I think farmers in most areas are really cautious, like everyone else they do not want bad neighbours. My mum and stepfather sold a house and five acres, at the time free-range eggs was all the go, and the buyer wanted a commercial hen shed, I said they were foolish to agree, and what happens when it goes bust. Five years late its derelict in the back paddock, and they have sold the house and land to a HGV driver who knackers their drive that was over a mile long, with a huge lorry. They are moaning, but they took the money. I agree with voluntary groups, its usually cheap labour to fund a lifestyle. I would look at Cambridgeshire, there are some cheap spots, and my husband could commute into London. There are also jobs on the land which may not be well paid, but it's a way to get in the know, and find out the pitfalls, there are still plenty of houses with large garden/plots. Ours is a disused dairy farm, but the land is clay so it needs two winters and a foot of muck to grow anything. I tried pig share, the lady in the next village was lovely, but even with a contract, she turned up with five kids in tow, was panicked when she got a shock off the electric fence, and I ended up doing the work part of the pig keeping. The bigger the piece of land the cheaper it is to buy per acre, so I would look at larger acreage and see if you can get a partner. Across from me is 30acres owned by someone who has just parked their money in it. The previous owner rented it out, it was left a ploughed field, now starting to go to scrub, and I have my few cows on a part of it in the summer, they have no interest at all in the land.My ideas, were a micro dairy, scuppered because I was really ill last year, and need to downsize, and a shop co-operative. We have a lot of people who sell stuff from the gate, but its just passing trade. My idea was a farm small producer shop where they could leave their stuff, its barcoded EPOS, and I get a percentage, with them hopefully getting increased sales. Lockdown got people shopping local but it all takes time and it is easier to shop in one place. If you want a trip to the sticks once lockdown is over you are welcome to come. It's not that isolated, its three miles from Scewfix.