Gowbarrow Hall Farm in Cumbria has successfully secured funding from ADOPT, part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, for a new 24-month, farmer-led project, with ORC as a research partner, exploring how fruit and nut agroforestry can strengthen the resilience of upland livestock farming.
The project, Resilient Uplands: Diversifying Grazing Systems through Fruit and Nut Agroforestry, will be delivered at Gowbarrow Hall Farm in the Lake District National Park. It will test whether integrating productive trees and water-management features into grazed pasture can improve business resilience, biodiversity and hydrological function while maintaining a viable upland beef system.
Led by Sam and Claire Beaumont, the project builds on experience from Ings Farm Biohub in Yorkshire, where farmer Dr Vincent Walsh has developed an upland fruit-and-nut agroforestry and water-management approach. At Gowbarrow, this model will be adapted and refined for a cattle-grazed system in an exposed upland landscape with significant deer pressure.
The project will establish and evaluate a fruit-and-nut agroforestry system within an active cattle-grazing enterprise. Productive tree species including apple, pear, hazel, medlar and gage will be planted in alley or contour-based designs that fit working upland pastures.
A key focus will be successful tree establishment in a grazed upland environment. The project will trial robust protection systems combining heavy-duty guards, deer-resistant measures and electric exclusion fencing, designed to withstand cattle interactions and minimise replanting and long-term maintenance.
Alongside tree planting, the system will incorporate hydrological features such as swales, infiltration points and micro-catchments. These are intended to slow runoff, improve soil moisture retention, reduce erosion and help buffer pastures against both intense rainfall and dry periods, while creating additional habitats for pollinators and soil organisms.
By testing the approach under real commercial farming conditions, the project aims to generate practical, transferable evidence for other upland livestock farms seeking diversification and greater resilience.
The Organic Research Centre (ORC) supported Gowbarrow Hall Farm by facilitating the development of the ADOPT funding application and will act as the project’s research subcontractor.
ORC researcher Dr Colin Tosh will lead the independent monitoring and evaluation programme, ensuring that environmental and economic outcomes are assessed in a robust, farmer-focused way. ORC’s role will include biodiversity, soil and water-quality baselining; ongoing monitoring of habitat development, hydrological performance and carbon storage; and a full techno-economic analysis of the system compared with conventional upland grazing.
ORC will also act as project facilitator, supporting coordination and helping ensure the work remains coherent, deliverable and aligned with ADOPT requirements, while keeping the project firmly farmer-led.
Knowledge exchange is central to the project. Learning will be shared through field days, open reports, practical guides and short videos, with a strong focus on what works in upland conditions—particularly around tree protection, grazing integration and water-management design.
By generating independent, on-farm evidence, the project aims to provide a practical and replicable model for nature-positive, climate-resilient upland farming that supports both profitability and ecological recovery.
