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Farmer Stories

Amelia Greenway - Making landscape regeneration profitable

England
Case Study
Organic
Livestock
Tenant Farmer
biodiversity

All imagery: Joanne Coates © for the Nature Friendly Farming Network

Springwater Farm raises Highland cattle and rare-breed pigs using regenerative, nature-friendly practices across hundreds of acres in East Devon. The farm's diverse landscapes rage from public parkland to woodland.

The farm is run by Amelia Greenway and her husband, Jason, both first-generation, new-entrant tenant farmers. The couple met through the Young Farmers’ Club. Amelia grew up on an organic farm, while Jason was working as a farmhand at the time. They quickly decided to venture into agriculture together, naming their business 'Springwater Farm' after the first cottage they lived in together.

Amelia credits her dad's passion for organic farming as a major influence on her outlook. “He championed grass-fed, free-range animals within organic systems. Growing up, we were always very conscious of the meat we ate, how we treated the soil, and the importance of regenerating the land and hedgerows. It's something I became deeply passionate about,” she says.

It’s so important for people to invest in sustainable, ethical meat production, even if that means eating less and eating better.

Amelia Greenway

The couple started out by renting 80 acres of locally organic-certified permanent pasture, and in just a few years, their business has grown dramatically. They are now tenant farmers managing nearly 1,000 acres, with the National Trust as their largest landlord. While Amelia was influenced by her dad’s farming, she and Jason decided to do things differently and adopted a regenerative approach that took things a step further.

“I grew up with Red Ruby cattle being a popular option for grass-fed farmers, and while they are native to Devon, I didn’t find them particularly remarkable, nor did we see them fitting into our regenerative business model,” Amelia explains. “Everyone had them, and I thought that if we were going to be young farmers new to the sector, we had to stand out. We needed to appeal to the public. Being organic wasn’t going to be enough. So, we decided that Highland cattle and Mangalitza pigs would suit our system best.”

Amelia says she gets frustrated when people assume they chose their breeds solely for their picturesque appearance. “Highland cattle are really lightweight, which means they don’t poach the ground. They are also quite versatile due to their wide horns, which allow them to navigate through the brambles and bracken when we graze them in the forest. Their calm nature and efficiency in converting forage to meat make them ideal for our system. They thrive in pasture-fed environments rather than conventional ones. As for the Mangalitzas, their robust build allows them to withstand the wetland climate far better than any other breed, enabling them to maintain their condition while producing the most flavoursome pork you'll ever taste,” she says.

Amelia and Jason keep fewer animals per acre across the land they rent than is typical. The business currently has around 120 cattle and about 50 pigs. With such low stock densities over huge expanses of land, Amelia notes that they don’t practice mob grazing. Instead, they implement a rotational grazing pattern that adapts to the weather conditions.

The Highland cattle can graze large areas of parkland for months without causing damage, and their manure naturally fertilises the soil. During the winter, they are moved into pockets of woodland for conservation grazing.

Animals reared for the farm’s meat, which is Pasture for Life and organic certified, remain outdoors 365 days a year. However, some of the older cows are brought in during winter to prevent them from developing arthritis. Amelia explains that the pigs live a very naturalistic life, often ignoring the shelters provided for them in favour of burrowing in the hedges they create themselves. The beef and pork are sold directly to customers through box sales and at farmers’ markets, and the meat can also be found on the menu of some local pubs. “I really want people to understand the journey our animals have taken from farm to plate,” Amelia says.

Reducing our food miles is one reason why pasture-fed meat is so important to us. It has a much lower impact, a more traceable cycle, and provides a better understanding of where and how the animal was raised and what it was eating.

Amelia Greenway

The farm business produces a surplus of organic hay cut from its wildflower meadows each year, which is sold in addition to what is used to feed its animals. Amelia prefers hay over silage to reduce plastic waste. The only purchased input is around 50 bales of locally sourced straw, which serve as an annual insurance policy against a poor hay crop. The late autumn hay and silage cuts combined with light-touch grazing means yields have improved during Amelia and Jason’s tenancy.

The couple has also engaged in landscape recovery efforts. They have dug ponds and scrapes in the wetlands to assist migratory birds and provide wallows for the pigs. Hedges are trimmed infrequently, and wide margins are left untouched. Surveys have shown increases in biodiversity, including protected species such as the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and the cirl bunting. Additionally, testing has been conducted to assess how Amelia and Jason’s conservation grazing positively impacts soil health.

They're also about to embark on an ambitious new project with the National Trust, focusing on regenerative agriculture across hundreds of acres of farmland that were previously managed under more conventional agricultural systems. The site includes huge areas of wetland, which will provide summer grazing for the pigs, while parkland will be transformed into wood pasture, offering the Highland cattle essential shade and food. “We’re on the National Trust’s Killerton estate, and they want to restore the parkland back to its historical state,” Amelia explains.

Farming in such a public location is something Amelia hopes to turn to the advantage of the farm, allowing people to see firsthand how they operate and how the meat is reared. “We want people to truly understand what and who they are buying into and to trust the high-quality produce they consume. It’s so important for them to invest in sustainable, ethical meat production, even if that means eating less but better,” Amelia says. The farm already hosts regular walks and talks to engage visitors with their nature and biodiversity work.

Future plans for the farm include hosting regular mini-markets to bring together other independent businesses with a similar ethos, and creating an honesty shed featuring displays that explain Springwater’s produce and farming practices. 

As new entrants and tenant farmers, Amelia emphasises that the relationship she and Jason have with their landlords is absolutely crucial, and she believes other farmers entering the sector could learn from their experiences.

“As a tenant farmer, having a good relationship with your landlord is integral to running a successful business,” she says. “Tenant and landlord relationships have always been delicate. You don’t often hear about positive relationships; it’s usually farmers battling with their landlords. We should aim for more harmonious relationships because it’s entirely possible for new entrants to thrive as tenant farmers.”