"Despite relevant training, skills and experience, without the ELC, financially and legally we might never have managed to access land to farm and live in the low impact way that we now are."

Ruth, ELC steward, Steepholding
"The ELC is developing new opportunities for people to create smaller scale mixed farming systems. They add the expertise and magic that makes a possible project a successful project."

Andy Goldring, CEO, Permaculture Association
"A genuinely sustainable response relies on more small farmers in Low Impact Developments, providing good food, experimental data, and contributing to rural regeneration. ELC does just that — putting in place today the foundations for the food production of tomorrow"

Caroline Lucas MP

Our vision

Our vision is of a living, working countryside where land is valued in a way that enhances both the local community and the natural world. We also want to support new entrants into agriculture by making access to land a reality for all – not just the few.

We want to see low-impact, land based livelihoods flourish. We believe that land should be stewarded in a way that produces healthy and ecologically sound food and land-based products – now, and into the future.

More about our vision

Our model

We create small clusters of affordable residential smallholdings and work with our tenants to gain planning permission to build low-impact dwellings, and provide infrastructure such as barns and water supply.

This model allows us to keep costs low by distributing the cost of infrastructure and planning applications across several smallholdings. The cluster model also allows the smallholders to work together and provide mutual support.

More about our model

Our Sites

Our Farms

Our partners and sponsors