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Public Summary Of Proposals
Comments, ideas, input and feedback welcome from all interested parties.
Please email [email protected]
www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk
www.agrarianrenaissance.co.uk
Timeline
Plant Aker Wood Orchard: Part time Share Farming going. Eco-camping
established. Upgrade Café & Farm Store. Reseed Pastures. New Farm Walk
Experience. Higher Level Stewardship
2012 & 2013
Farm Store and Café Started. Sheltered eating area. Events programme.
Care Farming Started: Composting toilets in.
By end 2011
Start food and craft Saturday markets.
Picnics and Barbecues
Events & Volunteering start
TBD
Take over park. Rebrand Signage. Launch Website. Change Pricing. Add
hosting. Farm box delivery point. Revamp farm tour, bring over livestock
from Church Farm. Fence and enhance play area.
TBD
Detailed Business Planning
Sign Lease : Agreement with HCC, Friends, Staff & Stakeholders
June 2011
Proposal for a Renaissance of Aldenham Country Park
Summary
We are offering to take on the lease of the Park and running it in a very similar way to Church Farm,
for people, land and food. See www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk .
We will do this with the support for the plan of all stakeholders but in particular in partnership with
the Friends.
The HCC owned facility is scheduled to cost £120k+ subsidy to run in the next financial year starting
April 2011, the council will not be funding it after this time.
Friends of ACP have created a groundswell of over 1500 supporters and brought together many
interested parties willing to help sustain and advance the public benefits.
We would be happy to sign a covenant to uphold the community access & public benefit.
Our offer if taken up in the timescale could save HCC money in the next financial year, guarantee the
future of the public benefit and give the council an income of £x per year from year 2.
The benefits to local people would include reduced costs of parking. In summary we would want to
create a renaissance of Aldenham Country Park, a place that reconnects people, land and food,
enterprises that enhance the experience with the active involvement of the community.
Site Layout
New Heritage Orchard Enhancing 100 Aker Wood
This traditional orchard contains over 700 trees and 130 different local
and regional varieties of fruit including apples, pears, gages, cherries,
plums, quince, medlars and crab apples. It would be financed by public
donation / fund raising by us and/or the Friends. Volunteers and Local
people would get the chance to grow a tree.
Picnic & Barbecue area
Farm LayoutReception, FarmEntrance & Information CabinPossible Use of Workshop as Farm Store
Use for Pigs and ChickensPublic able to feed
Outdoor PigsRotates with Veg Field. Pigs dig , compost and take out weeds.
Veg Field Strips For Part time Farmers. Cultivated, composted and bed formed. Rotates with pigs.
Picnic Area and PlayArea fenced and enhancedTractors and small ride-onsFor 2-10yr olds. Picnic Huts for hire
Part time Farmers Cabin.Field Edges Permaculture designed as edible borders similar to Church Farm Vegetable and Herb field.
Possible Long Term Site for Café& Farm Store
Creating a Renaissance
We plan to follow the principles and plans implemented at Church Farm Ardeley. This is an agro-ecological approach, enhancing the environment, producing food and more. Anyone can visit Church Farm which is open every day of the week. We will input the branding and intellectual property of Agrarian Renaissance, set up to create replicable food, farming and countryside enterprises.
We aim to maintain and enhance the community resources and create a real food, farming and country experience. Not just a farm park - a place for people to get involved in food & farming and the countryside.
Rare Breed Farm
We would review the existing stock and add to it from our farm. We would use the rare breeds for meat and egg production and run alongside our existing farm & butchery. We would want to start a Farm Shop, stocked with products produced on our and other Hertfordshire farms.
Initially we would bring over 6 Berkshire Pigs + boar / 6 British Lop Pigs & Boar, 10 Red Poll Heifers, a flock of Laying Chickens, Norfolk Black Turkeys, Ayelsbury Ducks & Emben Geese. We would have more animals outdoors all around the farm to attract walkers to all parts. We would keep the park grazing for longhorn cattle as well as our Red Poll cattle.
We would enhance the farm experience enabling access to the area used for a Hay Barn which would have pigs and chickens in it which people could feed. We will make a small charge for entrance to the farm. A small shed would be manned every day by a welcoming face. We would also sell books, guides and animal feed from here.
