About
Abbey Home Farm is a 650 hectare working organic mixed farm in Gloucestershire, committed to organic practices and passionate about connecting the local community - especially children and young people - with the food they eat.
With their team managing partners Will and Hilary have been hosting educational day visits for over 20 years. Having hosted a handful of week long visits through the Soil Association's 'Farm Academy' programme in 2012/13, they realised what a powerful impact a residential stay could have thus The Farm Project CIC was created in 2015.
The Team
Hilary is a managing farm partner and the founder and director of the farm shop, cafe and veg garden. In 2015, amazed by the noticeable change she saw in students over a few days living on the farm, she was inspired to set up The Farm Project as a more permanent project, with Maya.
Will is a managing partner of the farm and the general overseer of all the land including its many woodlands and conservation areas. He is particularly passionate about trees, wildlife and archaeology and has been sharing his knowledge with young people in particular for many years.
John has been Farm Manager since 1992 and is involved with everything on the farm from the practical hands on work to the general running of the business. For over 20 years John has taken students around the farm and having four sons himself he is enthusiastic about passing his knowledge down to the next generation.
Maya is our education co-ordinator. Having spent a few years in London working with care leavers and young people experiencing homelessness, she returned to the family farm to set up the project. She wants the farm to be a space for those with limited access and opportunity to experience the countryside and is especially passionate about connecting young people with food straight from the ground.
Andy
Andy and the garden team work together to grow over 180 different varieties of veg, soft fruit, herbs and flowers to supply the farm shop, cafe and hungry visitors. With a background in care farming, Andy has bags of energy and is always enthusiastic to share his knowledge and skills with visitors to the farm.
Bex has several wonderful horses that love nothing more than meeting and being cared for by our visitors. She strongly believes in the therapeutic effect working with horses can have. When not with the horses Bex is managing the farm shop or hanging out with her dogs, cats, tortoise...
Libby leads the veg garden sessions, harvesting daily with our visitors all the veg, fruit, herbs and soft fruit for their meals. When not with sharing her knowledge with she is responsible for the farm's beautiful cut flower garden and lends a hand to the veg growers too.
