Down Farm market garden occupies just 3 acres of the total 90 acre farm, the rest being used for  pasture, rearing cattle and growing silage. Actual cultivated land is approximately an acre.

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Henry has been working on organic farms across the South West since graduating from Brighton University in 2011, including completing the Soil Association‘s Future Growers apprenticeship scheme at Daylesford Organics.

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Liv studied at Sussex University, and later at King’s College London, specialising in Environmental Politics and Economics and then went on to qualify in Practical Horticulture at urban growing projects in London. Whilst in London Liv was working in various sustainability organisations that specialise in waste management.

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In 2015 – 2016 Henry and Liv went working/wwoofing on farms in the UK and Australia learning about everything from commercial scale fruit production, small scale fruit picking, to market gardening. Liv and Henry then returned home and opened Down Farm market garden in 2017 in Winkleigh, Devon.

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Josh studied History at the University of York and then worked in London for a number of years, but never really connected with the work or city living that much. In between all this he would spend months volunteering on organic farms in Europe where he fell in love with the countryside, way of life and feeding local communities. Josh learnt a great deal from these experiences and even more back in the UK on the farms I’ve worked on.

 

For Josh it’s all about the food, the stuff that makes us and the care and energy that goes into nurturing a seed into something that people get to eat and enjoy, with all the different colours, tastes and textures that comes with it. Josh is committed to connecting people with their food and where it comes from and leaving the land better than when we found it.

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Chloe got a taste for growing while working in the gardens of a small community project in Laos, growing food for volunteers and local staff. From here she immersed myself in learning about permaculture and visited different sustainable projects, natural building communities and organic smallholdings in SE Asia. When Chloe came home she sought out a new career that connected her with the land and community and actively sought to make better the social, environmental and economic challenges faced across the world. In growing food Chloe has found the perfect balance of purposeful, practical work, endless learning opportunities and ever changing days filled with deliciousness. 

 

After meeting as growing apprentices Daylesford Organics, Chloe and Josh traveled to New Zealand to visit and volunteer on highly productive small scale farms. When they came back to the UK we joined a large field scale farm and learnt how to grow veg with tractors to fill over 300 veg boxes a week. Then in 2018 Josh and Chloe set up a terraced 1/8th acre agroecological market garden in Buckfastleigh growing veg, microgreens, herbs and cut flowers to sell at Exeter Farmers Market, shops and restaurants and through a small veg box scheme.

 

Liv, Henry, Chloe and Josh met a few years back throughout the wider market gardening community in the South West. We have stayed in touch and over the years become friends. Chloe and Josh came to join Henry and Liv at Down Farm in 2022 an we have been working collaboratively since!

 

Colette Schmid works with us 1 day a week packing customers veg orders and delivering it to their doors. We couldn't do it without her!