4 minute read
Organic matters
about the land
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On my first visit to Fellows Farm, I sat under coppiced hazel poles festooned with fairy lights whilst enjoying a feast of roasted vegetables, stuffed squashes, and grilled wild venison. It was utterly delicious and a wonderful introduction to the organic produce that Ben MacKinnon and his team are harvesting.
I returned a few weeks later, this time on a blustery autumnal morning, to learn more about their low impact methods of working the land and the way in which regenerative agriculture could be – and possibly should be – the future of farming. Fellows Farm encompasses two plots of land: the 15 acre market garden near Gosbeck, where Ben, his partner Femke, and their son Rory live in a beautiful off-grid cabin, and 55 acres of arable land at Monewden. Here they grow a mix of heritage cereals that thrive without the use of artificial fertilizers and they have re-introduced the traditional farming practice of agroforestry, planting hedgerows, orchards and over 6000 native trees to increase biodiversity. Ben and his manager, Lughan, are both passionate about farming organically, with minimum tillage and using ancient traditions to rehabilitate and enhance the entire ecosystem of the land, placing particular emphasis on the health of the soil.
Originally from Fressingfield, Ben studied Conservation Biology before literally taking
about the land
to the high seas with fishing fleets around the UK as part of the EU Fisheries Department. He then completed a Masters in Energy and Environmental Management, which led to a successful career advising large corporations on how best to reduce their carbon footprint through renewable energy schemes. But Ben soon became disillusioned with churning out these seemingly futile reports and the obvious lack of implementation so he gave it all up to become a baker! Inspired by the street food of Morocco, he realised he had a yearning to work with his hands and create something tangible, and in 2011 opened the e5 Bakehouse in Hackney.
Over the years, Ben has stayed true to his ethos of wanting to create a sustainable business, and part of this quest has been the wish to only use flour from small organic UK farms. In 2015 he installed a stone mill at the bakehouse so that he could experiment with grinding his own flour, and this in turn led him back to Suffolk and the possibility of growing his own heritage wheats. With the help of Lughan, Femke, and local farmers Martin Drury and Paul Bowler, Fellows Farm is now producing 20 tonnes of wheat and rye, all of which is dressed at Walnes in Earl Soham and stoneground back in Hackney, as well as providing much of the organic fruit and veg needed for the bakery. For Ben, this has completed the circle, allowing him to grow, harvest and use all his own ingredients, whilst continuing to develop the farm and explore new ways of working in harmony with the land.
about the land
Regenerative agriculture is key to this, putting back more than you take out, helping to reverse climate change by locking carbon in the soil and increasing the biodiversity and vitality of the land. At the market garden site, Lughan is working on a crop rotation system, where areas of brassicas, squashes and traditional market garden crops such as chard, rocket, celeriac and salad leaves are alternated with a cover crop such as buckwheat that is cut and then allowed to rot down into the soil. Within the polytunnels, it was wonderful to see the sheer abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and herbs, and in another section the colourful squashes all gathered to harden in the sun. Part of the 15 acres has recently been planted with vines and edging the mown paths you find rows of young willow whips that Femke will harvest for her handwoven baskets.
There is mention of a field kitchen and camping pitches for next year, as well as more farm suppers and the opening of a second bakery in Poplar, which will be part of an on-going refugee training programme Ben is involved with.
As a visitor you could be lulled into thinking this is the idyll, where a golden haired child runs laughing through wild flower meadows, a freshly baked loaf will always just be out the oven and there is time to stand and watch the sunset. And, although I suspect that this is, in part the truth, I can also appreciate how hard they must have worked to achieve it. So, I raise my hat to these fine fellows for their enterprise, drive and commitment to changing farming practices, and look forward to a return visit soon.
