As you leave Shipton under Wychwood and take the road north towards Chipping Norton you’ll see a sign with a rather intriguing name; FarmED.
This is the brainchild of Ian and Celene Wilkinson, who have taken 35 years to realise their dream of buying a farm and establishing a centre to bring communities together to share ideas on creating sustainable agricultural, rich ecological environments. Providing spaces in which to learn, facilitated by enthusiastic and knowledgeable experts, FarmED is proving to be exactly what is needed at this time.
A wide range of courses for those whose life is food and farming attracts both locals and visitors from further afield throughout the year. Some are simple day or half day events whilst others take place over a longer period. They’re a great way for producers to come together, explore new ideas and share knowledge. Local farming cluster groups also meet periodically and new initiatives, for such things as river eco management, gain interest and support through these events.
The popular Friday Farm Walk is open to all-comers. Led by founder and director Ian Wilkinson, visitors are taken around the farm to learn how soil fertility can be improved through heritage wheat production, herbal leys, and mob grazing. With no artificial fertilisers or pesticides used, the habitat is buzzing with insects and birds. The wetland, established to deal naturally with flood management, is another rich habitat visitors can explore, and further up the hillside the heritage orchard showcases 250 different fruit trees – including 51 Oxfordshire varieties.
Also hosted on the farm is The Dairy @Honeydale, a micro dairy of four Austrian Fleckvieh cows. The dairy is in its second year and runs on a high welfare system with the calves remaining with their mothers and the cows being milked just once a day. All the milk is pasteurised and bottled on site, and it then goes out for use in the FarmEAT Cafe, in the veg boxes and to other interested customers.
You might say that FarmED is a hive of activity; not only alive with the bees from the apiaries out in the fields (which provide the wonderful honey available in FarmEAT) but also from those who drop in for coffee or lunch, help out in the Kitchen Garden or attend one of the many and varied courses. It has certainly captured the imagination of all those for whom food, animal welfare and sustainability are of genuine concern and it’s certain to be providing a space for discussion for many years to come.
Please note: The FarmEAT cafe is open Monday - Friday from 10am-4.00pm.
If a major event is running the cafe may be closed to outside visitors. To avoid disappointment please check at farm-ed.co.uk @realfarmed