Tablehurst Farm would not exist as it is today without the dedication, vision and hard work of Tablehurst Co-founder Peter Brown. For over 21 years Peter has worked tirelessly to achieve his vision of sustainable, regenerative agriculture that is dedicated to the well being of the land, animals, plants and people.
Some of Peter’s contributions include:
- Supporting initiatives to encourage young farmers to learn, work and live on the land, such as the Biodynamic apprenticeship scheme.
- Establishing a care home as part of the farm to provide an active and meaningful work life for adults with learning disabilities.
- Helping create Tablehurst as one of the first farms in the country as a form of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where the farm business is owned as a co-operative by farmers and community together as a partnership, where anybody who wants to share in that responsibility can get involved and be part of it.
- Supporting the work of the Biodynamic Association and the coming about of the Seed Co-operative and its important work.
Over the years Peter has always placed the needs of the farm before his own. As funds have often been tight he has no great pension and often moved from building to building according to the running requirements of the farm so he has never actually had a place to call his own. When Peter finally decided to retire from active farm work the community recognised Peter’s incredibly contribution and stepped forward en mass to support the straw house project. So far the community has raised over £90,000 to fund the construction of Peter’s new home.
While the house will be made available to Peter for as long as he desires it will be owned by St Anthony’s Trust, the same charitable trust that owns the farm, ensuring that the house will benefit the farm and the wider community for many generations to come.
Not only will this project ensure that Peter has a comfortable, ecological home for the rest of his life but it will also allow his accumulated farming experience and biodynamic expertise to be retained on the farm for the next generation of farmers.
If you are interested in supporting Peter’s Straw House please click here.
Tablehurst Straw House 