Can't work out if this small holding co op is a great idea or a con

[11NigelTufnel]

I recently saw something for a cooperative farm that is selling shares of their land and farming in a regenerative, organic, high welfare way. It sounds amazing and a great place to visit, especially if you lived close enough to go regularly. Only you are essentially paying them to own a bit of their land and getting to visit and maybe do a bit of farm gardening for them for free. You don't get any produce unless you pay for it.

https://mylittlefarm.uk/

I love the idea of being part of a green revolution and the access to the location would be great if you live close. But is it just an incredibly expensive way to get a veg box? You can sell the land on to a new person wanting to buy in, so it has real value, but if you put the money in shares you would get dividends too. It is an interesting concept.

Sounds exactly like the model used in that Chateau programme.

I don't know that one. Is it the Dick nad Angel program? I watched it at the, but not for ages now.

So you pay them for the land, do all the hard work but don’t even get to keep what you grow without paying for it? That’s ridiculous.

@TheFlis you pay for the land, but don't need to docany work. They employ people to do that, but you can go help on a Friday if you want. I found out about it searching for gardening jobs and a head gardener for this place came up. I am not close enough or remotely qualified for it though.

Yes, the Dick and Angel one. You pay them to work as you get an 'experience' by doing so. The prices they charge are crazy. The scheme you mentioned sounds more wholesome. Farmers are getting such a bad deal post brexit that I can't blame them for trying out innovative schemes to get more money in.
Government are trying to pay farmers to rewild/not farm and then saying that it's for the good of the country to be more dependent on importing from more countries. It's good for their stupid tariff free deals with the other side of the world. (Where animal welfare is lower than we allow in the UK)

The "about us" doesn't tell you much! No names, no legal details.

The concept seems to be about cos-playing, like Marie Antoinette.

Thing is, a lot of people are very opinionated about how things should be grown... and those who arent are likely to be beginners. And... those who are free on a Friday are more likely to be retired or unwell or on maternity. So a fair number will be difficult to manage and potentially not that usefull when it comes to growing edibles. Obviously not everyone!

And its exceptionally difficult to produce a wide range of food year-round organically, so I get why they want people to buy/sponsor some land to cover the almost inevitable financial losses /lack of profit.

Personally I wouldnt be paying for it, but I know people who would.

What happens if the scheme doesn't generate enough funds to sustain itself?

What happens if the scheme makes a profit?

Neither answered in their FAQs.

I quite like the idea of doing it as home education for my child that wants to be a farmer. I think a lot more could be learned there than at the allotment as it is on a commercial scale. I haven't worked out a way to hone ed yet as I have to work, so it is definitely just a dream. I also don't have a grand to drop on a hobby.

So you own the land but you can only visit on Fridays for a bit of performative hoeing, or you can pay extra and pay to stay in a tent for the weekend. You have to buy the food that has been farmed on your land. And that is special ‘beyond organic’ food (no idea what that means), and you have to pay £995 for the privilege? Hmm, well if you want somewhere to go on Fridays where you can chat with people like you then I guess you’re really paying £995 to join a club and get access to special fruit and veg then I guess that could work. It could be a good way to make friends with people who share your interests and values. They would almost certainly be quite posh so there could be good networking opportunities, so why not? It could be fun. If you want to eat food you grow yourself then you could grow stuff in your back garden or get an allotment.

Sounds like the investors are victims of fraud.

I didn't join, decided it was a con. They did keep emailing me about setting up villages across the country, which also didn't seem to make any sense. I unsubscribed. Sad to hear that peopaare losing out.

It sounds like Community-Supported Agriculture, which is a well-established model that's been around for decades: https://communitysupportedagriculture.org.uk/

Oh ok, posted before the page had refreshed - reading the updates now.

We have an organic growing coop locally you pay an annual membership (£20) then volunteer. You get a discount on produce. Everything is a £1-2 a bag / punnet. I always think of it a bit like a giant allotment.

Hey @Putneymum101 - I’ve sent you a message.

Hi to TheLemonMentor. Thank you for your DM. I have tried to reply but my reply doesn't seem to send (I'm not very familiar with this site!). I've asked MN admin for help.Hopefully will be able to respond to you soon. I'm not a MyLittleFarm member, but I know a couple of other founder members who've been trying hard to get their money back for ages, but to no avail.

Hey @Putneymum101 - thank you, sent you another DM. Hope they can sort it out. I agree it’s a bit hard to use this website, I had to work it out too.

It looks very AI generated to me

Another message for TheLemonMentor: thankyou so much for your second private message. I'm still struggling to reply direct - MN have recommended me to clear cookies or use another browser. Hopefully I'll be able to reply direct to you tomorrow. Definitely interested to be in touch.

I have had a very bad experience with My Little Farm. I have twice asked how to sell my share - they don’t acknowledge the requests. Now they are asking for more money to buy more land. I am worried that this will be more money down the drain for a lot of people. The owners seem to be living in a bubble where only their feelings count, no consideration for others.

My Little Farm was given a food hygiene rating of 1/5 in December 2025. Major improvement necessary.

Dear AlisonJS. Thankyou for your private messages to me and TheLemonMentor yesterday. Good to be in touch.