From Crisis to Calling

Not long ago, Geoffrey Williams didn’t see a future for themself or their family’s farm. A reliance on inputs and formulaic methods had taken the joy out of farming. Geoffrey felt like they were stuck on a never-ending treadmill. “I found myself increasingly disengaged from conventional farming. I was nihilistic, depressed, and suicidal because I couldn’t see a way forward,” they explain. “I knew something had to change.”

An unexpected conversation about soil biology with a farming friend sparked an awakening. Geoffrey realized that by seeing the farm as a living system, resilience could be built so that inputs were no longer needed. "This reignited my passion for farming beyond just food production," Geoffrey explains. "I began to see the farm as a living system. This shift to working with nature saved my life.”

In 2018, Geoffrey began to implement regenerative and holistic practices across their family’s farm, Tretharrup, where they raise cattle across 120 hectares of Cornish countryside near the coast. They immersed themselves in learning about soil health.

“Transitioning to regenerative farming changed how I live, see, and experience the world around me,” Geoffrey shares. “I became more open to new experiences. I let go of rules and societal dogmas that were holding me back. I started exploring other passions outside of farming. It’s been a deeply personal, spiritual, and mental journey that changed everything.”

Transforming 120 Hectares in Cornwall

The Williams family farm had been locked in conventional production cycles for decades. Geoffrey began the transition by questioning everything about conventional farming's focus on maximum yield at any cost.

The clay soils, typical of Cornwall, presented both challenges and opportunities for transformation. Herbal leys now flourish where monocultures once dominated—plantain, chicory, diverse grasses, and legumes creating a living carpet. The cattle graze holistically across the land, their health monitored through preventative programs that have dramatically reduced antibiotic dependence.

The farm still uses some conventional inputs like artificial nitrogen and some pesticides for fungus and viruses in wheat. But Geoffrey has a clear timeline to phase these out through targeted applications, reduced rates, holistic management, increased soil testing, and changing focus away from yield as the key performance indicator. "It can be hard to know if the hopes and visions we have can be financially viable," they admit honestly.

Recognition has followed: First place from the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group in Cornwall, runner-up in Southwest England. Most recently, Beef Farmer of the Year for the Southwest and runner-up for Sustainability Farmer of the Year. "I'm proud of my track record," Geoffrey says, "from winning champion at local cattle shows early in my career to being runner-up at Young Farmer of the Year in Cornwall."

Supporting Fellow Farmers

Geoffrey's journey with mental health opened their eyes to the struggles of other farmers. "Rural communities are an underserved group when it comes to mental health," they emphasize. "There is much work to be done addressing the high numbers of suicide in farming populations, especially men.”

Geoffrey envisions Tretharrup as a healing space offering walk-and-talk eco-therapy among the herbal leys. They have been pursuing a degree in therapeutic counseling training and are developing workshops on stress management and suicide prevention specifically for agricultural communities. "There is a growing need for mental health services and allowing farmers to exchange with one another to feel more valued and understood."

Geoffrey is committed to exchanging ideas and bringing more life onto the farm. Tretharrup frequently hosts educational farm walks and engages with politicians, artists, students, and veterinarians to bring new perspectives in.

Through social media, Geoffrey shares their journey with mental health while showing that not all farms are factories. “When I let go of the idea that a farm can only be used for food production, it opened up many new, exciting opportunities for ways to innovate and change,” Geoffrey shares. They envision Tretharrup supporting diversity in all its forms whether that be in people, animals, plant life, and more. “Exploring ‘What is a farm?’ is one of the most important questions we can ask today,” Geoffrey reflects.

Geoffrey Williams proves that vulnerability and farming aren't incompatible. Mental health matters just as much as soil health and that sometimes the most revolutionary act is simply staying alive to farm another day.