Dan Edwards and Joe Buxton have started work at Stroud Community Agriculture (SCA) in Wick Street in time for the start of this year’s growing season.
They’ve joined a team at the farm which was one of the first community schemes in Britain and is one of the largest, with almost 300 members.
Mr Buxton grew up in Stroud and has worked in horticulture for the last ten years.
He said he’s delighted to have made the move into the role of grower at a community farm.
He added that he’s very pleased about a recent development on the farm.
“Just as I arrived, we installed a rainwater harvesting system which feeds overhead sprinklers in the polytunnels, and it’s solar-powered,” he said.
Mr Buxton said he is finding the way the farm works very rewarding.
He said: “It’s a community effort where everyone pulls together.
“And on Wednesdays the team is joined by a group of 15 volunteers, who are a massive help.”
Mr Edwards came to Stroud from East Anglia.
Earlier in his career, he worked in schools and then in digital media.
He then discovered production horticulture through volunteering at Sims Hill in Bristol and took his first commercial growing job for a farm shop in the Cotswolds.
For the past three years, he’s been growing veg on a farm in Norfolk as part of an organic box scheme.
He said he’s excited to have made the move to SCA:
“I really like the fact that the veg we grow gets eaten locally and there’s very little packaging,” he said.
“It’s an alternative economy with very few food miles.”
He also enjoys the unique location of the farm, overlooking the town and the Five Valleys.
He said: “It’s in a beautiful place surrounded by stunning hills and ancient pathways.”
The farm welcomes new members who can buy a weekly share of the locally grown seasonal veg.
Members can also take part in events like the harvest festival and the summer fair as well as join the group of volunteers working on the land.
Stroud Community Agriculture is also part of a twinning scheme with Somali Kitchen, a Bristol-based community food organisation.
For further information, visit the Stroud Community Agriculture website.
