Lynn Cassells is a Croft Farmer at Lynbreck Croft in the Highlands of Scotland and you can find her on episode 3 of the Big Juicy Creative podcast. Lynn and her wife, an archaeologist and librarian by background, had never done any farming before but decided to buy 150 acres and give it a bash. As you’ll hear – when it comes to creative thinking, this lack of knowledge has actually been a big bonus. What makes them different from traditional farmers is their emphasis on working with nature, rather than against it.
Here are some of her favourite quotes:
“We had no background in farming. We never wanted to be farmers. But we bought 150 acres. It sounds scary and bonkers but it just felt right.”
“Nature is the most efficient system. She is more efficient than any system humankind ever created. Nature will always win.”
“Knowledge is power but it can blinker you from other opportunities in front of you”
“We’ve turned our backs too much on the planet we live on. We get a bit too clever.”
“There’s a phrase we live by that we got from another farmer. ‘Work with what you’ve got’.”
“If you’re trying to be creative look inward and be honest and true with yourself. It’s amazing what you can then drag out of your inner qualities.”
“One of the most amazing things and one of the most exhausting things about being at Lynbreck Croft is the inspiration is just constant, and that’s just by opening our eyes to what’s around us.”
“I would never call myself a creative person. I don’t think I am.”
(So says the woman who is reinventing farming, with no farming background, and has received awards for innovation. Hmmmm. Clearly, when it comes to creativity, something has got lost in translation....)
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