New Organic Entrepreneurs Program

Last Friday we attended the first session of the seven-month Soil Association pilot program supporting new organic entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.

We gathered at the picturesque Woodoaks Farm with a group of amazing individuals, all operating nature-based businesses, to participate in a series of introductory sessions and a tour of the farm and its various operational components including their compost club and Rickeys Alkaline Market Garden.

After quick-fire introductions, we were asked to explore our individual and business values to see where they aligned and to draw our vision for our businesses in five years...…introducing the Project Grow Community Farm.

After lunch and a wonderful farm tour, we moved on to developing our mission statements, business model canvas, and our four next steps facilitated by both Andrea and Emma.

We will provide updates on the program as it progresses, so stay tuned to our blog. Meanwhile, please follow and support the below businesses joining us on this journey.

• James Marsh – Rigsby’s Seasonal Foods, Nottingham. Food & drink products from grown/surplus/foraged foods

• Flo Popoff – Gamrie Gardens, Aberdeenshire. Market Garden, community space.

• Lauren Haley - Macc Market Garden, Macclesfield. Market Garden looking to grow.

• Luke Neve – Cuppa Tea, Sheffield. Fertiliser and compost for home market.

• Marcia Martin -- Grace Legacy Centre, Nottingham. Organic drinks and African/Caribbean-cooked meals for care homes

• Tilly Gomersall - Can Y Pridd, Powys. Market Garden in time looking to expand to field size. Seed production, local procurement.

• Matt Green – City Farmhouse, Plymouth. Growing blue oyster mushrooms in a church basement with direct sales, extracts and kits

• Matt Green – The Green Garden, Norfolk. Market Garden.

• Will & Liv Norton -- Rootle at Hole Farm, Devon. Cooking, courses and training, taking on a new farm tenancy

• Peter Whitby – Whitby’s Family Farm, Slough. Beef herd, return to family farm.

• Piers Lunt – Bremenda Isaf, Carmarthenshire. Market Garden expanding to field scale, local procurement.

• Poppy Nicol -- Tyfu Coed, Vale of Glamorgan. Market Garden and CSA.

• Preeti Taluja – Grannyish, Greater London. Healthy snacks for online market.

• River Anderson – Pemboa Flower Farm, Cornwall. Flower farm, direct sales to florists and farmers markets.

• Tenesia and Danny Pascal – Earths Farm CIC, Carmarthenshire. British & African/Caribbean/South Asian veg & herbs

Please also follow the Soil Association and of course us @weareprojectgrow.

Claire.