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A home-grown exhibition opens early June at Clitheroe Castle Museum, celebrating the pivotal role women play in the success of family farms in the remote uplands of the Forest of Bowland.

'Women in Farming - Empowering Women, Champions of Upland Farming’ is a collection of portraits, interviews and recordings which capture the essence of life on upland family farms in remote rural areas like the Forest of Bowland.

Dedicated to women in farming around the world, the exhibition has been curated by Tarja Wilson, from the Forest of Bowland National Landscape Partnership, who has worked with farming communities for more than 30 years.

Inspired by meeting dozens of strong, independent women who play essential roles on their family farms, Tarja created the exhibition. She captured the content on-site at over a dozen farms throughout the National Landscape.

"I couldn’t fail to be inspired by all the strong, independent farming women I’ve met over the years, and I think there are more women directly involved in farming now than ever.

In what has always been such a traditionally male-dominated industry, I felt it was the perfect time to capture a ‘snapshot in history’ sharing portraits, interviews and recordings of just some of the many women playing such an integral role today".

The portraits are accompanied by a soundscape weaving interviews with female farmers together with the sounds of Bowland recorded with young people from the fringes of the area by artist Rob St John as part of his ‘Are You Lost?’ project. Are You Lost? is part of the nationwide National Landscapes Association ‘Nature Calling’ outdoor community arts programme.

Tarja’s project recently attracted the attention of the BBC’s Countryfile programme, who visited the Forest of Bowland to interview her about the project.  They were interested in meeting the women who inspired the photography which included farmers Sarah Whitwell and Christine Scott.

Christine Scott and her daughter Liz, farm 2,500 acres on a family-run mixed cattle and sheep farm standing at more than 1,000ft above sea level above Slaidburn.

“We had to overcome a lot of challenges down the years,” said Christine. “From sheep rustling in the early years to digging lambs and ewes out of snowdrifts and persuading various breeds of livestock to return to the fields after they’d strayed into the farmhouse.

Elsewhere in the National Landscape, Sarah Whitwell runs a 185-acre mixed dairy and sheep farm with husband Graham on the edge of the picture postcard village of Waddington. Despite working in an utterly idyllic location, Sarah doesn’t sugar-coat the reality of life of a family farm.

"When it’s pitch-black and hailing sideways at 4:30am on a March morning, you’ve got to go and find a ewe who’s struggling to deliver and then, you need to make sure you’re back to get the kids up and give them breakfast before taking them to school. Maybe you grab a bite to eat, and then your day job starts. At times like these, you do sometimes ask yourself why you put yourself through it."

To read more about these stories and see these women captured as part of the exhibition, visit the Steward's Gallery at Clitheroe Castle Museum between June 7 and 31 August.  Claire Sutton, Clitheroe Castle Museum's manager said:

"Women have always been at the heart of the farming community and we are delighted to host an exhibition which celebrates their invaluable contribution through photographs and artefacts that tell stories of strength, tradition, and innovation."

The exhibition will tour various locations across the Forest of Bowland, including at the Hodder Valley Show in September.

Thursday 22nd May - 10:30am to 4:00pm

Join us this spring to explore the wonderfully wild Forest of Bowland for observation, conversation, reflection and a guided creative writing workshop in the middle of Gisburn Forest – Lancashire’s largest expanse of woodland.

 Learn how to look deeply at the natural world and record thoughts and feelings on paper or on your tablet. Get tips on blogging, digital photography, starting a nature diary and bringing it altogether in a regular journal.

 This workshop takes place in an idyllic rural location with direct access to woodlands and meadows and is led by Mark Sutcliffe, a former editor of Country Walking and Lakeland Walker magazines and a regular contributor to some of the UK’s leading outdoor magazines – including Countryfile, Landscape and Country Living.

 Much of the course content will take place outdoors, but participants will have full access to toilets and indoor spaces throughout the day.

 Mark will offer mentoring and guidance on finding your voice, fieldwork and observation, pace and structure and – perhaps most importantly – getting started and establishing a writing habit.

 This course is designed to help aspiring writers develop their own distinctive voice and style with a mix of observation, reflection, conversation and mentoring. It is suitable for writers who want to use tablets to capture and tell their stories and those who prefer more traditional techniques such as sketching and making field notes in a nature diary.

Suitable for adults and accompanied older children.

£45 per person

Please book via this link: LCC Events