Farming

Our farming business is now carbon negative. Read report.

Vision: Proving productive farming alongside abundant nature (whilst occasionally having a day off). 

The ambition at Rushmere Farm was always to grow food productively, whilst maintaining a place for wildlife. Now, the final steps towards certified organic, nature friendly farming have been taken in a commitment to grow nutrient dense, healthy food, with a positive environmental impact. If this is something that interests you, you have questions or you want to get involved, please get in touch. We are now running lots of workshops, volunteer days and feasts with opportunities to stay in a yurt, a shepherd’s hut or use the space for your own activities.

Farming is one of few industries that has the capacity to be carbon neutral, to bring about a net gain in biodiversity, and to improve human health. To affect this change the farm will initially see a dramatic reduction in crop yield, as a result of zero chemical inputs. The soil will recover, but it will take a minimum of 4 years, and whilst it is unlikely that we will ever again produce (e.g.) 3 tonnes of milling wheat per acre, the wheat (and other food) that we grow will contain a greater density (and variety) of minerals and vitamins. It feels like a bold step, to give back a level of control and to trust in nature to do its thing, but we feel that a local food system that is part of the ecosystem is incredibly important. Some areas may look a little messy up on the hill and we hope you don’t mind; these are designed to maintain something close to a natural ecosystem’s balance above and below the ground. The wildlife areas and cropping have been designed around the footpaths so that you can all enjoy them, without them being significantly impacted by humans and dogs.