Helen Rebanks: The Farmer’s Wife

Helen Rebanks lives on a farm in the Lake District with her husband James and their four children. There are also six sheepdogs, two ponies, 20 chickens, 50 cattle and 500 sheep to care for. Helen is a farmer’s wife and hers is a story that is rarely told, despite being one we think we know.

This debut memoir takes place across one day at the farm and offers the chance for us to think about where our food comes from and who puts it on the table. In its pages, Helen provides recipes, lists and gentle wisdom to help us get through our days.

Helen Rebanks is a farmer, a businesswoman, a teacher, a conservationist, a working mother – and a cook. Her family work as a tight-knit team that have made their farm globally important with their farming innovations and encouragement of sustainability.

Chaired by Claire Malcolm, New Writing North