Forty Farms

In March 2021, British Life Photographer of the Year Amy Bateman embarked on a journey to record the stories of forty farms in Cumbria. 

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, Forty Farms 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 challenge of farming in post-Brexit Britain; the tightrope balance of producing quality food in nature-rich landscapes; and the highs and lows of working in an area internationally famed for its beauty. 

With contributions from, among others, best-selling author James Rebanks, L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan, veteran damson-grower Hartley Trotter and ‘king of the Herdwicks’ Anthony Hartley, Forty Farms offers a unique insight into the hopes, fears and everyday lives of 40 extraordinary farmers.