The financial security was a major factor for Jessie and Joe in their decision.<\/p>\n
Environment Bank gives Greenbank Farm lease payments as well as paying the couple to help manage the land through the livestock grazing and hay cutting.<\/p>\n
“One of the main things for us is that it’s 30 years of guaranteed income,” Jessie said.<\/p>\n
“With farming, you just never know what’s going to happen. <\/p>\n
“If we solely rely on producing haylage, we could have a really bad year of rain like we did a few years ago – we produced rubbish haylage to be honest so we didn’t really make that much in terms of profit.<\/p>\n
“It’s like a diversification project for us.”<\/p>\n
Similar projects have faced opposition in the past<\/a> and Jessie admits other farmers in the area were sceptical.<\/p>\n “We’re like the guinea pig of the area,” she said.<\/p>\n But Joe said he thought his late father-in-law would have been on board with the plan.<\/p>\n “Jim really loved nature,” Joe said.<\/p>\n “So it’s kind of like a bit of a nod to him as well, like it’s nice to do something with the land that he would approve of.”<\/p>\n Follow BBC Cumbria on X, external<\/a>, Facebook, external<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> and Instagram, external<\/a>.<\/p>\n