Food is our most intimate and vital commodity, yet too many of us have lost touch with the reality of where it comes from and how it is produced. Farm to Fork: The Challenge of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain attempts to address this knowledge gap by taking the reader on a seasonal tour of a British lowland family farm to explain the realities of modern agricultural life. Drawing on a lifetime of experience, the author illustrates how our food is produced and why our farmed landscape looks the way it does. Along the way, he addresses issues around the environment, climate change, trade and why Britain’s exit from the European Union is such a significant moment for UK food production. Agriculture is the core of a £122bn food and farming sector, and Farm to Fork demonstrates the pride, hard work and heart which goes into every mouthful of Great British produce.

'This book offers a compelling insight into the challenges and rewards of farming. A must-read for any agriculture student, it will also appeal to those with an interest in their food, as well as the farmers who produce it.' * Farmers Weekly *
For now, the battle to defend farming against cavalier politicians, unscrupulous capitalists and ignorant environmentalists continues to be waged in the media by its champions, notably NFU president Minette Batters, who has written the foreword. Mr Stanley has made a heartfelt contribution to that fight. -- Jamie Blackett * Country Life *
'A wonderfully-detailed and candid account of the life of a British farmer. Farm to Fork offers something for everyone, no matter their background.' * Country Squire Magazine *
'The book gives an insight into the hundreds of decisions affecting what ends up on our plate, how farming life has changed, and how it might look in years to come.' -- James Swyer * Gamewise (GWCT) *
'It is, at its core, a love letter from one farmer, to an entire industry.' * Farmers Guide *
'Author Joe Stanley writes with pride and knowledge, and his book is a great read.' * NFU Countryside Magazine, September 2023 *
'Joe Stanley’s Farm to Fork is a straightforward and enlightening journey through Britain’s farming year.' * Keeping the Balance, Winter 2023 *

Joe Stanley is a farmer, conservationist and writer and a passionate ambassador for sustainability and high standards in food and farming who is often to be seen in the farming and national press advocating for positive change in our food system and explaining the realities of modern agriculture to wider society. Experienced in arable, beef and dairy farming, since 2021 Joe has worked at The Allerton Project, a research and demonstration farm in Leicestershire, UK, which since 1992 has sought to demonstrate how food production and a thriving natural environment can co-exist side-by-side. In 2020 Joe was awarded the National Farmers Union’s Meurig Raymond Award for farming advocacy and in 2022 Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies in recognition of distinguished achievement within farming. In 2021 he released his first book, ‘Farm to Fork: The Challenge of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain’ with Quiller. He is married with two children, and two mostly trusty Jack Russell terriers.