50 Farmers’ Tales is a unique study of the dramatic and wide-ranging changes in Kent farming over the last 50 years. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the University of Kent, in-depth interviews with 50 local farmers on how their farms have changed during this period were conducted and recorded by staff and students in the School of Anthropology and Conservation. Combined with an analysis of geographical and historical data, the maps provided a macroscopic view of change in land use, while the interviews provided the rich and detailed stories of how change was perceived and responded to on the ground. This data forms a valuable open-access archive of personal, social and environmental change in Kent from 1965 – 2015.
As part of the University of Kent’s ongoing relationship with the surrounding landscape, the school hopes this archive will be of use to researchers, farmers and the interested public.