Ecological Food & Farming

Church Farm covers 175 Acres to the south of Ardeley.Here you will find mixed farming, small fields and intimate diversity of enterprises.

The idea is to have a farm that produces maximum variety of food for customers, with 50% less fossil fuels from farm to fork. We want to enhance the environment and build community, to treat the land, wildlife and animals as they should be treated and grow great food.

This is a biological and ecological approach to food and farming, a farm that grows food for customers and local people.

The farm has; .

30 acres of woods, 3 of ancient Hornbeam Coppice, 7 Acres of Established 60 years old woodland and 20 acres of mixed mainly hardwoods planted over the past 10 years
2 Acres of rough nesting ground amongst a line of old Clay Pits
2 Ponds established in 1996, two more flood ponds and a new pond in the Vegetable Gardens
Vegetable Garden 8 Acres growing over 200 varieties of vegetables and Herbs grown in Beards Oak Kitchen Gardens. Mainly grown from seed and featuring heritage & local varieties
New Orchard of 8 Acres, 130 varieties of fruit : apples, gages, plums, cherries, quince, medlar, damsons and more...
Vicarage Field Soft Fruit enclosure
60 Black Welsh Mountain Sheep & Royal Show Champion Ram
60 Lleyn Sheep & Ram
30 Red Poll Cattle & Trumpeter plus followers
1 mile of new Hedgerow & Wild Food shrubs planted 2008
6 British Lop & 6 Berkshire Breeding Sows plus Boars
100 Light Sussex Laying Hens
50 Cuckoo Maran Laying Hens
500 Black Rock Laying Hens
60 Rhode Island Red laying Hens
50 White Leghorn Hens
300 Sasso Outdoor Reared Poultry
400 Norfolk Black Turkeys
100 Emben Geese
100 Aylesbury Ducks
3 Bee Hives
Woods in filled with Wild Cherry and Hazel
2 Acre Walnut Orchard
4 Acres of Wild Bird Seeds and Pollen / Nectar Mix

We have grey partridge, lapwing, turtle dove, barn owl, little owls, badgers, bats, field fares, hares and a buzzard. If you walk quietly in green and wait a while, you will be surprised what can be seen. The wildlife and countryside here is enhanced through the Higher Level Stewardship scheme in partnership with Natural England.

You can walk the farm via the footpaths anytime (the last free pastime in england?) or book in for a free tour on Saturdays at 10.00am when Tim the Farmer or one of the team will explain the system and show you round.

Our promise is that you only ever have to pay for what you are happy with, and to price our produce so we can deliver "Great Local Food at Supermarket Prices".

Undoubtedly we will get things wrong. If you ever find better value in the
supermarkets for similar products we will refund the difference.

We hope you enjoy your visit and enjoy connecting with the land and food

Best Wishes
Tim : tim@churchfarmardeley.co.uk 07958 125 142
Emma : emma@churchfarmardeley.co.uk 07958 474 792