Valley Fest is held in the fields neighbouring The Community Farm (TCF), which provides organic vegetable boxes to around 700 customers in the area.
So what exactly IS our relationship? After inheriting the land when his parents died, it was immediately obvious to Luke that what they had left behind needed to be shared with others. In 2008, he established organic growing at the site and the concept of a community farm was born. Given its stunning location and proximity to Bristol, it was the perfect place to establish a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project.
CSAs allow you to subscribe to the harvest of a farm – so it’s a win-win way of connecting growers with consumers. Luke was inspired by the many CSA projects he’d seen whilst travelling in the USA and thought the time was ripe for more of this in the UK. The Community Farm became a Community Interest Company co-founded by Luke with over 500 shareholders and is run by its team of staff and volunteers.
What can we look forward to at Valley Fest with the Community Farm?
Kim Brookes, the Managing Director, will be giving a short talk on the Lake Stage on Friday 2nd August 14:15 – 14:20. So please check that out.
And we’re on a mission to big them up as much as possible because not only do they grow GREAT vegetables, any profit from produce sold, funds hands-on learning experiences for local children, adults and vulnerable people.
In short, neighbours don’t come much cooler than this.