Communities Fund has provided £12,720 of match funding
Setting up Summerhouse Community Farm in Lancaster
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To help create a flourishing community farm in Lancaster. The land has been purchased. We now need to start work!
Who are we, and what is our project about?
LESS (Lancaster District) CIC is a community-led organisation founded in 2007, which takes practical action on climate change and provides hands-on support to help the residents of North Lancashire live more sustainably. Our work focuses on transforming local systems that drive climate vulnerability, particularly food, land use and access to skills.
Through initiatives such as FoodFutures, we support the development of healthier, more resilient local food systems that reduce emissions, restore soils and biodiversity, and strengthen community capacity to adapt to climate impacts.
In February 2025 LESS (Lancaster District) CIC bought three acres of degraded agricultural land known as Summerhouse Farm thanks to UK Shared Prosperity Funding and a local trust.
The farm is located within walking distance of Lancaster City Centre, and offers an exciting opportunity to provide hands-on experience in climate-friendly food production, soil care, composting and biodiversity, building skills and confidence to respond to the impacts of climate change in their own lives and communities.
The purchase of the farm is part of the wider vision of North Lancashire’s FoodFutures Partnership to see more land put into community ownership and being used for sustainable agriculture, education and growing healthy soils and sustainable food for local residents.
The project supports climate action through strengthening local food supply, improving soil health and biodiversity, and building practical skills.
The farm will demonstrate climate-resilient practices such as water collection and conservation, organic soil management, habitat creation and low-input food production.
The project builds long-term community capacity to respond to climate impacts, while increasing access to healthy, locally grown food and reducing food miles.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Your support will kickstart the Summerhouse Community Farm project, transforming this under-used, degraded land into a vibrant, community-led farm that brings food growing, ecological restoration and community learning together in one place.
The vision is to create a local hub for agroecological growing, skills training and nature recovery, rooted in a community-led permaculture design.
‘’Right now, we need to lay strong foundations, so that in future, the farm can provide seasonal, organic produce for the local community with a focus on teaching skills and expertise in sustainable agriculture, improving soil health, collecting and conserving water, creating wildlife and nature habitats and demonstrating different growing approaches.
But it’s just as important to create spaces for people to enjoy and get close to nature on their doorsteps.''
Anna, FoodFutures Coordinator
How we’ll spend the money raised
The funding raised will be used to begin implementing the community-inspired farm design for Summerhouse Community Farm. The site is currently permanent pasture and will be transformed into a productive, climate-resilient community farm with a market garden, orchards and wildlife habitats.
Funds will be used to part-fund skilled grower time to establish the market garden, prepare the site, and train volunteers in agroecological growing methods. This includes soil preparation and improvement, crop planning, and the first season of food production.
Funding will also support:
- the planting of heritage fruit and nut trees,
- basic water management and conservation measures,
- essential materials to enable community work sessions and training.
These costs directly support climate action by improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, reducing food miles and building long-term local food resilience on land owned by LESS CIC.
"With your help, the growers and volunteers can get the first crops in the ground. Your contribution will buy trees to plant, community artwork, benches and agricultural equipment, and help pay for staff time.
As a thank you, you could be among the first to enjoy the harvest. Take a look at the selection of rewards on offer - from adopting a tree to joining a community meal, pick your own veg or join a skills workshop - we don’t just want your money, we want you to be part of the journey too’’
Anna, FoodFutures Coordinator:
How you can help
There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:
1. Make a donation
Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too.
2. Spread the word
Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.
3. Volunteer with us
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch through the ‘Contact’ section using the subject "I want to volunteer my time or expertise" on our project page.
This project successfully funded on 1st April 2026