Master’s in Sustainable Food and Natural Resources. Previously a land management advisor for a National Park Authority. Based in North Wales.
Dissertation on the feasibility of veganic farming in Scotland. Volunteers on a market garden. Based in Glasgow.
Stockfree Farming is a growing organisation and we are always interested in hearing from people who share our commitment to a fairer, greener approach to food and farming.
We are currently recruiting trustees who align with the objectives of Stockfree Farming as a charitable trust. Trustees help steer the organisation forward, offering feedback and guidance to the executive team. Meetings are held quarterly; attendance at a minimum of two per year is expected. Trustee positions are unpaid, in line with OSCR guidance.
Contact us directly:
Email: rebecca@stockfreefarming.org
Call: 07747 602 533
If you have skills and experience that would complement our current advisory team – particularly in areas of arable farming, horticulture, or rural business development – we would love to hear from you. Advisors receive a competitive hourly rate for the services they provide.
