“Locally produced food with reduced distance between farm and fork can provide societal benefits, such as creating personal connection between producers and consumers, supporting local food cultures and local economic growth, and improving traceability of food through shorter supply chains”
- UK Government Food Strategy, 2022
PENNINE CROPSHARE
Pennine Cropshare is based in Hebden Bridge and packs up to 300 bags per week. They deliver to hubs in the upper Calder Valley including Hebden Bridge and Todmorden and across the border into Lancashire to Burnley and Pendle.
The parent Not-for-Profit company limited by guarantee is Burnley Food Links, established in 2004 to link producers with consumers.
Pennine Cropshare currently buys from two local producers - Up-Plant and The Long Causeway market garden. But they rely heavily on veg grown further afield. They think there is the potential to grow much more locally in small pockets of land in the Calder Valley and can support any farmers or landowners who wish to diversify by providing a ready market.
Long Causeway MARKET GARDEN
The Long Causeway Market Garden situated above Cornholme in Todmorden produces seasonal vegetables for Pennine Cropshare, Valley Organics and other outlets in the Calder Valley. Will, the grower, also runs his own small veg box scheme. He came to farm in the valley about 5 years ago and currently rents just under an acre from a beef livestock farmer. The land was previously permanent pasture and it was an exposed and boggy site with no hedges but lots of rushes.
The site is now drained, fenced against deer and rabbits and hedged with willow. The willow is used as hay for the beef cattle but Will is also looking into the possibility of producing ramial woodchips to use as a mulch and to add organic matter to the soil. His largest expenditure is currently imported compost from Moorland Gold which costs £1500 per annum so he has voiced the aspiration to produce more fertility on site in order to close the loop in terms of inputs.
On taking on the site, Will had to reroute the water supply downhill to give a pressure of 25 litres per minute, which is enough pressure to water his 3 poly tunnels. Even in very hot weather, he rarely waters the field crops as they are well mulched and the roots are encouraged to grow downwards and deeper to obtain water.
Will maintains he is now earning a reasonable income from the site and he expects his income to increase over the next couple of years. He was able to give up his day job about 3 years ago and maintains he has a good work life balance, being able to have the month of January off every year.
Despite the prolific crop yield on a relatively small site, Will has no extra help apart from his dad who came to help him prepare the site in the early days. There is no doubt he works extremely hard but he is also highly motivated and has an uncanny intuition in relation in to what and how to grow. He has had a wealth of previous experience working in horticulture and wwoofing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms), including working with Ian Tolhurst (or Tolly), the only farmer George Monbiot seems to have any time for and Charles Dowding, the original no-dig hero.
The proof is in the pudding and Wills veg are handsome examples of what can be achieved in apparently adverse conditions. He is not certified as organic but uses no artificial chemicals or fertilisers. His vegetables are the picture of healthy abundance and whether it is due to luck or judgment he has so far had no problem with pests and diseases.
“Our food system must not only feed our nation today but also protect it for tomorrow. We will use the Agriculture Act (2020), Fisheries Act (2020) and Environment Act (2021) as frameworks to incentivise farmers and food producers to adopt more sustainable practices.”
- UK Government Food Strategy, 2022