By Saul Cooke-Black

FIELDS near Stroud will be turned into a community farm after generous residents clubbed together to raise funds.

Nearly 200 people pledged £250 or more to raise to buy 41 acres of Hammonds Farm, near Hawkwood College in Stroud, after a fundraising bid was launched by The Biodynamic Land Trust.

More than £320,000 has been raised in total, enough for the sale to go ahead.

The land will be used for food growing projects and there will also be a starter farm for young entrant farmers.

It has been backed by leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett who called it an 'excellent plan.'

Martin Large, director of the Trust, said: "This is the national biodynamic community investing in what could become not just a community farm, but also a base for biodynamic organisations.

"Local people want to protect farm land for a living, working countryside, to create jobs, preserve wild life, grow good food and for a beautiful landscape.

"People wanting to use the land include a micro dairy, a goat farm, a starter farm and market garden for young farmers, grazing for cattle and sheep, plus education, training and care farming.

‘This farm gives Stroud people the opportunity to invest in their own community for food security, real family farming and to protect our living, working countryside.

"It will become a beautiful green oasis at the heart of the community."

The Trust is still appealing for people to invest in the project, with an estimated £51,000 shortfall.

Stroud Community Agriculture will farm most of the 41 acres using a variety of methods to regenerate the land.

Stroud-based Green Party MEP Molly Scott Cato said: "This farm is a brilliant demonstration of how restoring and enhancing the ecological fertility of land can have huge social and economic benefits for local communities.

"Re-localising our economies around sustainably productive land can help provide food security while providing education, training and job opportunities for local people."

For more information visit www.biodynamiclandtrust.org.uk.