Meet Nic & Reno

Farmers who had to rethink their farming to pay the mortgage.

We arrived in the Eden Valley in 2012, a hot and sweaty August day, a new life on our new farm…in a static caravan with two kids, four dogs, a farm truck and a huge mortgage.

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The farm has knock out views. Blencathra straight ahead, Howgills to the left and Solway coast to your right. The views come with a price; the legendary ‘helm wind’ is mighty and fierce. We renovated their farm house (big job...don't ask about the Aga) and got going with the farming.

Initially, we stuck to traditional methods, with set stocked Swale sheep and Simmental cows.  Eighteen months in we had a bit of a 'light bulb moment', after visiting Organic Nelless Brothers farm in Northumberland.  We were inspired by a whole heap of new ideas, and a new era of farming at Cannerheugh was born.

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This shift in ‘mindset’ was key, a boring buzzword but one that really meant an openness to trying new things, not worrying about looking daft, learning quickly from mistakes, becoming more resilient to the weather and receptive to changes in the market.

Farming is ultimately a business, and for us, Regenerative Farming hits the sweet spot of farming with nature and profitability; bringing longevity to our land, food to the table and a sustainability to our businesses.