Forty Farms - Conversations about change in the landscapes of Cumbria

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The Forty Farms exhibition offers a unique insight into the everyday lives, fears and hopes of 40 extraordinary farmers, through photography, film, and words. It highlights independence, innovation and resilience in a post-Brexit world of declining farm subsidies, as we seek to focus on producing food closer to home, whilst balancing the drive towards net-zero, and restoring biodiversity.

There will be times when part of the Forty Farms exhibition can’t be viewed temporarily because the learning centre is being used for an activity. I remember having lessons on style in evening classes and I always thought, “How am I ever going to create a style?”. I never thought that I had a style, yet people recognize my images now and so I have realized that I do have a style – but I can only recognize it to an extent. Have quite high contrast images, more low-key than high, and focus on story-telling imagery.

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There’s that old saying that an image can tell a thousand words, but there are plenty of books about farming, but a lot of those books hark to the past. A lot of those books are just written in text and we wanted almost a coffee table book but with the stories of the farmers words. With the farmers intertwined. So there’s a very strong narrative that runs through throughout it.”

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.Low Sizergh Farm (‘Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop & Café’), Sizergh near Kendal – Dairy, horticulture, hospitality, poultry, tourism I hope this exhibition will take you beyond the farm gate into the lives of farmers and change perceptions of how the countryside is managed. The rural urban divide feels wider than ever, and my hope is that this exhibition can play a part in narrowing the gulf between food producers, farmers and consumers.” 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.