We are delighted to be taking part in Agroforestry Open Weekend 2023
Our farm
We are a small (6ha) family-run veganic, forest farm near Faversham in East Kent. We have been farming (on leased land) since 2018 and are in the process of relocating most of our farm to new land that we have purchased. It is the latter that you will be visiting.
On our current (leased) site, we have grown heritage wheat and some annual veg. We have also established a short-rotation coppice willow stand.
We live off-grid and all our water is harvested from rain. We use no single use plastic or concrete.
Our aim is to be community sufficient – we love to collaborate with other like-minded folks and ethical businesses. Our markets are very local – maximum 10 mile radius and all deliveries are made using EV vehicles.
We have planning permission to build a barn. This will be made from locally coppiced wood – chestnut and poplar (hopefully this summer).
We are certified as organic with the Soil Association.
We are members of the Vegan Organic Network, the Landworkers’ Alliance and the South East Grain Alliance.
Our agroforestry
Over the past two winters we have relocated 32 mulberry trees, 60 crop hazels and a variety of food forest trees.
We are creating a 2 acre food forest and the rest of the farm is being designed as alley cropping, platts and orchards as well as a vineyard (for juice grapes). We will also be adding a new short rotation coppice willow area. These are all a work in progress.
This winter we have been adding new rabbit netting around the whole site and planting new hedgrows, shelterbelts and food forest trees, including shelterbelts of Autumn Olive and Sea Buckthorn, top fruit and nuts, berries and some ground cover strawberries, raspberries and herbs. The food forest is well underway.
Our fencing, shelterbelt and hedgerow trees have been funded by Kent Downs AONB – Farming in Protected Landscapes fund and our recent food forest trees have been funded by Plants for a Future. The food forest and other alley cropped trees that we have moved from our leased site were funded by the Woodland Trust’s PUR Agroforestry fund.
Our aim is to focus on perennial polyculture across the entire farm and employ a no-till approach. We will also be trialling other heritage cereals using a no-till, continuous grain cropping approach and have been working on creating our own landrace wheat.
how to find us
We are on Shepherd’s Hill, the road that runs south from the hamlet of Hogben’s Hill, Selling, near Faversham, Kent.
We do not yet have a postal address (this may have changed by May) but here is a dropped pin.
Please do ring Jo (07912 087599) on the day if you cannot find us.
agroforestry open weekend 2023
Over Agroforestry Open Weekend 2023 we will be open on the 19th from 11am to 4pm and on the 21st from 12 to 4pm.
Jo will be giving hour tours starting at 11.30, 1.30 and 2.30 on the Friday and 12.30 and 2pm on the Sunday.
Please let us know that you are coming by texting Jo on 07912 087599. This will help us with car parking and refreshments.
We are a veganic farm – please do not bring any non-vegan food onto the site. Thank you 🙂
facilities/refreshments
We have a compost loo on site.
parking/access
We are 25 minutes walk from Selling Station.
If driving, please park in the area marked once you enter the farm.
dogs
Dogs are welcome as long as their human companions are well-behaved 😉
disability access
Our site is mainly flat and grassland. There is only a hard standing track at the entrance area. You should be OK with an off-road wheelchair as long as the weather has not been too wet. Please contact us to check.
more information?
Please text Jo to book your place: 07912 087599.