Loxley Valley Community Farm Limited was set up in July 2009 by a group of approximately 20 individuals from the local area. Since then the farm has welcomed pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, sheep and bees to the site as well as starting a communal vegetable patch. The group currently has membership fees starting at £5 a month (reviewed annually). Each member can then buy a share in vegetables, pork, lamb, honey, meat poultry or eggs. (Members can pick and choose which produce they want). Associate Members can buy a share of one type of produce a year, full members can buy a share of each produce.
The group works as a cooperative, with members working on the farm and all getting a share of the produce (in accordance with the number of shares they hold). Loxley Valley Community Farm also is committed helping disadvantaged and charitable groups by giving a proportion of our produce away.
The farm is a not-for-profit social enterprise run by interested individuals who are all volunteers and is set up as a Company Limited By Guarantee. Farm work is shared amongst members so that everyone can get involved regardless of other work and personal commitments. Members are asked to contribute on average one workday a month and one feed a week throughout the year. For more information on becoming a member see our “Get Involved” page.
Committees
When we first started the farm we used to discuss everything in every meeting. Meetings took a long time and we knew we had to do something if we were to make any decisions; so we split the farm into 5 committees which look after the day to day running of each area.
This means members and volunteers can get involved in the areas they are most interested in safe in the knowledge others are looking after the rest!
We still meet altogether every 2 months to review progress and plan overall farm tasks. Click on the images below to take you to the committee page and find out what’s happening on the farm.
General
General committee is responsible for general maintenance, the work day job list and site security. Bees and mushrooms are also looked after by the general committee.
Pigs
We buy in young animals but are looking into the option of breeding our own pigs. We aim to keep rare breed animals where we can as this helps continue the breed and the meat is very different to that you can buy in the shops.
If you are interested in purchasing free-range or rare breed meat when we have it available please get in touch. (Currently we can only supply 1/4 or 1/2 a pig as we don’t have suitable storage facilities to sell individual cuts of meat).
Veg
We grow a variety of fruit and veg on the farm.
What we grow is decided by veg committee after discussing with members what they would like.
In past years we have tried to plant veg in areas following the pig rotation.
This was very successful on the Long Lane site but has not been so good on the current site as the land has not been worked for a long time and the weeds seem to come back faster than the plants we want to eat!
Therefore we are trialling growing in more raised beds and in our polytunnels. We hope this will allow us to plant less but grow more – every farmers dream!
Poultry
We raise poultry for eggs and meat. We have a flock of about 25 egg laying chickens and regularly hatch off our own chicks.
We always have a meat bird for Christmas – either geese or turkeys.
Education & Outreach
The Education & Outreach (E&O) Committee look after farm events and fundraising.
We make jams and chutneys from farm produce as well as wreathes and candles for Christmas.
E&O also look after membership enquiries and advertising.