Charlotte and Ben were the subject of much media interest when, at the respective ages of 21 and 19, they decided to stop the tenanted farm, where they had lived all their lives, being sold for development. Their father, the late Arthur Hollins, had farmed Fordhall without chemicals since the Second World War, when he realised the detrimental effects that intensive farming was having on the land.

Ben and Charlotte set up a national campaign, which resulted in the farm being placed in community ownership. Nearly 8,000 people from around the world bought non-profit making £50 shares to support the venture. Altogether they raised over £800,000 in less than a year.

Fordhall is a 140 acre pasture farm with 70 head of Hereford cattle, 90 sheep and 30 pigs. All the beef, lamb and pork is sold direct through the farm shop where sales have trebled since they started selling direct to customers.

• What do you do?
  Ben and I both work on the farm, although only Ben is paid. We began this business in 2004 with very few livestock and very little capital. We have chosen to derive our income from elsewhere, until the business has restocked the farm and can stand on its own two feet.
  
  We continue our late father's method of 'Foggage' farming. This means that our cattle and sheep live outdoors throughout the year on a mixture of grass and herb species that keep the land productive. Our farm works because it is in balance with nature, and works alongside it rather than against it. Why pay for food, when nature provides so much more for free?

• Can you describe a typical day?
  A typical day in my life is much different to a typical day in Ben's. Ben is the Farm Manager. He manages the livestock and the farm shop, and goes to farmers' markets. On a Monday he will begin at 5.30am by taking some livestock to the abattoir. When he returns he will feed his pigs and check the cattle and sheep. There are usually some maintenance jobs to do around the farm. This afternoon, Ben is in the butchery, packing and labelling meat ready for the farm shop.
  
  I am Project Director for the Fordhall Community Land Initiative (the society owned by the 8,000 shareholders that own the farm), so I do more of the paperwork side of things. I work with a Community Development Manager to keep the society going, and to create new and innovative ways of allowing people to become involved with the farm, and learn about organic food and farming. We are currently seeking funds to extend the nature trail and rebuild the old farm buildings for educational use, whilst of course organising events and volunteer working weekends.

• Organic principles – why do they matter?
  Organic principles are not new. They are the foundations from which we have all originated, and without which none of us would be alive today. These principles are based on sustaining and respecting life on the planet - understanding the intricate balance between man and nature. We are not two separate entities but intertwined in a relationship that can not be separated.
  
  Organic principles are based on cycles that will continue forever, not resources that will eventually run out.

• What does the Soil Association mean to you?
  The Soil Association is more than a certification organisation, they seek to educate the public on issues of fundamental importance. Their work is paramount not only to the success of our businesses and farming enterprises, but also to the preservation of our natural environment, and the knock-on benefits this brings to society.

• What is your greatest achievement?
  Saving Fordhall farm last year by raising over £800,000 in less than 12 months. We began this project in 2004 with no capital, very little experience and a handful of livestock - not to mention a very dilapidated farm. However, the fertility in the pastures, our determination and the sheer support from the general public, who demonstrated to us that food and farming was important to them, made our goal achievable.

• How do you plan to progress in the future? What is your vision?
  Fordhall really is at the beginning of another exciting journey. Ben is still building the farm business and his livestock. On the other side of things I am managing just under 8,000 shareholders whilst looking for funding to extend our current nature trail and to develop the educational resources at the farm.
  
  We are also keen to build a tea rooms where some of the old farm buildings have come down. These will be built using natural and sustainable materials and will hopefully be carbon neutral. We are keen to involve our shareholders and volunteers in the erection of these buildings too.
  
  We are also using our experiences of community ownership to show others the options available for allowing entry for young people into farming.

• If you were starting all over again, what would you do differently?
  Nothing. It has not been an easy ride, but we have enjoyed every minute of it.

• What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
  To remain positive and to believe in yourself, and to be able to farm successfully you need to believe in nature and respect it.

• Who or what's your biggest inspiration?
  Our late father, Arthur Hollins.

• What is the key to your success?
  A great mentor, our father, a lot of determination and enthusiasm, and the power of positive thinking. We have also made a point of learning from problems or mistakes, rather than dwelling on them and feeling regrets.

• What do you love most about what you do?
  We love being able to walk out of the front door and hear the birds, watching the natural life of the farm change with the seasons, and feeling proud when others come to enjoy it, either through our produce or by walking the farm. Involving people and seeing the delight on their face at being able to be involved is also an important highlight for us.

• What keeps you awake at night?
  The worry that there is still a field the society has not purchased and may still go for development.

• What single thing would most improve your life?
  More time…

• What do you find most frustrating about what you do?
  People who do not seem to grasp the concept of 'you are what you eat', and those who complain that they can not afford to buy fresh produce. When if they only spent a little time learning how to cook, they would find that they could save a great deal of money on their average weekly shop.

• Any unusual hobbies or past careers?
  I used to work in a residential home for the elderly whilst the business was taking root. Ben used to fit milking parlours in the area and do relief milking.

• How can the organic market be improved?
  Through education and awareness. The more people understand the principles and feel connected to them, the more secure the industry will be. It must work from the ground roots up.
  
  Make organics simple, approachable and accessible. People with an increased awareness and interest in food will naturally turn to organics. The first step is to encourage people to cook, to enjoy the seasons and to buy locally. It must be a gradual movement and the consumers must feel like they are leading the way.

• What's the main benefit of being organic for you?
  Eating food which gives my body the nutrients and variety it needs. Watching how the natural world interacts with the produce we grow, and enjoying the whole culture of cooking and eating.

• What other organic ventures do you admire and why?
  Every other organic venture going. Specifically Pim Hill Farm in Shrewsbury who have remained organic for many years as we have, through harsh criticism and the pressures of industrialisation. I believe every organic farmer and business should be commended for his or her work.

• Supermarkets – good or bad?
  Bad in the way they work, but good in the service they provide customers.

• What is your favourite meal?
  Traditional English roast dinner.

• If I was Prime Minister I would...
  Put restrictions on food miles.

• The world would be a better place if...
  More people could understand the implications of their actions. If more people were involved with farms in some way.

• I'd like to be remembered for...
  My contribution towards community involvement in farming.

• What is your greatest fear?
  Probably losing the 12 acre field we still have not purchased. However, I do always try to see each problem as a challenge rather than a fear.

• What is your favourite word?
  Variety.

• What would be your 'Desert Island' luxury?
  Hamper of good organic food.

• Is the customer always right?
  In their eyes, yes.