INTRODUCTION
In 2012 the Biodynamic Land Trust (BDLT) approached The Dartington Hall Trust to purchase a small plot of land to set up a community-owned biodynamic farm. To date, over 150 people have invested in the purchase of the land and in the farm infrastructure.
The first tenant recruited by the BDLT to develop and run Huxhams Cross Farm was The Apricot Centre, then based in East Anglia where it had already developed a unique business model, combining a farm with a therapeutic well-being service for children and families. The Apricot Centre tenancy started in September 2015.
The Apricot Centre is a Community Interest Company (CIC) whose main purpose is to create healthy systems in which ‘right livelihoods’ emerge for its members, in a context which nourishes human health, respects community, and promotes diversity.
After signing the first (15 year) tenancy of the newly created Huxhams Cross Farm with the Biodynamic Land Trust (BDLT),The Apricot Centre (then based in East Anglia) undertook a Permaculture design development process to shape the new farm. At that stage it was simply six fields comprising 35 acres or 13 hectares of stubble fields without proper gates or fencing.
The first key staff member of The Apricot Centre team to arrive in Devon from East Anglia was Bob Mehew, who arrived in 2015 with a remit to project-manage the establishment of the new working farm. He began the conversion of the land to organic, a process completed with full Biodynamic status being awarded in 2018. Through targeted fundraising he found funds and /or materials to support the key tasks. He improved the fencing, co-ordinated the installation of the electrics and a mains water supply, the planting of the first 4000 fruit trees and shrubs, applying agroforestry principles, and the soft fruit for the first season’s sales, working largely with local volunteers. He was improving the soil, building up the stock of chickens, welcoming a couple of cows, and preparing the infrastructure: a barn, a network of paths and tracks and four polytunnels, and purchasing tools and equipment. He began the crop/activity rotation on the farm to take forward the soil improvement strategy.
The full Apricot Centre team moved here from East Anglia in autumn 2017 with their farm implements and materials. The establishment of the farm’s activities has accelerated and more staff have been recruited. Now it is recognised as a Beacon Farm by the BDLT. As such, it is a farm that practises respectful and regenerative agriculture and as one that offers inspiration to others by its example.
A new Training Centre building was completed in 2018 facilitating the development of the wellbeing, educational and recreation activities on the farm. It is a low-cost, high performance eco-building based on a simple timber frame. It is super-insulated and breathable, mostly constructed from natural materials and using a passive solar design. It houses a food-processing kitchen, flexible training space, offices and toilet. Its building was funded jointly by the BDLT with a 40% grant from LEDER. It was built by a local company called TerraPerma..
The Apricot Centre now pays a rental for the space to BDLT.
The Apricot Centre intentions are to:
The Team
Our team of wonderful staff has grown over the last year. The Apricot Centre now employs 9.5 full time equivalent jobs. The team includes very hard working and skilled; Mark O'Connell, Rachel Phillips, Heather Harvey, Bob Mehew, Dave Wright, the singing Caspar Meredith, the foraging Ross Perrett, Edd Gildersleeve, Amy Worth and Marina O'Connell. We also have a wonderful team of freelance mentors, therapists and psychologists both in East Anglia and in Devon.
Our Advisory committee is made up of Anne Phillips, Anne Marie Mayer, George Sobel, Gabriel Kaye, Wendy Cook, Harriet Bell, David Goodborne and Kanada Gorla
Highlights of the 2018 season
2018 was a challenging season with its weather extremes; snow was followed by 10 weeks without rain. Our rainwater collection system is now completed. We have 124,000 litres of water in storage collected from rainwater run-off from the roofs of our two new buildings. We have planted more than 5000 trees so far,
In pursuit of our aim to reduce the use of carbon rich products WE DO NOT USE nitrogen based fertilisers, pesticides, plastic bags, long distance transport of our food.
Farm Produce
Vegetable production included 328kg of kale sold, 1.5 tonnes of carrots sold, and over 1000 cucumbers produced.
