# Indie Farmer > Stories of farming, food and land –– from the ground up. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages - [About Indie Farmer](https://www.indiefarmer.com/about.md) - Indie Farmer is an independent magazine documenting farming, food and rural life through journalism, photography and film. We publish honest stories from farms across the UK, exploring how people are making a living from the land, adapting to change, and navigating the realities of modern agricultu… - [Contact](https://www.indiefarmer.com/contact.md) - If you’d like to get in touch with Indie Farmer, the best way is by email. hello@indiefarmer.com We read every message and will reply where we can. Please note that, as a small independent publication, responses may not always be immediate. What to contact us about You’re welcome to get in touch re… - [Cookie Policy](https://www.indiefarmer.com/cookie-policy.md) - This website uses cookies to help it function properly and improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. Cookies we use Indie Farmer uses the following types of cookies: Essential cookies These are necessary for the website to function, includ… - [Legal](https://www.indiefarmer.com/legal.md) - This page provides access to the policies and terms relating to the Indie Farmer website. Indie Farmer is an independent editorial publication. We aim to be transparent, fair and respectful in how we publish content and handle personal information. Please see the pages below for full details: * Pri… - [Our Story](https://www.indiefarmer.com/our-story.md) - Indie Farmer began with a simple question: How do we tell better stories about farming — and the people behind our food? In 2013, much of the conversation around agriculture felt distant from everyday experience. Farming was often framed through policy, protest or production figures, while the live… - [Privacy Policy](https://www.indiefarmer.com/privacy-policy.md) - Indie Farmer respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains how we collect, use and store personal information. Who we are Indie Farmer is an independent online magazine based in the UK. Contact email: hello@indiefarmer.com What information we collect… - [Support](https://www.indiefarmer.com/support.md) - Indie Farmer is an independent publication sharing stories of farming, food and rural culture. We are not backed by a large publisher or media group. Everything we publish is shaped by time spent on farms, conversations in fields and kitchens, and a commitment to thoughtful, long-form storytelling.… - [From the farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/sussex-meat-boxes.md) - Alongside Indie Farmer, our work is rooted in a small family farm in East Sussex. Founder Nigel Akehurst is a third-generation farmer who returned home in 2014 to help care for cattle and sheep, while building a more direct relationship between farm and customer. What began as a small experiment ha… - [Terms of use](https://www.indiefarmer.com/terms.md) - By accessing and using the Indie Farmer website, you agree to the following terms. Website content All content is provided for general information and editorial purposes only. While we take care to ensure accuracy, information may change over time and should not be relied upon as professional or le… - [Work with us](https://www.indiefarmer.com/work-with-us.md) - Indie Farmer is an independent magazine sharing stories of farming, food and rural culture — told from within the working landscape. If you’d like to collaborate, pitch a story, or explore a partnership, you’re in the right place. Partnerships We work with brands and organisations who align with ou… ## Posts - [How Tibbs Farm is Building Resilience through Diversity](https://www.indiefarmer.com/how-tibbs-farm-is-building-resilience-through-diversity.md) - In the tenth instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Tibbs Farm near Udimore, East Sussex, where brothers Simon and Phil Wheeler are building a more resilient family business by combining traditional farming with… - [How Livestock Farms Add Value in the High Weald](https://www.indiefarmer.com/how-livestock-farms-add-value-in-the-high-weald.md) - In the ninth instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Goodtrees Farm Butchers near Forest Row, East Sussex, to meet owner Ian Melluish and one of his butchers Josie Rollings to learn how they are building a busine… - [Philip Harris: