It’s been a wonderful and positive year at Heathfield Farm. Our site is flourishing, and its development continues to go from strength to strength.
This year marked the first full season with our new polytunnel layout (funded by a kind donation from David & Charles Publishing), which is both more user-friendly and better at retaining moisture. This has allowed us to grow a wider variety of crops, with a particular highlight being our 11 different varieties of tomatoes. We also introduced the no-dig method, which has saved time and effort while being healthier for the soil.
We’re also received a further £1,800 in funding from EDDC for much needed improvements to our second polytunnel which will be carried out in 2026. The funds will provide a new skin, wood for segregated planting beds, a timed irrigation system, and a heat bench. These enhancements will further increase our yield and crop variety in the coming years.
Our Potting Shed affectionately nicknamed “The Mind Your Head Ed Shed,” was completed this year, providing a much-needed additional space for our growing field. Extra raised beds have been added outside, further increasing our capacity for produce. Colin the cockerel and our 7 laying hens have quickly settled into their new enclosure, bringing life and activity to the farm.
In the orchards, the apple trees were hard pruned, resulting in a bumper crop that produced 580 bottles of juice, now available to buy directly from the farm.
The theme for this year’s bake-off was “Around the World,” judged by our volunteer Maggie who took her role very seriously! We also enjoyed cooking stew outside around the firepit and experimented with a pizza oven made out of an old urn.
Volunteer groups from PKF Francis Clark, National Trust and Live West helped us complete several essential jobs on-site that would not have been possible for us to achieve without their support. They helped mulch trees, redecorate the kitchen, build an access ramp to our compost loo and paint outdoor areas, including the sink and barn doors, in preparation for our open day which was a huge success. This event marked the official opening of the Heathfield Health Walk. The Heathfield Health project, funded by the National Lottery, encourages healthy eating and gentle exercise, with participants receiving a certificate upon completing ten miles.
To complement our newly painted Kitchen, we brightened up out service counter by inviting every individual who comes to the farm to paint one word that they associated with it. The colourful designs reflect that everyone who attends takes away something unique from their time at Heathfield Farm.
Our Monday and Tuesday groups participated in a live broadcast on Soundart, an independent community radio station based in Totnes. The project, entitled Listen, Play, Experiment, focused on the sounds that can be heard at the farm and the activities it offers. Some beneficiaries were interviewed while others narrated as people took part in activities. Everyone involved also had the chance to choose one of their favourite songs to be played during the broadcast.
Finally, we had a few fun outings and community activities this year. In collaboration with the National Trust and the Devon Wildlife Trust, we visited Ashclyst Forest to collect seeds to be grown in the nursery on site before being transferred to the Killerton estate next year. The farm was also invited to participate in a ‘Red Dress’ themed workshop hosted by the National Trust. The fabric squares we created were joined by those from other community groups to form part of a tapestry displayed in the house over the festive period. During our visit to view the tapestry, we also saw the Christmas tree we decorated in the chapel which was our most colourful yet. In keeping with the Red Dress theme, its decorations celebrated identity, community and culture.
This is just a small selection of the many highlights from the past year. Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the year, and a special thanks to our incredible volunteers – we couldn’t offer the high level of service we’re so proud of without you.
All in all, 2025 has been a year of growth, community, and celebration at Heathfield Farm. From thriving crops and happy hens to successful outings and exciting projects, we have much to be grateful for. We look forward to carrying this momentum into the new year!
The Heathfield Farm team would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
