The site was formerly used for intensive maize production, but the ELC is now seeking planning permission to develop it into a cluster of small-scale ecological farms.
This new purchase builds on the success of their first project, the development of a cluster of three ecological smallholdings on 22 acres of land n Greenham Reach, Devon. The new land in East Sussex marks a significant step in their goal of working to make land accessible for new entrants to farming, with the aim of creating 20 ecological smallholdings between now and 2020.
Cate Chapman, Managing Director of ELC says, “This land purchase represents the next step in our development of ecological smallholdings in England. Our vision is of a living, working countryside contributing to a biodiverse environment, strong rural communities and a safe, just food system.“
The Ecological Land Co-operative is a social enterprise that helps people who wish to live on the land overcome two key barriers: high land prices and planning consent. Their core business is to create small clusters of affordable smallholdings. This model allows the ELC to keep costs low, both through buying larger sites at a lower price per acre, and through distributing the cost of infrastructure, planning applications and ecological site monitoring across a number of smallholdings. The model also allows the smallholders to work and learn together and to provide mutual support.
Read more about the Ecological Land Cooperative.
Published Tuesday 14 June 2016
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
