Case Study: Pinelog lodges at the heart of a farming revolution in Powys
“We’ve created a blueprint – a practical model for scaling new food systems with collaboration from local authorities, national government, charities, and private enterprise. Pinelog played an important part in making that happen.” – Gary Mitchell, CEO, Social Farms & Gardens
A pioneering farming initiative in Powys, Wales, is tackling the climate and nature crises, food insecurity, and rural regeneration – and three pre-owned Pinelog lodges are playing a central role in making it happen.
The Future Farms Partnership (FFP), a collaborative project led by charity Social Farms & Gardens, has purchased three high-quality, pre-owned lodges from Pinelog to provide homes for young farmers at their Wern Farm site in Powys, Mid Wales. The site is part of OurFood1200’s bold vision to grow all the fresh food consumed in Powys within the county itself.
Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Welsh Government’s ACPW3 programme, the initiative has unlocked land through a long-term lease from Powys County Council to create three micro-farms on a 36-acre plot. Each farm is intended to support full-time livelihoods while building a new food fresh food economy in Wales.
“We need to build a reliable and affordable supply of food for all – in the cities, the Valleys and our rural areas. We must do this in a way that also cuts carbon emissions and builds back nature,” explained Gary Mitchell, CEO of Social Farms & Gardens.
Adapting to Challenges: From Nissen Barns to Pinelog Lodges
Early plans to house the new farmers in Nissen barns were eventually shelved due to higher costs than budgets allowed for. This pivot led to the discovery of Pinelog’s pre-owned lodge collection.
“We very quickly had to find an alternative solution,” said Gary. “Timber lodges were on our radar to a degree, but new builds were beyond our budget. A Google search brought up Pinelog’s second-hand models, which were well-maintained, good-sized, and crucially, three of the same type were available to order. That was key to ensuring equity for our growers.”
Each lodge is a well-insulated, moveable home, a requirement under Powys planning policy for the first five years. After that period, and if the business model proves viable, permanent permission will be sought.
“We believe that if the Pinelog lodges are well looked after, they’ll easily last another 20 years,” added Gary. “That gives the option to move them to future farm sites or even allow tenants to apply for permanent planning if they want to stay in them long-term. This provides an affordable entry route to property ownership.”
Living and Working Sustainably
The three lodges have been sited together intentionally, helping to reduce infrastructure costs while encouraging collaboration among the farmers. Shared access also supports a communal approach to equipment, water, and energy.
“Creating new access points from the road is incredibly expensive,” explained Gary. “We wanted the site to function as a collective, sharing electricity, water, machinery and even labour.”
The homes are connected to water, drainage, and an off-grid energy system using a combination of solar, battery and generator power. Modifications have been made in the lodges to reduce electricity demand, including changing the electric heating for wood burners, removing electric showers in favour of those connected to hot water cylinders, and taking out energy hungry appliances like the dishwashers which all pre-owned loges have,
”We also plan to convert the current electric hob and ovens in the lodges to gas-powered alternatives to further reduce electricity consumption,” added Gary.
All three lead farmers are women, and the residents of the lodges include a single female farmer, a couple, and a young family. The community aspect is already proving a success, with shared infrastructure and plans to open the site for education visits, community events and to sell produce locally.
Gary said: “The Pinelog lodges are very liveable homes. All our farmers are enjoying the comfort and sense of place they offer.”
From Temporary to Permanent – A Pathway to Growth
Under the project’s structure, the farmers rent their land and homes on an initial five-year lease. In year four, discussions will begin about transferring to long-term, generational leases.
“We have a 95-year lease on the land. In year four, we hope to offer the remaining 90 years to the farmers. That would unlock capital for us to develop more farms. If the farmers are not in a position to purchase, then we’re already exploring partnerships with housing associations who could potentially take over ownership of the lodges,” said Gary.
The initiative has already spurred planning policy changes in Powys and the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons). Ahead of the farms being created, it was necessary to bring about new planning guidance to allow rural enterprises that are focused on sustainable and horticultural production. This was the first stage in order to gain permission to build homes on the farms.
The Sarn site is now seen as a blueprint for future projects, combining public, private, and third-sector collaboration.
“It’s very much a learning exercise and we are adapting as we go,” Gary reflected. “The pivot from Nissen barns to Pinelog lodges is a great example how the original ideas we had have evolved into something far more viable and replicable.”
Partnering with Pinelog
“Working with Pinelog helped turn a big idea into a practical reality,” said Gary.
“The team at Pinelog was brilliant at every stage, from sale to delivery and siting. Everything was on time and delivered at the price agreed.
“It was great to have someone we could pick up the phone to, who could hold our hands through the process. We’d never done anything like this before. We now have a clear costing model and options for future sites. It has worked really well for us.”
With more sites in the pipeline and demand for new farms growing, the Future Farms Partnership is showing how innovative housing, sustainable farming, and community-partnership can go hand in hand.
Project Summary:
- Client: Future Farms Partnership / Social Farms & Gardens
- Location: Sarn, Powys, Wales
- Lodges Provided: 3 pre-owned Pinelog lodges
- Purpose: Housing for new entrant farmers on three 10-acre micro farm plots
- Funding: UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Welsh Government ACPW3
Impact: Sustainable homes, new jobs in farming, food system resilience
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