We have about 40 - 50 box customers per week, a market stall in Totnes taking £600- £1000 per week, and an online shop.
The chicken flock was increased to 150, and we have a waiting list for the eggs.
We picked more than 7000 kg strawberries.
We grew ‘Population YQ wheat’ for flour and beer.
We produced our first pulse crop of dried borlotti beans.
Biodiversity
More than 30% of the farmland has been put into wildlife conservation, with conservation grazing by two cows on 3 hectares for wild orchids, and hedgerows managed for bird and bee life.
Reducing waste
We are working towards creating a closed loop system for the management of ‘waste’ associated with the business. In 2018 we began to develop the food processing arm of the business aiming towards zero waste. (We made delicious raspberry and strawberry jam from our grade outs).
Our chickens and cows also are fed with ‘waste’/surplus vegetables.
We have reviewed our packaging, and use paper punnets, recycled plastic punnets, non-single use plastic, paper or no packaging as much as possible.
Wellbeing Activities
The farm is home to the Devon based Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service and spaces have been created for these services all over the farm, in the copses and in our special Pod. Wellbeing activities and work experience take place on the farm as part of our mentoring services. These are only beginning now we have our buildings in place on the Devon Farm.
Training Courses
We have run a training and apprenticeship scheme offering full biodynamic and permaculture training with horticultural and farming work experience for one apprentice and one part time intern.
We also ran;
One of our first students / cohorts gave us this feedback; "The Permaculture Design Course at The Apricot Centre is offering a real world solutions to soil degradations and biodiversity loss and that is what makes it unusual " Professor Nigel Saunders - System Biology Brunel University.
Plans and Targets for 2019
How the Apricot Centre related to its world in 2018 as a BDLT Beacon Farm
Apricot Centre Wellbeing Services (ACWS) in 2018
Working with children and families ‘On The Edge of Potential’.
The Wellbeing Service was established in 2015, in East Anglia. Since the move to Devon the ACWS has expanded its work, offering services mainly for Adopted and Looked After Children (Young People in Care). Over the years the work has become more focussed upon Adoption work, primarily funded by Government Adoption Support Funds. During 2018 we began to diversify our services, offering more mentoring services in Devon.
During 2018 we continued our work in East Anglia whilst in Devon we have developed links with Local Authority Education and Social Care departments, schools, and private individuals.
APRICOT CENTRE ACCOUNTS 2018
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018
APRICOT CENTRE ACCOUNTS 2018
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018
2018 (£) 2017(£)
TURNOVER 347,3015 268,574
Other income 1212
Cost of sales (178,285) (116,946)
Staff Costs (143,898) (71,336)
Depriciation (12,565) (5239)
Other charges (37,652) (26,115)
Profit /(LOSS) (23,873) 48,938
BEFORE TAXATION
Tax 7,827 7,827
NET PROFIT (16,046) 41,111
(LOSS)
BALANCE SHEET 30 JUNE 2018
2018 (£) 2017 (£)
FIXED ASSETS 37,694 15,716
Current assets 47,600 80,703
Creditors 54,326 53,559
(Amounts falling in one year)
Net CURRENTS (6,726) 27,144
ASSETS
(Liabilities)
TOTAL ASSETS LESS
CURRENT LIABILITIES 30,968 42,860
Accounts and deferred income (5,114) (960)
NET ASSETS 25,854 41,900
CAPITAL AND RESERVES 25,854 41,900
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED JUNE 2018
The Apricot centre turnover continues to increase year on year. 2018 shows a loss on paper, but this was due to a correction in our accounting system from 2017. The reality was that we broke even for this year.
The Farm income sales appear flat: however in 2018 the bulk of the produce sold was grown on the farm rather than bought in and will continue to increase in 2019.
The Wellbeing services are flourishing with a 54% increase in turnover.
Our income breakdown is as follows;
2018 (£) 2017 (£)
Farm sales and income 64,917 68,331
Wellbeing services 271,540 177,007
Grants and subsides 10,858 23,236
www.apricotcentrewellbeingservice.co.uk
T 01803 762253
