English Pastoral, written by Lake District farmer, James Rebanks, is a heart-warming and enlightening book about the English farming community spanning three generations.

It is the story about how a boy learned the old ways of farming from his grandfather in the last days of the traditional 'mixed' and 'rotational' farming era, and how he was able to preserve and continue those traditions when he inherited his grandfather's farm.

Despite the fact that farming for nature is no longer economically viable, James took on the complexities of running a nature-friendly farm producing food with the minimum of artificial inputs. This means earning money away from the farm at times, and all in all, a tremendous amount of hard work. It means tussling with nature and available resources; it means often losing but always learning, adapting and trying new things.

It is clear that the benefits far outweigh the challenges with the joy the farm brings to everyone involved. By sharing and accepting help, James has returned the farm to the community whereby the pooling of knowledge is transforming the understanding of the land and valley as a living ecosystem bringing people together. As he says: 'It takes a village to make a good farm work' and it's a joy to read about it in the hope that this kind of community-based, nature-friendly farming will become the norm again in the future.

Having spent so much time as a boy working with his grandfather on his farm, James was in the unique position of being able to compare the old ways of farming with the new modern methods of globalised agriculture which he refers to as 'a radical and ill thought out experiment.' His reasoning and conclusions about this are eloquently addressed throughout the book. Through thorough research, practical application and ongoing assessment, James is able to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for his family, those contributing to the farm and for the local community.

English Pastoral is set out in three parts: Nostalgia, Progress and Utopia. It is a fascinating journey that starts out on an old farm on the green pastures of England, through to experiencing the vast scale of mechanised farming in Australia which marked the death of the small farm; to understanding the intricacies of farm inheritance dating back to the 14th century; to taking on the trials and tribulations of a working farm; to finally settling into a life-long commitment to honour the principles and methods of nature-friendly farming and continue to pass them down through the generations.

A cited quote that stood out for me from Virgil, The Georgics, aligns so well to our quest to get closer to nature and live in balance with our natural world

'But before our iron carves an unknown plain, let our study be to learn its winds and fickle sky, the local tricks, the temper of the land, what each one yields, what each refuses.'

This honourable and exceptional undertaking is a wonderful story and the book is full of helpful information for anyone interested in nature-friendly farming and what this involves. It is all about knowing the land and understanding the relationship between animals, wildlife, crops and seasons so that the soil can flourish and produce the quality produce we all need and treasure in our lives today.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf

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English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks