BBC Countryfile visits Soil Association farm to see transformation to organic
A Soil Association managed farm is set to appear on BBC Countryfile today (Sunday 1 December) showcasing how it has involved nature and the community in food production by converting to organic.
TV presenters John Craven and Margherita Taylor will tell the story of Woodoaks Farm, which is raising money in a multi-million-pound project to build an education and community hub for nature-friendly farming.
The show meets farmer and growers as well as local people and pupils from Maple Cross Primary School as they get their hands dirty with regular volunteer activities that take place at the “outdoor classroom”.
And local historian Fabian Hiscock will be sharing recently discovered diaries of a Victorian farmer from Rickmansworth. The diaries talk about Woodoaks, which remains an historic farm, alongside others on neighbouring land that has since been lost to development.
This local history echoes the memories held by the previous landowner, Sally Findlay, who donated the farm to the Soil Association Land Trust in 2020.
Her generous donation came as she set out to grant her late husband’s wish of bringing wildlife back into the farm’s food production, after they oversaw decades of intensification on the land.
"Incredible journey" to produce food in harmony with nature
The farm, which straddles the M25, has just finished converting to organic and, with support from the community, has already planted 2,000 metres of hedgerows across the farm, with more to come.
This has helped to create an agroforestry system which means the Land Trust’s tenant farmer will grow organic crops or pasture around rows of trees as a method of boosting soil health, reducing carbon emissions, and creating habitats for wildlife.
The new education and community hub they are fundraising for will help the farm to share these new approaches by hosting both local and national events as well as talks and learning activities.
Woodoaks Manager Rose Lewis, of the Soil Association Land Trust, said: “Woodoaks Farm is a special place, and we have been on an incredible journey here for the last four years. As part of our organic conversion we have shifted to practices that allow us to farm in harmony with nature and we are now producing more food directly for the local community, who we have brought back onto the farm as customers, pupils and volunteers. Our vision is to reconnect people from all walks of life with where their food comes from, while also showing them the habitats we are building and the vital role that wildlife plays.
“We are already an outdoor classroom, but we are really excited to be fundraising to transform our historic farm buildings into a centre that will allow us to get even more citizens onto the farm as well as the environmental, food and farming movements around UK.”
Raising money to share lessons on nature-friendly farming
The now-organic farm already hosts schools and local businesses and runs learning events on a small-scale but is raising money to go further with a multi-million-pound education and community hub.
This project will renovate and repurpose old farm buildings for education and events, with the historic 16th century, Grade II listed Black Barn at its centre.
The Black Barn Project aims to establish the UK’s very best outdoor classroom, develop an educational programme for local primary and secondary school children and empower teachers and students to make pro-climate, nature and environmental choices.
It will also host talks, film screenings, and learning events, all aimed at empowering people of all backgrounds to make more informed choices about the food they eat
Hannah Trickett, Headteacher at Maple Cross Primary School, said: "Visiting Woodoaks is more than time outside the classroom, it nourishes our children's souls and provides opportunities to develop learning in an imaginative and creative way. The symbiotic relationship with Woodoaks allows our young people to learn about the importance of the delicate environment and ensure there is hope that our young people will be the catalyst for a greener future."
Initial support* of £200K has been received from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by National Lottery players, with the full grant application of £1.6M being submitted in early 2025.
The Black Barn Project campaign is raising a further £800,000 to complete the fundraising target – and has so far secured around £500,000 from trusts, businesses and individuals.
Woodoaks is also set to play host to the 2025 Agroforestry Show, which brings together hundreds of farmers, foresters and more to share information and developments in the mission of getting more trees on UK farms.
Watch Woodoaks Farm on the BBC
The farm will be showcased by BBC Countryfile on Sunday 1 December.