This is the story of a couple who are transitioning to a rural holistic lifestyle, and are looking for a farming partner.
What makes us, a couple and their dog from London decide to change their lives completely?
It's not Covid, as you might think, but the passion for people, the planet and good food - with Holistic Management at its heart.
As a child, I spent my summers on a small hilltop farm in the Bavarian mountains. If you remember the TV series "Heidi" - that was pretty much me. Running through the wildflower meadows barefooted and looking after sheep and cows. I learnt how to make butter, cheese and enjoyed a simple lifestyle.
Fast forward, and after having lived and worked in ten countries, I live in London with my fiancé Rhys, his daughter Thalia, and our dog Chocolate.
Nature, healthy food, Permaculture and holistic thinking have always been our passions - we even use Permaculture Design Principles in our consulting work for organisations. We try to live a planet-friendly life as much as this is possible in the city.
BUT - the big but is that we have been dreaming for many years to move to the countryside, start a smallholding and contribute to a healthy food system in co-operation with the local community; combining growing and cooking. Rhys is a passionate chef, who enjoys experimenting with foraged foods and is living proof that healthy food can actually be delicious!
Now we have finally stopped dreaming and started doing. Thanks to 3LM and the positivity and encouragement of Sheila and Christopher. I attended the Holistic Management and Holistic Finance courses with Sheila and Edmund and that gave us the final push to put theory into practice. Over the past 5 years we have looked after smaller farms, engaged with regenerative farmers and have a good idea of what to expect.
What's our vision?
We want to grow the 'communal mycelium', exploring what is needed in the place we are going to land whilst putting down our roots. We are entrepreneurial at heart and have extensive start-up experience. The objective is to develop and grow purposeful and profitable enterprises whilst regenerating the land, e.g. running a farm shop, daytime cafe/restaurant, set up an artisan distillery and bakery... We also have learning and development experience which we would like to utilise for education and for helping people connect with the land and local crafts and traditions.
Our holistic context guides us in decision-making...
- To regenerate land, and souls of animals and people.
- To contribute to a healthy food system.
- To influence and educate in order to increase impact of regeneration.
- To live in harmony with the planet and all beings on it.
We are looking to partner with business owners, collaborators, farmers, landowners.
For example, do you have unused land where we could develop and run a small holding with market garden, fruits and eggs? Or an orchard which we could develop into a forest garden?
Rhys would love to develop a 'courtyard' community place with shops. Or do you have buildings we could open an organic cafe/daytime restaurant in?
We are open to all kinds of ideas, are passionate and hands-on and love collaboration. We are not bound to a specific region within the UK, and don't want to be limited by our love for Wales, the Wye valley, Devon or Somerset.
It's still a vision, but it feels real. Please get in touch if you want to have a chat and explore ideas together.
You can also find more information
here.
Kerstin van Eckert