Why England's Smallest Vineyards may have the Brightest Future](https://www.indiefarmer.com/philip-harris-why-englands-smallest-vineyards-may-have-the-brightest-future.md) - In the eighth instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Philip Harris at his organic vineyard near Hastings, East Sussex, to explore how a small-scale wine business is combining regenerative principles, biodiversit… - [An Evening of Farming Stories at Montague Farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/an-evening-of-farming-stories-at-montague-farm.md) - On a warm June evening, more than 100 people gathered at Montague Farm in Hankham, overlooking the Pevensey Levels, to celebrate two stories of farming, family and the future of the countryside. The event brought together farmers, landowners and members of the local community to watch two new short… - [One Brick at a Time: The Story of Charles Palmer Vineyards](https://www.indiefarmer.com/one-brick-at-a-time-the-story-of-charles-palmer-vineyards.md) - England's wine industry has changed dramatically over the past two decades. What was once considered a niche pursuit has become one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sectors in British agriculture. During May of this year I spent a few days at Charles Palmer Vineyards, on the outskirts of th… - [Learning to Listen: A New Indie Farmer Film from Montague Farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/learning-to-listen-a-new-indie-farmer-film-from-montague-farm.md) - Over the years I've spent a lot of time visiting farms across the country, documenting the stories of independent farmers and the landscapes they look after. One of the things I enjoy most is uncovering the quieter stories — the farms that aren't always shouting the loudest, but are doing thoughtfu… - [From the Farm Gate: Three Dairy Farms Facing an Uncertain Future](https://www.indiefarmer.com/from-the-farm-gate-three-dairy-farms-facing-an-uncertain-future.md) - Rising costs, volatile milk prices and growing regulatory pressure are reshaping dairy farming. Across three farms in East Sussex, different systems reveal the same underlying challenge — how to remain viable in an increasingly uncertain landscape. Many UK dairy farmers find themselves caught in a… - [Falconhurst Estate: Holding It All Together](https://www.indiefarmer.com/falconhurst-estate-holding-it-all-together.md) - In the seventh instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Falconhurst Estate near Markbeech, Kent, to spend time with George Talbot and understand how a mixed organic dairy and estate business is being shaped in pra… - [Pasture and Profit: Learning from the land and each other](https://www.indiefarmer.com/pasture-profit-learning-from-the-land-and-each-other.md) - Why farmer knowledge exchange matters in the High Weald and beyond On a cold morning in early spring, a group of farmers stand quietly beside a hedge in the High Weald, watching a group of young cattle move slowly across the pasture. Boots press into the damp ground as the group studies the grass,… - [Organic Dairy Farming in the High Weald](https://www.indiefarmer.com/organic-dairy-farming-in-the-high-weald.md) - In the latest instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Cockhaise Farm near Haywards Heath, in East Sussex to spend a day with organic dairy farmer Dan Burdett, to learn how he is managing a 240-cow dairy herd whil… - [Farming by observation: Life below the surface at Lomas Farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/farming-by-observation-life-below-the-surface-at-lomas-farm.md) - In the fifth instalment of my twelve part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Lomas Farm in Sandhurst, Kent to spend a day with farmer David Cornforth, to understand how his passion for healthy soils and low input farming guides the mana… - [Berries on Tap: Rebuilding a Fruit Farm Around Direct Connection](https://www.indiefarmer.com/berries-on-tap-rebuilding-a-fruit-farm-around-direct-connection.md) - We visited Berries on Tap, a small family-run soft fruit farm near Selsey in West Sussex that is pioneering a new model by selling premium berries directly to consumers via vending machines. I visited Berries on Tap in late summer 2025, six years after the Evans family stepped away from supermarket… - [Groundswell 2025 — Notes from Farming’s Glastonbury](https://www.indiefarmer.com/groundswell-2025-notes-from-farmings-glastonbury.md) - Groundswell — farming’s very own Glastonbury — returns each summer to the Cherry family’s Hertfordshire farm, drawing a growing crowd of farmers, thinkers, growers and storytellers grappling with some of the biggest questions facing food and agriculture. Across two packed days — with more than 10,0… - [Building a future on grass at Brightleigh Farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/building-a-future-on-grass-at-brightleigh-farm-2.md) - Brightleigh Farm is a mixed livestock holding near Outwood in Surrey, run by Penny and Nigel Franklin alongside Penny’s daughters Ellie and Joely. The farm produces 100 percent pasture fed beef, free range pork, poultry and eggs, all sold direct to customers through their on farm shop and a small n… - [Starting from nothing with Lynnie Hutchinson at Brickpits Organic Farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/starting-from-nothing-with-lynnie-hutchinson-at-brickpits-organic-farm.md) - Brickpits Organic Farm, a 110-acre off-grid organic enterprise located in the High Weald near Uckfield in East Sussex, is no ordinary farm. Built from scratch in 1999 by Ian and Lynnie Hutchison on some bare arable fields, it is now home to a patchwork of pastures, hand-planted hedgerows, beetle ba… - [Grazing with nature: how Sam Newington is rethinking cattle farming at Limden Brook](https://www.indiefarmer.com/grazing-with-nature-how-sam-newington-is-rethinking-cattle-farming-at-limden-brook.md) - Limden Brook, a 450-acre farm of permanent pasture, floodplain meadows and wooded banks in the Limden Valley, has been home to the Newington family for more than 120 years. Today, fifth-generation farmer Sam Newington and his wife Becky run a herd of 55 suckler cows, producing 100% pasture-fed beef… - [Sheep, sheepskins and shared responsibility: life on the land at Plaw Hatch Farm in Sussex](https://www.indiefarmer.com/sheep-sheepskins-and-shared-responsibility-life-on-the-land-at-plaw-hatch-farm-in-sussex.md) - Plaw Hatch Farm, a 200-acre biodynamic co-operative on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, is no ordinary farm. Owned by more than 700 shareholders and run by a community of growers and livestock keepers, it is home to a thriving dairy, market garden, farm shop and butchery — as well as… - [How to run a monthly farm gate sale: what's worked for us and why it's worth trying](https://www.indiefarmer.com/how-to-run-a-monthly-farm-gate-sale-and-why-you-should-give-it-a-go.md) - Back in 2021, I shared a post called How to Start a Meat Box Business, which struck a chord with a lot of small-scale farmers. Fast forward a few years and I wanted to offer a follow-up, drawing on our own experience of running a successful monthly farm gate sale from our small family farm in East… - [Pasture and Profit in Protected Landscapes](https://www.indiefarmer.com/pasture-and-profit-in-protected-landscapes.md) - Pasture and Profit in Protected Landscapes is funded by Farming in Protected Landscapes Fund (FiPL) offering free, innovative mentoring and an events programme across several National Landscapes for farmers interested in increasing farm profits and biodiversity through the management of grazing ani… - [Meet the High Weald Farmers: Dr Joanna Gore](https://www.indiefarmer.com/meet-the-high-weald-farmers-dr-joanna-gore.md) - We recently meet up with first generation small holder Dr Joanna Gore at Green Oak Farm in Brightling, East Sussex to shoot a short film to help promote the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, which is delivered locally by the High Weald National Landscape team. More than £1.3million… - [Meet the High Weald Farmers: Sam Newington](https://www.indiefarmer.com/meet-the-high-weald-farmers-sam-newington.md) - We recently caught up with Organic Beef Farmers Sam and Becky Newington at Burgham farm in Etchingham, East Sussex to shoot a short film to help promote the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, which is being delivered locally by the High Weald National Landscape team. With funding sti… - [Meet the High Weald Farmers: Dan Burdett](https://www.indiefarmer.com/meet-the-high-weald-farmers-dan-burdett.md) - We recently caught up with Organic Dairy Farmer Dan Burdett at Cockhaise Farm, near Haywards Heath in West Sussex to shoot a short film to help promote the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, which is delivered locally by the High Weald National