Fordhall Farm

Fordhall Farm is an inspiring example of how farming can become a force for sustainable education and change as well as a producer of fine, local organic food. Located on the outskirts of Market Drayton in North Shropshire, Fordhall Farm is now owned by an Industrial and Provident Society made up of 7500 shareholders from across the UK and further afield. 

The formation of the Fordhall Community Land Initiative has raised over £500,000 to enable the Hollins family, tenants since 1929, to continue farming organically and develop further sustainability initiatives on the farm. It goes to show that when a large number of people can work collectively together we can protect our countryside and promote sustainable lifestyles.

The story of Fordhall begins back in 1929 when Arthur Hollins, father of the current tenants, took over the tenancy aged just 14. Arthur quickly noticed how land that had been left to mature naturally was much healthier than land which had been exposed to intensive farming methods. From then on Arthur developed an approach that we now know as “organic farming”. His philosophy was “Man must not control nature, that only leads to failure; he must work alongside it and nurture it “. 

Fordhall became one of the first producers of live yoghurt and a Country Club was established to carry out research into organic methods of farming.

​Currently Fordhall has a Farm Shop which sells a wide range of excellent organic food products, specialising in organic beef, lamb and pork which is hand-reared on the farm. The shop also serves as an exhibition space where sustainable and healthy-living issues can be promoted. There is also a nature trail around the biodiverse and varied habitats of the farm. Regular fun days and events are held at the farm including Farmers Markets, Conferences and Celidh’s. 

The next phase of the project will be the construction of the Bunk House – an education resource room and organic tea-rooms built from sustainable materials and powered with renewable energy.