Heritage, Sustainability,

Quality & Community

Since the early 2000’s the farm has diversified towards food production, operating alongside an environmental commitment and preservation of the land. Production of food and our inherent responsibility to enhance the biodiversity and ecosystems of Holker Farm sit at the core of the day to day operations of the business.

A further 12,500  acres of Holker’s estate is occupied by farm tenants, all of whom collaborate as part of the wider and supportive farming community that sit on the diverse Cartmel and Furness Peninsula.

Holker Farm sits just two metres above sea level, creating a challenging growing environment. The farm operates a Spring cropping system, rotating Wheat, Oats, Barley and Oil Seed Rape.

Alongside its production of Wheat and Barley, the farm produces high quality Spring Oats which  are supplied to the Quaker Oat Company each year.

Our traditional Oil Seed Rape crop acts as a break crop to the rotation, yields well and has allowed us to create our own ‘Holker Rapeseed Oil’ for those customers wanting to take a little bit of Holker home with them from a visit to the Hall and Gardens.

The hay and straw produced from the farm is primarily sold to the Estate’s farming Tenants around the South Lakeland Peninsula’s.

Holker Farm sits just two metres above sea level, creating a challenging growing environment. The farm operates a Spring cropping system, rotating Wheat, Oats, Barley and Oil Seed Rape.

Alongside its production of Wheat and Barley, the farm produces high quality Spring Oats which  are supplied to the Quaker Oat Company each year.

Our traditional Oil Seed Rape crop acts as a break crop to the rotation, yields well and has allowed us to create our own ‘Holker Rapeseed Oil’ for those customers wanting to take a little bit of Holker home with them from a visit to the Hall and Gardens.

The hay and straw produced from the farm is primarily sold to the Estate’s farming Tenants around the South Lakeland Peninsula’s.

Holker Estate has over 3,000 acres of in-hand land under Environmental Stewardship, from Salt Marshes to arable rotations, to semi-ancient woodlandsand  to limestone pastures.

Holker Farm has been under a Higher Level Stewardship Agreement since 2011, which is managed alongside the farming operation. Amongst many other environmental considerations, this includes management of low input grassland options and wild bird seed cover.

Holker Estate has over 3,000 acres of in-hand land under Environmental Stewardship, from Salt Marshes to arable rotations, to semi-ancient woodlandsand  to limestone pastures.

Holker Farm has been under a Higher Level Stewardship Agreement since 2011, which is managed alongside the farming operation. Amongst many other environmental considerations, this includes management of low input grassland options and wild bird seed cover.

Holker Farm has recently entered into a Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, which has enabled us to improve our  environmental performance alongside production of high quality food. Winter Cover Crops suit the farm’s Spring cropping operations. Management of our hay ground allows the later grass to go to seed, creating  winter food for the abundance of coastal wintering birds we have visiting the Estate each year.  Lower yielding peripheral fields are being reviewed as part of a second phase application into the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2025.

Holker Farm has a number of ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’ that we manage as part of our farming business.  Holker Farm has a small resident herd of Long Horn Cattle, native to the Northern parts of England, which are used to graze the SSSIs and improve our sensitive limestone pastures under our Environmental Stewardship commitments.  The Long Horn breed was formerly listed as ‘priority’ on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust but thanks to careful monitoring, was finally listed as a UK native breed in 2021.

Holker Farm has a number of ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’ that we manage as part of our farming business.  Holker Farm has a small resident herd of Long Horn Cattle, native to the Northern parts of England, which are used to graze the SSSIs and improve our sensitive limestone pastures under our Environmental Stewardship commitments.  The Long Horn breed was formerly listed as ‘priority’ on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust but thanks to careful monitoring, was finally listed as a UK native breed in 2021.

Working with Mike Berners-Lee and the team at Small World Consulting, Holker Farm has completed a Carbon Baseline assessment of its farming operations. The output of this has enabled the Farm to discuss future strategy, informing  how we want to deliver our farming business in line with a commitment to reduce Carbon Output, work with the environment whilst  continuing to produce high quality food. The next key step on our journey is to look to further profile our soil , to support  further informed decisions on the strategy for the farming operation and define  the best  for our land.