In March 2021, British Life Photographer of the Year Amy Bateman embarked on a journey to record the stories of farms in the Lake District and Cumbria and H&H Group plc are one of the proud sponsors of The Forty Farms exhibition which is now taking place at Rheged.
From the Herdwick-grazed Lake District commons to the big-sky Solway marshes; from isolated farmsteads unchanged in generations to businesses at the cutting-edge of innovation; from world-class sheep breeders to award-winning cheese-makers, the Forty Farms exhibition is a visual record of farming at a period of profound change.
Over the course of a year, Amy conducted frank conversations about the financial challenges of farming; about the tightrope balance of producing quality food in a nature-rich landscape; and about the highs and lows of working in an area that is known and loved internationally.
With contributions from, among others, best-selling author James Rebanks and L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan, veteran damson grower Harley Trotter and ‘king of the Herdwicks’ Anthony Hartley, Forty Farms offers a unique insight into the everyday lives, fears and hopes of 40 extraordinary farmers, through photography, film and words.
The exhibition is accompanied by a coffee table book, with photographic prints and cards for sale. It is part of a Forty Farms Festival with talks, debates, films and creative classes.
Free admission. Open daily 9.00am - 5.30pm