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Background

Jack Stilwell, a student at Harper Adams University, launched a fundraising campaign with a target of raising £4,000 in two months to expand his small beef herd. Despite national media coverage, he raised only £300 by the end of the campaign.

Outcome

• A U.S. farmer who had read about Jack's effort offered the full £4,000, impressed by his tenacity and eagerness. In return, Jack agreed to share his experience and, if successful, to help someone else in the future—a condition inspired by the U.S. farmer's own history of receiving help and "paying it forward."
• A West Sussex farmer agreed to a share farming project, giving Jack 600 additional acres of farmland from summer 2015, with a 50/50 share of the cattle.
• Jack's social media campaign (hashtag #GetJackFarming) gained Twitter support from other farmers.
• A London venture capitalist expressed interest in investing in the business as a result of the campaign.

Next Steps

Jack will take on 50 more acres and buy 10 Herefords with the U.S. donor's funds. The share farming arrangement begins in 2015, with the goal of building the herd to around 200 head. The £300 originally raised was used to buy three additional Angus calves.

Reflection

Jack acknowledged the campaign's risk of failure, faced criticism, but remained open and transparent. He emphasized that trying was essential despite setbacks. The story highlights share farming as a valuable model for experienced farmers to support new entrants while easing their own workload.