Elli Foxton - Cumbria Connect Nature Friendly Farming
Apprentice

From Teesside to the Lake District: Elli’s Path to Farming with Nature

Elli Foxton grew up on the estates of Teesside with "not a blade of grass around." Today, she's working on the Lake District fells with native cattle, helping to restore nature and working in a community committed to farming with nature.

A new film called Rural Futures: Elli's Path to Farming with Nature, follows the UK's first Nature-Friendly Farming Apprentice as she learns how livestock management, habitat restoration and conservation grazing can help revive some of Cumbria's most important landscapes.

Filmed across Wild Haweswater, Low Beckside Farm at The Ernest Cook Trust and the Lowther Estate, the story offers a rare look at nature recovery in action. From handling sheep and cattle to releasing Water Voles back into restored wetlands, Elli's journey shows how young people are shaping the future of farming and the wider countryside.

This film is part of the Cumbria Connect Apprenticeship Programme - delivered in partnership by the RSPB, Lowther Estate and The Ernest Cook Trust and funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme. The scheme helps new entrants start careers in land management, conservation and nature-based solutions.

Whether you're curious about farming, passionate about wildlife or exploring career paths in the outdoors, this film offers an inspiring look at what's possible when we work with the land for nature and productive farming.

You can watch the film below.