Farmer Stories

These are working farms. Real land, real numbers, real decisions. Every story here belongs to a farmer who was once facing the same questions you might be facing now.

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Watch our short film

This inspiring short film features three farmers who have transitioned from traditional livestock farming to thriving, stockfree enterprises with the support of Stockfree Farming.

We invite you to watch and share the video as we celebrate their journeys and our growing movement toward a more compassionate food system that benefits nature, climate and communities.

Why we share these stories

Stockfree farming is sometimes treated as an abstract or ideological idea. These case studies exist to demonstrate the opposite. They show what this kind of transition looks like on the ground – what worked, what was difficult, and what the financial reality turned out to be.

They are not curated success stories. They are honest accounts of what change looks like in practice.

Featured Stories

Worcestershire

The Fold

A 250-acre Soil Association certified organic farm in Worcestershire combining community, creativity, and stockfree agriculture....

South Ayshire, Scotland

A’ Chaltainn (The Hazel Wood)

From grant applications to deer fencing on steep ground, follow the journey of A' Chaltainn and the lessons learned for...

Somerset

Chesterblade Hills

Ed Green has farmed 730 acres in Somerset for over two decades. This is the story of how he walked...

Scottish Borders

Glenbield Farm

How replacing sheep with lazy bed food production improves climate resilience, soil conservation, flood protection, and food security....

All stories

Orkney

Thorn Croft

Visiting the Orkney archipelago for the first time, it is striking how the landscape is almost completely dominated by livestock...

Somerset

Woodland Farm

Farming has been a part of my life since I was a child. I grew up on a mixed vegetable...

Dorset

Northwood Farm

An interview with Laurence Candy of Northwood Farm Death informs our relationship to life. Between 2017 and 2019, Laurence Candy...

Inverness-shire

Loch Ness Shores

Donald and Lyn converted a livestock farm beside Loch Ness into one of Scotland's most recognised campsites, transforming their livelihood...

Oxfordshire

Collings Hanger Farm

Beginning on his small farm in Oxfordshire, and now covering a total area of 1500 acres and still expanding, John...

Isle of Lismore

Baleveolan Croft

How ’bout a nice cup of Scottish tea! It was Clare Haworth’s dream to one day live on an island....

Aberdeenshire

The Artisan Grower

Michelle and Robert Sullivan and family had no experience in growing when they decided to rent one acre of farmland...

East Ayrshire

The Nether Project

Meet the couple quietly building Scotland's nuttery culture from a two-hectare hilltop in East Ayrshire, one hazel seedling at a...

Caithness

Meadowfields Farm

After spending much time with Peter and Patrick of Meadowfields Farm, I can say that they are an exemplar of...

Oxfordshire

Tolhurst Organic

Iain Tolhurst has turned 20 acres of low grade farmland into an organic, stockfree vegetable powerhouse...

Inverness-shire

Wester Badarach

Bordering on the banks of the beautiful Oykel River, in the heart of Sutherland’s sheep country, Gina Bates is creating...

Aberdeenshire

Balnamoon Croft

Funded in part by the Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods project, the croft is home to over 10,000 trees: elder, rowan, willow,...

Isle of Skye

Kelp Crofting

Three hundred years on from the collapse of the island kelp industry, marine scientist, Dr Kyla Orr, and her two...

Moray

Green Grow Food

Green Grow grows mushrooms and mycelium in refurbished shipping containers in a medium of waste coffee grounds using waste heat...

The Netherlands

Zonnegoed

For roughly 25 years now, Joost van Strien has run his 90-hectare vegetable farm, Zonnegoed, organically and just last year...

Romania

Bio-Farmland

Upon moving to Romania in 2004, Christian Hani and his family established Bio-Farmland, an 800-hectare family farm that specialises in...

Germany

PaLS

Back in June, I had the pleasure of attending a two-week volunteering camp at Permakulturpark am Lebensgarten Steyerberg (PaLS) in...

Farmer Testimonials

“If you’re a farmer and considering giving up livestock farming, my advice would be to get in touch with Stockfree Farming. Just go for it. I did it, and you can do it.”

"[The stockfree advisor's visit] was really excellent, he took a 'whole farm' perspective which has been lacking in other advisor's approaches, really took time to get to know us and our situation and having walked a similar path in the same part of the world was an invaluable guide. The definition of holistic."

"I feel we are at the cusp of the wave of new approaches to food production. I am on a steep learning curve but I feel so at home with Stockfree Farming. Thank you so much for all your support. It is such a blessing having people who are likeminded. Onwards and upwards!"

"It's quite liberating really, knowing that you don't have to have the responsibility of animals."

“We really appreciate the financial support you have given us and will use it to hopefully create a new, bright and sustainable future for all here. The emotional and moral support we get from all at Stockfree is so important to us, particularly in the more trying times and goes way beyond the business of farm transition. It really means so much to us … thank you.”

"I'm really enjoying my association with Stockfree and the positive energy you are spreading into farming and land custodianship. Well done for creating this. It's much needed in our sector!"

“The team at Stockfree Farming have a deep understanding of the challenges farmers face in producing high-quality, affordable plant-based produce. They also understand the unique situation faced by those of us who have transitioned away from livestock agriculture. We are hugely grateful for Stockfree Farming’s support as we continue to develop the farm.”