An 80-acre (32-hectare) farm near Cockermouth, Cumbria, is being transformed into a wildlife restoration project. Jessie Roper and her husband Joe Roper inherited Greenbank Farm after her father, Jim Parkin, died suddenly in 2023.
The couple, who had little prior farming experience, decided against traditional farming. They are now working with the biodiversity organisation Environment Bank on a 30-year nature recovery project.
This project will use grazing animals and traditional summer hay cuts as long-term management mechanisms to help restore habitats. Environment Bank provides lease payments and also pays the couple to manage the land, offering a guaranteed income for 30 years.