Creating a Renaissance
Rural Enterprise & Education
We would partner with or start local micro-enterprises to process, produce and market food
on-site, for sale to visitors and locals through a farm shop, regular craft fair and farmers
market. As we have at Church Farm, creating a hub of educational opportunties and local
enterprises from Beekeeping to Jam making. We will support the friends educational objectives.
The Land
Would manage the land with an agro-ecological approach aiming to slot seed clover and deep
rooting chicory into the grass leys after testing the soil for micro and macro nutrients and
correct imbalances. We would use local compost to improve fertility.
With the help of the friends and users, we will creatively enhance the farm walk experience
extending it across all 90 acres. In the long term we would apply to Natural England for a
Higher Level Stewardship Scheme to help maintain and manage the wildlife and woodland. Over
time we would seek to rent additional and adjoining land to add to the farms grassland and for
benefit of visitors and conservation. Ideally we would want to find another 100 acres of
grassland to make hay / silage in the local vicinity.
We would sell food to the public to feed the animals in certain areas & run guided tours
spotting the wildlife, flora and fauna.
Creating a Renaissance
Car Park
We would reduce the car park charge and offer free parking to those who spent a defined amount in the farm shop to encourage local shoppers.
Farm Store
We would seek to use some of the space in the existing workshop as a farm shop selling produce from Aldenham, Church Farm and other local food, local crafts and countryside relevant, sustainable and fair trade produce. This would be modelled on the Farm Store at Church Farm. Longer term we would seek to establish a new Farm Café & Store.
We would be a collection and distribution point for pick up of weekly Farm Food Boxes easily extended from our current operation.
We would have an extensive web and online presence.
All produce retailed not from our farms would be either local or ethical / fair-trade products. We would sell sustainably produced merchandise but not tat.
Events
We would seek to partner with countryside food fairs and hold a regular programme every weekend. We would enhance revenue by allowing overnight eco-camping for groups from the scouts to WI. We would market the events field (we have some experience in this founded and chair www.motivaction.co.uk ) We would promote green weddings amongst the wonderful oaks.
Creating a Renaissance
Rural Care
We would integrate well with KIDs and already run a relevant enterprise that could be a model for
the integration. In any case we would want to start a Care Farm, enabling adults with learning
difficulties to help on the farm as we have at Church Farm. We already have a supplier agreement
and relationship with HCC Adult Care Services at Church Farm.
Branding
Branding would follow our existing style. The look feel and style of branding would follow church
farm, the bee emblem sums up that everything the enterprises do must be good for bees. If so
probably this is good for all :)
We would revamp signage and welcome, simple small touches to enhance customer experience and
emphasise what people can do.
Agrarian Renaissance stands for Reconnecting People, Land & Food and would provide the rights to
use IPR to Aldenham
Toilets & Litter
We plan put in composting loos in addition to the existing loo's.
We would recycle and encourage people to take their own litter with them.
Creating a Renaissance
Community Involvement
Would seek to extend the farm productivity and through community planting make the 100 Aker
wood into a productive orchard as well as enhance access. Projects like these would involve the
community in planting local heritage varieties of fruit. We have planted 7 acres of Orchards at
Church Farm.
We would encourage and enable work experience / volunteers from the local area.
We would extend educational access to include classroom and practical sessions whereby schools
and local companies can come and spend a practical day on the farm.
We would have barbecue area and bbq's for hire, would be only allowed to use sustainably sourced
uk charcoal purchased from us. We would extend opening hours in the summer evenings.
Part Time Farming opportunities - Vegetables & Soft Fruit
We envisage a vegetable, garden run in partnership with local gardeners, we provide the land,
manure and cultivations, gardeners would then take on the production in return for a rent and we
would sell their produce on site. We would make use of compost from green waste to enhance soil
fertility on the chosen area.
Creating a Renaissance
Staffing
We see the strengths of the existing team as care of the park, maintenance, construction, animal
care, safety, organisation and daily operation. We endeavour to keep this team and would
supplement with 2x 6 month internship positions.
