PIGS & ARABLE (ORGANIC), GREATER MANCHESTER: Lewis rears free-range organic pigs on a 148-acre (60-hectare) Soil Association-certified farm on the outskirts of Manchester where his family have been tenants for 250 years. The farm was previously owned by Lord Stamford but their current landlord is the National Trust.

The pigs, born to six breeding sows, are slaughtered at a local abattoir then butchered on the farm. The meat is sold through the farm’s online shop and at local farmers’ markets.

Lewis also grows organic oats for a local breakfast cereal producer. In addition, he helps grow pumpkins at a neighbouring farm for Pick your Own Halloween events during weekends, and half term week, in October.

Keen to farm in a way that’s nature-friendly, Lewis uses grants from the government’s Countryside Stewardship scheme to grow seven and a half acres (three hectares) of wild bird seed for ground nesting birds and a further two and a half acres (one hectare) for farmland birds and pollinators.

He also hosts school trips (around 25 a year) and farm tours for adults. “The farm’s location, close to Manchester, makes it a very popular destination for school groups,” says Lewis. “This is an area we’re hoping to step up. We’ve gone from 25 per cent of people employed in agriculture to less than one per cent, so there’s been a complete collapse in social knowledge about food production. It’s important that we farmers help bridge this gap, especially for inner-city kids who are most deprived of access to the countryside.”

Lewis says that keeping livestock creates fertile soils that are high in organic matter. This makes them far more resilient to weather extremes such as draught or flooding.

The farm is well known locally as until November 2019 it had been a children’s play site for nearly 20 years. It was forced to halt operations as a play site due to spiralling staff, insurance and other running costs. But it is now a small business hub, housing a women’s gym, pilates studio, an arts collective, a physiotherapist, a wedding hire company, a fencing business and a construction firm.

Lewis grew up on the farm, and after A-levels studied accountancy. But when he’d finished his studies, the farm beckoned so he returned to help with its administration. Eventually he found a way to fulfil his true passion, cooking, by running the catering team for 15 years. He produced everything from cakes to ketchup for use in the shop and tea-rooms. “My scones were famous, and even got named as being among the best ten in the country” he laughs. “The farm also won the Taste of Manchester award in 2006.”

In 2017 Lewis decided to retrain in agriculture as his father neared retirement age. In 2019 he gained a postgraduate diploma in organic farming from Scotland’s Rural College in Aberdeen, followed by an MSc in 2020.

As for most parents, childcare is a central concern for Lewis and his wife. Given the lack of extended family nearby, following the birth of his daughter Lewis has been tailoring the farming enterprise around childcare needs, while his wife works full time.

Lewis loves the unpredictability of farming. “You’re never fully in control because nature and the environment more generally are such big factors. As I get older, the sheer vastness of a farm is a real treasure. Having space is such a privilege and provides opportunities that don’t exist for most people. I also love being my own boss. The agency it provides and living and dying by one’s own sword is good for the soul.”

On the downside, Lewis gets frustrated that the public know so little about food production, yet seem to comment on it frequently. He is also painfully aware that farmers have to contend with some major forces. “We are often comparatively small businesses, but we have to deal with DEFRA, multi-national retailers and multi-national seed and chemical companies. We’re easily bullied as a result.”