Richard Maxwell

Richard is a first generation farmer and farms with his wife, Alison at Howside Farm, Ennerdale, a high rainfall hill farm in the Western Lake District. He has both National Trust  and Forestry England tenancies and has farmed as part of the Wild Ennerdale re-wilding project since it was established in 2002.

Richard has changed his farming system from high input continental cows and cross-bred sheep to a low input system using native breeds. He has a hefted flock of Herdwick sheep and a herd of Galloway cattle both cattle and sheep graze to more than 2500 feet above sea level. Around home, the fields are rotationally grazed with cattle, aiming to achieve long rest periods in between. The environment and soil health are prioritised in all of the decisions made on the farm. They breed both Galloways and Blue Greys and for the past seven years have sold meat directly to local customers in a box scheme.