We are delighted to invite our Cumbria Branch members to this year’s Cumbria AGM at Gowbarrow Hall Farm.

Sam and Claire Beaumont are the third generation of custodians at Gowbarrow Hall Farm and are passionate about blending tradition with innovation. In 2019, they decided to transition the farm away from a loss-making intensive sheep operation, to form “Wilder Gowbarrow” in partnership with Wilderculture CIC. It serves as a demonstration project showing how regenerative agriculture practices can be applied to livestock farming in the uplands, while still producing lots of nutrient dense food and supporting a successful family business. They currently keep up to 85 Shorthorn cattle, 10 Kune Kune pigs and 5 Fell ponies and sell breeding stock, beef and pork direct to customers locally and nationally. The farm is now certified Organic with OF&G and their Beef enterprise is certified with Pasture for Life.

Alongside their farming operations, the couple founded Parnassus Leather, which creates traceable luxury leather bags and accessories using hides from regenerative farms throughout the Lake District. With support from the ‘Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL) Fund’, they have also undertaken the restoration and development of ‘The Barn’, transforming it into a dedicated venue for events and educational activities. 
 
Following the AGM Claire and Sam will speak to us about their approach to farming and wider land use in their upland environment. Our members will then be given the opportunity to have a private tour of the farm to experience the result of their work.

The full programme for the day will be as follows:

10:00am           Registration in The Barn with tea and coffee

10:30am           Formal AGM followed by talks from: 
                                                  - CLA Deputy President – Joe Evans    
                                                  - Our sponsors – GSC Grays and Harrison Drury  
                                                  - Our host - Claire and Sam Beaumont

12:00pm           Pre-lunch drinks served 

12:30pm           Two course hot lunch which will be prepared predominantly using produce from the farm

2:00pm             A tour of the farm 

3:00pm             Tea and coffee in The Barn 

4:00pm             Event concludes

We thank the Beaumont family for kindly hosting the event and both GSC Grays and Harrison Drury for their generous sponsorship.
 
Please note that this is a working farm and most of the tour will take place outside, therefore, please ensure you have appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear. Due to limited parking, we also encourage car sharing, wherever possible.   

Priority is given to Cumbria members. We have a waiting list in operation for members outside this region. Please call the office to go on the waiting list on 01748 907070.