Jessie and Joe Roper have returned from Manchester to take over Greenbank Farm near Cockermouth after Jessie’s father died suddenly in 2023, and are converting its 80 acres into a long-term nature recovery site. They decided against selling the farm but concluded that conventional full-time farming was not for them; the project is intended to restore wildlife habitats while giving the business a more secure future.

The 30-year scheme, supported by Environment Bank, will use cattle grazing and traditional summer hay cuts to manage the land, while a local shepherd continues to rent some fields. Environment Bank will provide lease payments and pay the couple for land management, offering guaranteed income amid the financial uncertainty of farming, although some local farmers have been sceptical. The couple faced an especially difficult first winter, including flooding, frozen pipes and a broken tractor, but hope the scheme will diversify the farm and increase biodiversity.