Product Description

THE FIGHT FOR FORDHALL FARM is the astonishing story of a young brother and sister faced with an unimaginable task – escaping eviction from their home that had been in their family since the 1700s, and saving their livelihood.

Ben & Charlotte's father, Arthur Hollins, ran Fordhall Farm in Shropshire from the age of 14 until his death aged 90 in 2005, and inspired his children with his zeal for organic farming. So when their landlord informed them in 2005 that they would have to achieve the seemingly impossible and raise £800,000 to buy the farm or face eviction, 20- and 22-year-old Ben and Charlotte refused to give in without a fight.

Aided by the Community Development Manager Sophie Hopkins and volunteers from across the country, the Hollinses set up the Fordhall Community Land Initiative, which allows members of the public to buy a £50 non-profit share in the farm. With an appeal in national newspapers and on television, the cheques were soon flooding in as the community rallied to save this special piece of farming history. Today more than 8,000 people across the world own a stake in Fordhall, and with supporters including a number of celebrities – HRH Prince Charles, Sting, Prunella Scales and Monty Don to name a few – the farm’s future has been secured for the next 100 years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #257278 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'The Erin Brockovich of the organic world.' (Eve Magazine )

'An extraordinary battle of modern times.' (Weekend Daily Mail )

'Deserves to be read ... A simple yet engaging human story.' (Daily Mail )

About the Author
Ben and Charlotte Hollins run Fordhall Farm on the outskirts of Market Drayton.

Customer Reviews

People power saves an historic farm for the future
This book is quite amazing. The story of the Fight to Save Fordhall Farm is told with an enthusiasm and a natural style which makes the reader feel that the authors are sharing their experiences on a personal level. The alternating chapters by Charlotte and Ben Hollins add to this feeling of involvement, and the interest continues throughout, which makes the book very hard to put down.

It is an inspiring story of courage, determination and hope, in the face of what seemed insuperable odds, and the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. One is left with a feeling of admiration for the success of the campaign, and the on-going progress at the farm and with the Fordhall Community Land Initiative. The farm has now been saved from the threat of development, and a 100-year tenancy agreement has been granted to Ben and Charlotte by the Initiative to give them security for the first time.

This book deserves to become a non-fiction best-seller, and is highly recommended.

Pure Inspiration!
It has been a long while since I have found myself holding my breath as I read a book, but I found myself doing this many times while reading the story of the young brother and sister Ben and Charlotte Hollins and their right hand girl Sophie Hopkins.

I defy anyone who reads their story not to be moved by it. The total determination and dedication they have shown in order to save a way of life and to preserve and restore the unique setting created by their late Father, organic pioneer Arthur Hollins, should be an inspiration to all.

The book, with alternate chapters written by Ben and Charlotte, not only details their against-all-odds struggle to raise £8000,000 from scratch in order save Fordhall Farm from any development and preserve it for future generations, it also shows a complete and selfless community commitment and gives an insite into the fight for survival that the vast majority of today's farmers face. I would suggest that you invest in a hardback copy of this book, as you will be reading and re-reading it many times over.

an interesting tale
I've just finished this book and am still not quite sure what to make of it. It's a great story but little detail of exactly why the farm was so worth fighting for really came through well (eg no details of what habitats, species etc no real detail of structure for the future of the farm). There are no images or maps of the farm so it's difficult to get a handle on what's at stake. That said the story of the process of saving the farm and the very personal and emotional dramas of Charlotte and Ben along the way make for a heart-warming read.