To implement this plan we have a management team who will be appointed to host the park, market,
administrate, manage and deliver a great customer experience. Budget is for 2 people initially.
Catering Partnership
In the longer term we would wish to do a joint venture that enables the existing catering offering to
become a full cafe, restaurant and tea room.
Charges
Our strategy is to encourage people to return so we would want to reduce the car parking fee. In
time we would prefer to install a time charge system. There would be no charge for access to 100
Aker Wood.
We would enhance the Farm Experience and charge a small entrance fee for Adults and all Children
over 2. We would intend to erect a cabin near the entrance to personally sell these tickets &
welcome people.
Marketing & Promotions
Main Service Areas
– Core business would be growing food from rare breeds. Income from visitors to the Farm, Feed the
Animals, Food.
– A quiet place for enjoying the countryside and walking
– Provision of exemplary land management including moving to more environmentally friendly waste disposal.
– Catering in partnership with Beckworth
– Craft Fair, Farmers Market and Weekend Events Programme
– Eco Camping, Barbecue Hire
– Care Farming & Education
– Part Time Growers Community Share Farming Vegetable plots covering a small area
– Farm Store Meat, Veg and Local Produce : Box scheme & Merchandise
Main Elements of the Promotion Plan
– Investment in new signage & branding
– Investment in new Brochures & Leaflets
– We would develop www.aldenhamcountrypark.co.uk
– Partnership with local media
– Facebook & social media internship place led by our management team
– Follow what has been successful at Church Farm and benefit from the learning curve.
– Reduce car park charge to encourage more visitors and repeat visitors
– Create an excellent customer experience and numerous talking points.
Appendix – Church Farm
Church Farm Information
Farmer
Tim Waygood
Relevant Experience & Resources
– Born and worked on a small mixed farm, currently active farmer
– Degree in Agriculture from Reading University 85-88
– Founded an events business www.motivaction.co.uk in 1987 grew to
100pax £15million T/o
– Attend Harvard Business School OPM Course 99-01
– Turn around record of - £1.300,000 to profit in one year in 2004
(MotivAction)
– Experience of merger, takeovers and acquisitions
– Founded social enterprise www.agrarianrenaissance.co.uk in 2009 to
create replicable enterprise models and an umbrella brand reinvisaging
farms as places for people, wildlife, food and ecological services.
– Created a renaissance in 3 years since 2008 farming at
www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk open 7 days a week.
– Currently have rare breeds and local livestock of every type which we
retail direct to people.
– Brings resources of all 3 organisations.
Church Farm 2010
New Plantations in filled with 500 Spruce, 200 Chestnut, 400 Larch and 100 Sycamore as well as 1000 nut and wild berry shrubs. New Hedges -approx 1000 metres planted in 2008 more for 2009
120 Walnut trees planted in 2008. Varieties are;
FERNOR 60
LARA 14
RITA 14
BROARDVIEW 12
FERNETTE (p) 10
RONDE DE MONTIGNAC (p) 10
As well as providing an edible harvest from years 4 on, they are also useful for
timber in the long run.
Running poultry under the trees helps fertilize the soil. Geese can take 15%
or more of their diet through grazing.
Woodland Grass and wildflower mix has been planted between the trees.
Church Farm New “Vicars” Orchard
This traditional orchard contains over 700
trees and 130 different local and regional
varieties of fruit including apples, pears, gages,
cherries, plums, quince, medlars, peach and
nectarine.
When in full production in 2012 with picking
and storing the orchard will provide apples 10
months of the year.
Walnut Orchard Trees & Hedges
Percentage Number Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus 10% 200 Holly Ilex aquifolium 5% 100 Privet Ligustrum vulgare 10% 200 Wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana 10% 200
Spindle Euonymus europaeus 10% 200
Elder Sambucus nigra 5% 100 Crab apple Malus sylvestris 10% 200 Alder Buckthorn Rhamnus frangula 10% 200 Purging Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica 10% 200 Hazel Corylus avellana 10% 200 Alder Alnus glutinosa 5% 100 Dogwood Cornus sanguinea 5% 100
Church Farm Footpath Views – England’s Green & Pleasant Land