Our Partners in Action: healthy food, healthy communities

Many of our 44 Partners in Action see growing food with nature-friendly techniques as a core part of caring for both nature and people. They are doing this through diversification and by ensuring that their food-growing areas are surrounded by wild spaces, wild flower areas, bird boxes and wildlife ponds. Below is a snapshot from three of our partners.

The River Rectory is a family smallholding in Omagh, Northern Ireland.  The six acre site is an incredible mix of scrub (or secondary) woodland, orchards, food-growing areas, hay meadows, small ponds and wet grassland. The family has an amazing vision to transform their land for nature. They want to grow everything themselves and live off the land. Their aim is to create a holistic system that includes the food they eat, how they manage their water, growing trees and wildflowers and home-schooling their children, so that they can teach them how to do these things properly! 

Nether Springs conference and retreat centre in Northumberland is two and a half acres of grassland, woodland, formal gardens (including a beautiful walled garden with a vegetable-growing area) and a prayer labyrinth. The Nether Springs team is keen to make their spaces good for nature and people and for people to connect with nature in new ways. The dispersed Northumbria Community members around the world will also, over time, be encouraged to take action for nature wherever they are.

Cilrath Fach Farm in Pembrokeshire is a 34 acre farmstead with old meadows, semi-ancient woodland, a small wildlife lake, wetland habitat and Cilrath Acre, an exciting new food growing initiative. Cilrath Acre is a one acre fenced enclosure featuring a mixture of species, double-row hedges, a substantial polytunnel, 16 raised beds and several ‘standard’ beds, a large field shelter with cooking facilities and an automated irrigation system that uses nearby spring water. It is devoted to food growing in a climate emergency, caring for people and the community. Over the last year, the Acre has attracted many local people and a dedicated team of around a dozen people take part in one or two work sessions a week. Half of the produce benefits the Pembrokeshire Food Bank and the other half is enjoyed by those who work on the Acre. 

Read more about our Partners in Action here.