Landscape team. With funding still avai… - [Meet the High Weald Farmers: Helen and Neil Ridge](https://www.indiefarmer.com/meet-the-high-weald-farmers-helen-and-neil-ridge.md) - We recently caught up with first generation farmers Helen and Neil Ridge at Fresh Meadow Farms in Dallington, East Sussex. Having got to know them over the last few years at our local farmers market we jumped at the chance to visit their farm to shoot a short film to help promote the Farming in Pro… - [Meet the Regenerative Farmer: Tim May](https://www.indiefarmer.com/meet-the-regenerative-farmer-tim-may.md) - We visit Kingsclere Estates in North Hampshire to meet Regenerative Farmer Tim May, to learn more about his sustainable model of share farming and land management. Tim is the fourth generation to farm at the family owned 2,500 acre estate located in the Hampshire downs, an Area of Outstanding Natur… - [How to start a meat box business](https://www.indiefarmer.com/how-to-start-a-meat-box-business.md) - Over the last few years I’ve built up a small meat box business direct from our family farm. It might not appeal to all farmers, but with very little in the way of startup costs – it’s not that difficult to give it a try. I’ve enjoyed building up our meat box business over the last few years and fr… - [Q&A with Hazel & Martin Tkalez from The Pevensey Cheese Company](https://www.indiefarmer.com/q-a-with-hazel-martin-tkalez-from-the-pevensey-cheese-company.md) - We recently interviewed Martin and Hazel Tkalez, from the Pevensey Cheese Company to learn more about their journey to becoming cheese makers over the last two and half years. Can you in tell us a bit about your business Pevensey Cheese Company? We are Hazel and Martin Tkalez and we constitute Peve… - [Compost pioneers](https://www.indiefarmer.com/compost-pioneers.md) - Both Bridget and her business partner Henrietta Courtauld are passionate about soil health. They met in London and founded The Land Gardeners back in 2012 to find ways of improving soil health for their own growing and for others. Before that Bridget grew cut flowers and experimented with biodynami… - [Photo Story: Cheese Making and the Swiss Alpabfahrt Cow Parade](https://www.indiefarmer.com/photo-story-cheese-making-and-the-swiss-alpabfahrt-cow-parade.md) - Back in the autumn of 2018 I joined a delegation of international journalists to visit Lucerne in Switzerland; to learn more about their thriving cheese making sector and witness the world famous cow parade. Switzerland is home to over 450 varieties of cheese. With cows milk being used in about 99… - [Plaw Hatch Farm: putting the culture back into agriculture](https://www.indiefarmer.com/plaw-hatch-farm-putting-the-culture-back-into-agriculture.md) - Back in March of this year l visited the inspirational team at Plaw Hatch Farm, a community owned biodynamic farm and shop located on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in Sharpthorne, West Sussex. Plaw Hatch is a 200-acre community owned biodynamic farm and shop on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in Sh… - [Photo story: faces and soundbites of the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2017](https://www.indiefarmer.com/photo-story-faces-and-soundbites-of-the-oxford-real-farming-conference-2017.md) - Last week we went along to the much-loved Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC17), the annual food and farming event set up as an alternative to the Oxford Farming Conference.. Firstly a bit of background for those of you who haven’t been before – ORFC is a unique gathering of the UK’s sustainable… - [Joel Salatin Interview: Future Farming Systems](https://www.indiefarmer.com/joel-salatin-interview-future-farming-systems.md) - We were fortunate enough to interview American Farmer, Lecturer and Author Joel Salatin during his recent flying visit to the UK. He was the keynote speaker at a 2-day workshop we attended titled ‘The Role of Livestock in Future Farming Systems: From Theory to Practice’ run by The Sustainable Food… - [The Role of Livestock in Future Farming Systems](https://www.indiefarmer.com/the-role-of-livestock-in-future-farming-systems.md) - I recently attended a 2-day workshop run by the Sustainable Food Trust titled ‘The Role of Livestock in Future Farming Systems: From Theory to Practice’ featuring Joel Salatin and a diverse range of expert panelists. It was an extraordinary and diverse gathering of