It started in 2012,

when we bought 15 fields off a conventional arable farmer and 11 cows off a local cattle farmer. The soil had endured decades of tillage & artificial fertilisers and the yard was no more than a nettle-filled scrubland. We came with big ideas, wide eyes and hopeful plans of building an ethically, environmentally & economically sustainable farming business that produced delicious & nutritious food.

Acres of fields needed fencing, miles of water pipe had to be laid and the latest regenerative agricultural science learnt to improve the pastures at Trenchmore Farm. We have spent over a decade planting apples trees, growing mixed species herbal lays and weening our soils off of fertilisers with the help of our cattle muck. We’ve learned that in order to be viable we would need to sell directly to restaurants and the public, and grow in scale.

Our yard has developed somewhat over the years to house more barns, more machinery and more cattle over the winter - and recently, we have built the yard shop, Cyder Shack & a kitchen for supper clubs. We have taken on more acres of pasture - either rented, borrowed or bought - and now have a herd of almost 500 head of cattle grazing at Trenchmore and our neighbouring sister farm, Well Land.

It would be fair to say we underestimated quite how much investment and grit would be required, and over the last decade have seen extreme weather conditions, the loss of farming subsidies and a shrinking budget for household spending on food. We have also seen immense local support through the covid lockdowns, progress in our understanding of soil health and a steady growing enthusiasm for prioritising traceable and thoughtfully produced food. A mixed bag, for sure, but one that has helped us pivot, progress and plod along the bumpy road of growing good food. We also underestimated how gratifying it would be to improve our little patch of Sussex, and work with some of the best chefs and landlords in the country - so despite the frustrations that running a farm can sometimes bring, we count ourselves very lucky.

Trenchmore Farm is a family business, and has had everyone involved at some point. Currently Andrew, his daughter Rachel and their expert cattlemen Neville & Gareth are heading up the herd.

Restoring the depleted Wealden clay soils & capturing carbon at Trenchmore is a long term project. We paddock graze our cattle, spread their winter muck over the fields, ensure we have constant ground cover and plant a cocktail of grasses & legumes into our fields. Local sheep graze the orchard, and we feed our cattle homegrown hay & silage, and bi-products of human food production. We have installed solar panels on our barn roofs, and make some of our weekly deliveries in an electric van. We work with local farmers, contractors & butchers and supply local restaurants, pubs & people who visit our yard shop on Saturdays.

We have come a fair way in the last decade and are looking forward to learning and growing more in the next.