FARM PROFILES
Meet the farmers and land managers working together to care for the Eden Valley landscape.
Hoopers Farm
Hoopers Farm is a small, family-run farm set in the heart of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where food production goes hand in hand with caring for nature.
The farm is home to Pedigree Sussex cattle, producing high-quality, Pasture for Life-accredited beef from traditional meadows. The herd is managed through a regenerative, pasture-only system, with animal welfare at the heart of everything they do.
Looking after the landscape is a long-term commitment. Hoopers Farm has been part of Environmental Stewardship since 2003, is currently in a Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement, and is applying to the Countryside Stewardship Woodland Improvement Scheme to support the management of its ancient semi-natural woodlands.
Sustainability is built into the wider farm business too. Electricity is generated by solar panels on the cattle shed, buildings are heated using woodchip sourced from the farm’s own woodland, and a converted traditional barn now provides a three-bedroom holiday let. The next generation is also playing a part: their daughter Jess runs The Meadow Flower Co., growing organic, peat-free flowers on the farm for weddings and local customers
Faulkners Hill Farm
Faulkners Hill Farm is a long-established family business with deep roots in the Eden catchment. The farm was founded by Kenneth Lingham in 1952 on 130 acres, and the family partnership, K I Lingham & Son, was formed in 1982. Originally run as a dairy and arable enterprise, the business has since evolved into a large mixed farm, now managing around 1,400 hectares across the Eden catchment. The family have been National Trust tenants for over 25 years, with a strong commitment to sustainable land management.
Today, Faulkners Hill Farm runs a diverse operation, combining beef, sheep and arable farming. A wide crop rotation is grown, including winter wheat, spring barley and oats, maize, grass, oilseed rape, beans and herbal leys. Over 200 hectares are managed as species-rich grassland, pollen and nectar margins and wild bird seed mixes, helping to support pollinators and farmland wildlife.
Livestock remains central to the system, with around 80 suckler cows and followers, a small flock of pedigree Dutch Spotted sheep, and up to 2,000 store lambs overwintered on cover crops and herbal leys. The business is actively involved in Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, reflecting a long-term commitment to environmental stewardship.
Alongside food production, the farm uses technology such as yield and soil mapping to understand how different parts of the land are performing and to explore alternative, more nature-friendly uses where appropriate. Through careful investment, collaboration with local businesses and a focus on efficient, sustainable practices, Faulkners Hill Farm continues to balance a thriving farm business with the protection and enhancement of the natural environment.
Mill Farm
Mill Farm is a multi-generational family farm, now run by Antony Vicary, with a long history of food production in the Eden Valley. Formerly a beef enterprise, the farm is today focused on arable farming, producing crops including wheat, beans and oats.
Antony is working towards a truly local “field to flour” approach, with plans to harvest and mill wheat grown on the farm using his own combine and on-site milling. Alongside crop production, Mill Farm is part of environmental stewardship schemes, with areas managed specifically for wildlife, including winter bird food plots with sunflowers.
The River Eden flows through the farm, creating valuable floodplain habitat and linking Mill Farm closely to the health of the wider catchment. Antony lives on the farm with his family and is committed to managing the land in a way that supports both productive farming and a thriving natural environment.
Hilders Farm
Hilders Farm is home to Chiddingstone Dairy and its Jersey dairy herd, producing fresh milk, butter and, more recently, yoghurt for the local community. Run by Paul and his family, the farm combines traditional dairy farming with a strong connection to the local landscape.
Located close to Bough Beech Reservoir, the farm is also crossed by a feeder stream that flows into the River Eden, linking Hilders Farm directly to the wider catchment. A keen angler, Paul regularly fishes the Eden, giving him a personal interest in the health of the river and the habitats it supports.
Beggars Barn Farm
Beggars Barn Farm is run by Harry Frederick and sits alongside the River Eden, placing the farm at the heart of the catchment. The business is a mixed enterprise, combining arable cropping with sheep farming.
With the river flowing through the landscape, the farm plays an important role in supporting both food production and the health of the surrounding environment, linking everyday farming activity with the wider work to care for the Eden and its wildlife.