CULTIVATING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE ORGANIC GROWING COMMUNITY

Whats it about?

The Organic Growers Gathering is for small scale fruit, vegetable, herb and flower growers to land workers, crafters and purveyors of folk music.

Whether you’re a weathered master of the soil or a new entrant gaining experience seeding your ideas, there is something here for everyone. Expect lots of practical sessions and break out spaces. We gather to network, skill share, build community, discover, and learn.

We are building a resilient food and farming network. As we work on our farms and the land, we must have moments where we can connect and share our knowledge. As big corps circle all around us in both weather and political extremes, we must collectivise our love of soil and nature. We root for each other, to watch each other grow.

To create a viable future, we invite the young ones into our growing event, as they will be our future farmers. Sow seeds whilst they are young. Find the ‘Young Growers Plot’ where they will be practical, fun and inspirational landy workshops. We encourage thinking about the next generation becoming knowledgable at healthy land-based activities.

How did this start?

In 2022, we hosted the event Hardwick Farm Hack. The aim was to create an event where growers could share ideas, hacking organic growing solutions together in solidarity as we rise with resilience to both weather and political extremes. The event sold out, and flourished into a great success. In 2023 The Organic Growers Gathering was created, to be bigger and bolder. Partners and Sponsors joined the hoot, backing a collaborative organic event space, and so we were off with just over 350 attending. The Organic Growers Alliance are continual partners.

We are keen to grow alliances between farming networks and platform growers voices for a more resilient community farming future, as part of a ripening food and land justice movement.

As members of the Hardwick Land, where organic agriculture has been encouraged and nurtured, the farmers, businesses, projects and crafters here are keen to welcome you onto this patch of earth that we share.

The gathering is hosted at Tolhurst Organic CIC, one of the longest-running organic farms in the UK renowned for pioneering, ethical stockfree organic standards. Set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, by the River Thames.

Who are we?

Sparrow Middleton – Curator & Director. Head Grower of Tolhurst Organic CIC.

Sophia Lysaczenko – Operations & Director. Co-op Member & Co-Director of Hempen Organic.

THE ORGANIC GROWERS GATHERING