The Summer of 2020 was a big turning point in our lives. Like for many, the pandemic confirmed the feelings we had had for years. The direction the world is taking became clearer and more concerning. We went on endless lockdown walks where we would talk about what could be going on and what we could do for ourselves and our community. The conclusion was always (unsurprisingly) “let’s move out of the city, buy land and start a small-holding to become self-sufficient”. That’s how, in the Autumn of 2020, we acquired 15 acres of land in the South Downs. Without knowing a single thing about growing or self-sufficiency, we had embarked on what would become the most meaningful project of our lives. 

We learnt how to grow our own food from seed, we learnt about composting, the ecosystem, soil biology, life cycles but most of all, this first year taught us to reconnect with nature and to slow down. Returning to the land each day was an invitation to be present and grounded. We spent whole days barefoot, immersed in the utter tranquillity and peacefulness of the farm, living at the pace of nature. 

With those positives also came challenges. We quickly realised that we were becoming tied to the land and its responsibilities. We had to show up, every single day, no matter the weather or other life commitments. Being entirely committed to this farm meant we would have to sacrifice the other things that bring us joy. As a couple who loves travelling, it felt hard imagining that we would have to say goodbye to our much loved spontaneous adventures. 

That’s when we discovered that there were so many people out there like us. Families who wanted to live differently but didn’t want or couldn’t start their own small-holding for one reason or another. We met parents torn between pursuing their meaningful career and starting a small-holding, parents who didn’t want to move out of the city, parents who had tried being part of a community land project that failed, parents who hated the idea of having to be outdoors in the rain to milk the goat at 6am, and parents who couldn’t afford to buy land and all the infrastructure needed to start a small-holding. All these parents wanted the same thing, a brighter future for their children. What if we created a small-holding members club for those families? So that they could get all the benefits of having a small-holding without actually having to start and run one?

Hello, my little farm.