A COFFEE table book, telling the stories of 40 Cumbrian farms, can now be walked as a farm trail at one of the farms featured in the book.
From now until Easter 2024, Forty Farms can be viewed as an outdoor exhibition at Low Sizergh, near Kendal. A farm run on regenerative and organic farming practices by a family that makes it easy for people to buy high quality locally grown produce.
Forty large panels, each featuring a different farm and including Low Sizergh, can be found along the accessible family-friendly farm trail. Two miles in total, with free parking, the trail passes through farmland and woodland. Just 4.5 miles from J36 of the M6, it’s a good stopping point for those who want to break the journey to and from the Lake District. There is a café and farm shop too.
Forty Farms is by British Life Photographer of the Year, and Cumbrian farmer, Amy Bateman. Nearly 9,000 copies of the book have been sold since it was launched last year (2022).
Each panel is a visual record of farming at a period of profound change. Featured farms include isolated farmsteads, unchanged in generations, to businesses at the cutting-edge of innovation.
Visitors will also discover world-class sheep breeders, award-winning cheese makers and entrepreneurs rising to the financial challenges of producing quality food in a nature-rich landscape, known, and loved internationally.
Amy said, “It’s so important to me to tell the stories of the people and landscape of Cumbria. And there’s no better place to do that than on a farm that features in my book.”
Host Alison Park added, “Low Sizergh has lived, quite publicly, many of the themes of Amy’s book. We love welcoming people to the farm, to see us in action, and to enjoy the wonderful local produce in our café and farm shop. We are proud to be part of this exhibition which is free, because of support from the H&H Group.”
H&H Group chief executive Richard Rankin said, “Farmers are at the very heart of the Cumbrian and Lakeland landscapes. It is their work which has moulded and forged these landscapes for generations. It is a privilege to be able to highlight their work through this farm-based outdoor exhibition of Amy’s wonderful images.”
Visitor facilities include: free car park, toilets, disabled parking, café on the first floor with a lift. 34 of the panels are in the pushchair and wheelchair-accessible areas of the farm and woodland trail (the first ¾ of a mile that make up the 2 mile trail). Visitors are advised to wear outdoor gear, walking boots or wellies. A free map and quiz for children can be picked up from the farm shop.