Richard and Alison are first-generation farmers who’ve spent nearly three decades on their farm in the Ennerdale Valley. Starting out with conventional, high-input methods, they’ve since transitioned to regenerative farming - working with nature through low-input grazing, native cattle, and practices that restore soil health and biodiversity.
Set within the dramatic uplands of Cumbria, Richard and Alison’s 100-acre farm, alongside additional fell grazing reaching nearly 3,000 feet, is a beacon of regenerative agriculture. Through their involvement in the Wild Ennerdale Partnership, they’ve helped restore neglected and overgrazed landscapes by reintroducing native Galloway cattle whose presence here supports soil health, biodiversity, and water quality. Once reliant on fertilisers and high-input systems, they now farm in balance with the land - rotationally grazing, protecting wildlife habitats, and improving ecosystem resilience. Howside Farm’s approach mirrors the philosophy that guides everything we do at Parnassus. Our partnership advocates a more progressive, connected way of farming - one of collaboration, community, and shared responsibility for the land.
“We're proud of how we farm as a whole today. It’s not perfect, but it’s thoughtful. We’re trying to work with nature, not against it.”