some of the UK’s leading food pro… - [Report: Slow Food Terra Madre 2016](https://www.indiefarmer.com/report-slow-food-terra-madre-2016.md) - Last month I attended the world famous Slow Food Terra Madre 2016 – Salone Del Gusto held in Turin, Italy as a delegate (and a reporter) from the 22-26th of September. It was my second Slow Food experience in Italy having attended the SFYN (Slow Food Youth Network) We Feed the Planet event in Milan… - [Photo story: Agricology Open Day at Daylesford Farm](https://www.indiefarmer.com/photo-story-agricology-open-day-at-daylesford-farm.md) - Many different organisations across boundaries and labels have grouped together to form Agricology, a curated knowledge base for ecological farming ideas.. Farmerama Abby and I went along to the Agricology Open Day held at Daylesford Farm a couple of months ago to learn more about it and see some o… - [Farm Profile: Slow Grown Chickens at Fosse Meadows](https://www.indiefarmer.com/farm-profile-slow-grown-chickens-at-fosse-meadows.md) - Over the last few months I’ve been out and about with my camera profiling some of the small independent farmers and foodmakers who supply Farmdrop – a local food business on a mission to fix the food chain. In the first of the series I meet chicken farmers Nick Ball and Jacob Sykes at Fosse Meadows… - [The Elder Tree](https://www.indiefarmer.com/the-elder-tree.md) - Words by Michael Harding - [Why the grass might be greener for a new breed of sheep farmers](https://www.indiefarmer.com/why-the-grass-might-be-greener-for-a-new-breed-of-sheep-farmers.md) - Words by Phoebe Weston - [Photo story: Farming to London March 2016](https://www.indiefarmer.com/photo-story-farming-to-london-march-2016.md) - More than a 1000 farmers took to the streets in the Farming to London March – delivering a letter to 10 Downing Street urging the Government to do more to safeguard an industry that is struggling to survive. We caught the train up from East Sussex to photograph the protest (see our gallery below) a… - [A Beginners Guide to No Dig Gardening](https://www.indiefarmer.com/a-beginners-guide-to-no-dig-gardening.md) - Words & Images by Charles Dowding - [Photo story: UK Farmers join Brussels Protest](https://www.indiefarmer.com/photo-story-uk-farmers-join-brussels-protest.md) - We went along to the Brussels Protest to join some of the 5000 european farmers that have gathered outside the European Commission to demonstrate against record low prices for milk and meat. The majority of farmers I met were campaigning for some form of market intervention to restrict supply and h… - [One-straw revolution – an introduction to natural farming](https://www.indiefarmer.com/one-straw-revolution-an-introduction-to-natural-farming.md) - Words by Melanie Steele - [Silent Spring by Rachel Carson – Review](https://www.indiefarmer.com/silent-spring-by-rachel-carson-review.md) - Words by Melanie Steele - [A guide to hay making by hand](https://www.indiefarmer.com/a-guide-to-hay-making-by-hand.md) - Inspired by my visit to Monkton Wlyd Court (an education centre for sustainable living) last summer (whilst on my Indie Farmer Road Trip) I’ve put together a short guide to hay making by hand featuring Simon Fairlie, small-scale farmer and co-editor of The Land Magazine.. 1. Sharpening your Scythe… - [Agricultural Philosophy: Wendell Berry](https://www.indiefarmer.com/agricultural-philosophy-wendell-berry.md) - Words by Melanie Steele - [A beginners guide to Lambing](https://www.indiefarmer.com/a-beginners-guide-to-lambing.md) - Growing up on a farm you get introduced to lambing at an early age (yes that’s me holding a lamb with the rather anxious looking ewe in the background) but for the vast majority of people it’s not something they come across or really understand fully. The last few years prime time programmes like l… - [17 classic tractors we want in our shed](https://www.indiefarmer.com/17-classic-tractors-we-want-in-our-shed.md) - Because they don’t make ’em like this anymore… A handy guide to 17 classic tractors we fancy, each with some useful gems of info and a pulling power score – our own indie take on tractor top trumps. If you are someone that has a passion for collecting vintage tractors then this might be worth a rea… ## Optional - [RSS Feed](https://www.indiefarmer.com/rss/) - [Sitemap](https://www.indiefarmer.com/sitemap.xml) - [Full content of pages and posts](https://www.indiefarmer.com/llms-full.txt)