Cumbria’s farming and food story is being brought into focus through Nourish Cumbria, an innovative digital platform designed to showcase the county’s rich agricultural heritage and vibrant food economy.
Developed through a collaboration of leading organisations across the region, Nourish Cumbria is creating what will become the first interactive map of Cumbria’s agricultural landscape. The platform will provide a comprehensive picture of how food is produced, processed and enjoyed across the county, connecting farms, food producers, businesses, residents and visitors.
At its heart, Nourish Cumbria aims to celebrate the vital role that farming plays in Cumbria’s economy, communities and identity. The platform will feature detailed case studies from farms and food producers across a wide range of sectors, alongside a visual map tracing the journey of local food from field to fork.
The project has a clear ambition: to recognise, protect and strengthen the food produced by Cumbria’s hundreds of family farms while supporting the long-term future of the county’s rural sector.
The platform will help achieve this by:
• Showcasing the outstanding food produced across Cumbria, highlighting the world-class quality of the county’s farming and food sector
• Educating the public about where their food comes from, and how it is produced locally
• Creating opportunities to connect farmers and growers with residents and visitors, encouraging agritourism and sharing the stories behind Cumbria’s food
Building the Map of Cumbria’s Food System
The initial phase of the project focuses on gathering information from farms and food businesses across the county to help build and populate the platform.
In future phases, the digital map will expand to include allied industries that support farming, alongside a detailed economic impact assessment measuring the value of spending on Cumbrian produce and the wider contribution of the sector to the regional economy.
A Collaborative Cumbrian Initiative
In addition to ourselves, Nourish Cumbria has been developed through a partnership of organisations committed to supporting the county’s farming and food sector, including the Food Cumberland Partnership, Cumberland Council, National Farmers' Union, University of Cumbria, Cumbria Farmer Network, Paragon Veterinary Group and Cumbria Tourism.
Richard Rankin, CEO of H&H Group Plc, who played an integral role in initiating the project, said: “Cumbria’s farmers and growers underpin our economy, our communities and our identity. Nourish Cumbria is about recognising and celebrating that contribution, creating new opportunities, and making the connections between producers, local businesses and visitors more visible than ever before.”
Take Part in the Nourish Cumbria Survey
To help build the platform, farmers, growers and food businesses across the county are being invited to complete a short survey. The information gathered will help demonstrate the importance of farming to Cumbria’s economy while also giving participating businesses greater visibility to local communities, policymakers and visitors.
Take part in the survey here Let’s put Cumbrian food producers on the map!