Free advice & support. Your farm, your choice.
Some farmers who get in touch are at the early stages, aware that something needs to change, but not yet sure what that looks like. Others have already made the decision to transition and are looking for practical support to move forward. We also work with existing stock-free farmers who want to strengthen and refine their practices over time.
All are welcome, and all are met with the same level of respect, care, and tailored support.
There is no qualifying stage. There is no ideology test. We work with any farmer or crofter across the UK and Ireland who has a genuine interest in exploring alternatives to livestock farming – at whatever pace suits them.
Three things have aligned at the same time, and they will not stay aligned indefinitely.
Fill in our short contact form or send us an email (rebecca@stockfreefarming.org). We will come back to you promptly to arrange an initial conversation. This first call is informal – an opportunity for us to understand your situation and for you to get a sense of whether we might be useful to you.
Everything you share with us is completely confidential. We do not share farmer information externally, and we will never contact you again without your permission.
Working with our advisory team, we look at the specifics of your farm: the land type, the current enterprise, the financial picture, and what you are hoping to move towards. We bring in the right specialists for your situation – whether that is arable farming, horticulture, agroforestry, habitat restoration, repurposing buildings, or something else entirely.
We may also put you in touch with other farmers who have made similar transitions, so that the conversations are grounded in real experience rather than theory.
If you decide to take things further, we help you develop a detailed transition plan. This includes enterprise budgets, realistic income projections, a timeline for change, and identification of the grants, schemes, and funding opportunities that apply to your situation.
This level of practical support – enterprise budgeting, business planning, funding navigation – is something very few organisations offer. We offer it free of charge.
The support does not stop once you have a plan. We stay involved as you move forward, helping to troubleshoot, connect you with buyers and markets, and work through the practical challenges that arise during any transition.
All services are completely free. No membership fees, no consultancy charges, no hidden costs. Stockfree Farming is a Scottish charitable trust funded by grants and donations. Our purpose is to support farmers - not to sell services.
A peer network of farmers already in transition
Our advisory team includes fifteen specialists across a range of disciplines. Ten out of fifteen are working farmers and growers. All have practical, hands-on experience of the systems they advise on.
When we connect you with an advisor, we match you with someone whose expertise is relevant to your specific situation and land type. You will not be handed a generic information pack. You will speak to someone who understands the realities of what you are navigating.
"The emotional and moral support we get from Stockfree goes way beyond the business of farm transition. It really means so much to us."
Former dairy farmer, now transitioning
One of the most common barriers to exploring a transition is uncertainty about the finances. We take that seriously.
Our enterprise budgets are designed to give farmers a clear, realistic picture of the costs, outputs, and likely gross margins for a range of stockfree enterprises – including relevant government support schemes where they apply.
We have built enterprise budgets specific to England, incorporating actions from the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Equivalent budgets for Scotland and Wales are in development as devolved support schemes are finalised.
Budgets cover stockfree horticultural, arable, silvicultural, and nature restoration enterprises, as well as diversification options. We treat these as starting points for conversation, not definitive answers – every farm is different, and a thorough assessment will always be needed before significant changes are made.
Stockfree farming is not a single pathway. Our ‘100 Ways’ resource maps out the full range of enterprises available to farmers making a transition – from market gardening and heritage grain crops to renewable energy, nature-based tourism, agroforestry, and specialist crops.
It covers nine categories:
All options have been evaluated for viability in UK conditions, including Scotland. Most can be combined to create a diversified farm income that is more resilient than a single-enterprise livestock operation.
