Community farm plan to continue after funds setback

Casha Bowles-Jones and her husband wanted to buy at least part of the farm to ensure it remains organic

A couple have said they will fight on after their bid to raise at least £800,000 to set up a community-owned farm fell short of its target.

Casha Bowles-Jones, who farms there with her husband Adam, had said they wanted to buy Babbinswood Farm in Shropshire, to ensure it remains an organic operation.

Their Babbinswood Farm Community Benefit Society has raised £130,000 since February, but it was given a deadline of 30 September to get the full amount in.

The society said it understood the landowner now planned to listen to other offers.

The Bowles-Jones are the fifth generation of the family to farm at Babbinswood, but said it had to be sold because of a family break-up.

Their original target was £1,449,000, but that was later reduced to £800,000.

'Not the end for us'

They were fundraising by selling "shares" in the farm, which they said would then be "community owned" and farmed by them.

Their society said the landowner was "still strongly in favour of community ownership".

Society director Patricia Gibbons, said: "The landowner has waited a long time to facilitate the community purchase, and we are so grateful, but she can't wait forever."

She said the appeal would continue until the end of the year in the hope all or part of the land would still be available to purchase.

Despite failing to meet their target, Ms Gibbons said: "This isn't the end for us. We are going to keep fundraising for as long as we can to save as much land as we can."