What if Supporting Local Farms Was as Easy as Buying Local Bread?

On a summer morning in the Cotswolds, the hills roll green and golden. Farmers move livestock to new pasture, market stalls brim with just-picked veg, and neighbours chat over coffee about the latest pop-up supper in the village hall. It all feels timeless. Yet the farms that make this life possible are in trouble: biodiversity has plummeted, soils are degraded and yields have plateaued whilst input costs have continued to rise unabated. All of this means that farmers are facing a moment of deepening existential crisis.

How do we care for the soil and ensure local farmers make a fair living doing it?

How can we farm in ways that feed people and heal the land?

And how do regular people – residents, visitors, small business owners – play a part in that story?

At Regeno, we believe the answers start with connection. Regenerative farming is not just about food production methods; it is about relationships and being closer to land, food, and one another.

So here is a short guide for Cotswold Collective members to get started on this journey with simple, real-world ways to support sustainable farming in our region, starting today.

1. Eat Like It Matters (Because It Does)

Your food choices are a vote, not just for taste, but for the kind of countryside we want to live in.

When you buy from farms that prioritise soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare, you help fund those practices. And you keep money circulating in local, independent hands.

Look for:

• Pasture-fed meats from farmers such as Eastleach Downs Organic Farm, where pigs graze on the species-rich herbal leys grown on the farm.
• No-dig veg from market gardens like The Kitchen Garden People near Charlbury.
• Raw milk, sourdough, honey, or seasonal fruit from village farm shops or farmers’ markets in Stroud, Cirencester, or Moreton-in-Marsh.

“We’ve got to begin to see our grocery shop as a way of investing in the land around us. It not only tastes better, but it feels good to know where it came from,” writes Founder and CEO of Regeno, Sven Poppelmann.

2. Visit Farms, Walk the Land, Hear the Story

Regenerative farmers often do things differently. They rotate animals, grow cover crops, and plant hedges. But the best way to understand it is not through a textbook. It is by walking the field.

Attend a farm open day, take a grazing walk, or join a soil health workshop. Many Cotswold farms now host seasonal events where you can meet the growers, ask questions, and even get your hands dirty.

• Visit FarmED near Shipton-under-Wychwood, a pioneering education centre with public events on food, farming, and the future.
• Follow Pasture for Life or CSA Network UK for listings of farms you can visit or support.

3. Adopt a Hectare of Farmland

You do not have to be a farmer to back better farming.

Regeno’s Adopt a Hectare initiative makes it possible to directly support regenerative land stewardship, one hectare at a time. Your monthly contribution helps a local farmer build soil health, restore habitats, and farm in ways that store carbon and bring nature back.

In return, you get:

• A story-rich, transparent view into the land you are supporting
• Seasonal updates and behind-the-scenes insights from the farm
• A tangible, meaningful way to invest in the future of the Cotswolds

It is like community-supported agriculture, but for land regeneration. A gift to the land and to the generations ahead.

“We’re building a funding platform for farmers and investors to meet each other, but we felt the need to do more and bring even more people into the regenerative movement more quickly,” writes Sven.

4. Back Farms with More Than Just Your Basket

For many regenerative farmers, the real challenge is not how to farm well. It is how to afford it.

Accessing capital for fencing, livestock, cover seed, or new infrastructure can be a huge barrier. Traditional loans are often mismatched for small farms. That is where Regeno comes in.

We help farms access:

• Government grants (such as DEFRA’s Sustainable Farming Incentive)
• Values-aligned investors who care about more than profit
• Community support models, where locals co-own parts of the farm, such as a barn, packhouse, or woodland

Imagine if part of your pension or ISA helped fund a hedgerow restoration. Or your local café sourced salad from a CSA you helped launch. That is regenerative finance.

“We have the land, the knowledge, and the market,” says Sven “What we’re facilitating is the capital to accelerate the transition. Regeno exists to help match the land to people who shared these values. Not just their money, but their trust.”

5. Join or Start a Commons Project

In centuries past, Cotswold villagers shared meadows, woods, and grazing lands. What would a modern commons look like?

Regeno is also interested in exploring models where communities co-invest in land-based infrastructure, from solar-powered barns to mobile milking stations. These assets serve multiple farms, generate income, and stay rooted in the community.

If you are part of a parish council, sustainability group, or landowning family looking to leave a legacy, this could be your moment.

We are currently working with several farms and villages on pilot financing projects. Get in touch if you would like to be involved.

6. Tell the Story, and Make It Yours

The most powerful thing you can do? Keep the conversation alive.

Share your favourite local food producer on social media. Host a farm-to-table supper. Bring Regeno to your book club or pub night. Talk to your children about how food is grown. Ask questions at the market.

The more we connect land, food, money, and community, the more resilient our region becomes.

“Regenerative farming is not just for farmers. It is a movement for anyone who cares where their food comes from, and where their money goes.”

Ready to Get Involved?

Here is how to start:

• Explore Regeno’s work at regeno.farm
• Adopt a Hectare and support a real farmer regenerating land in the Cotswolds
• Join our mailing list for stories from the field and project opportunities
• Introduce us to a farmer, investor, or community leader who shares these values

The Cotswolds has always been a place where land and life intertwine. Let us make sure that story keeps growing.