Hello, my name is Lisa! My partner John and I need your support to launch our business, Wilder Pentwyn Produce. We've taken on five acres of land, under a farm business tenancy, at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust's 164- acre Wilder Pentwyn Farm in Powys. We need your help to raise £27,000 to set up a market garden, forest orchard, chicken grazing, and nature camping. If we can raise funds for some of the start-up costs, it will enable us to fast-track to full-scale production.

Our vision is to run a small commercial, mixed farm run on regenerative principles - building soil carbon, soil health, maximising water retention and building biodiversity.

Photo credit: Alexander Turner, The Guardian

Our intention is to develop a mixed farm of vegetables, chickens, mushrooms, microgreens, fruit, trees and community. An abundant space of diverse food, on pasture that has been traditionally grazed by sheep. We will produce vegetables and locally adapted open-pollinated seed on up to 1 hectare of land, using Permaculture, No Dig and Regenerative Farming methods. On the rest of the land we will produce eggs from pastured hens, a forest orchard of predominantly apples and pears, with other fruits and herbs grown alongside, and a small wild campsite.

As well as starting a new venture, the conditions at Pentwyn are not what market gardeners would naturally seek out. It is on upland Welsh soil, which is more acidic than vegetables like, and the fields at Pentwyn also have shallow soil. The land is fairly high up, just under 1000 feet above sea level, close to where the hills are topped with moorland. At this height there is a significant amount of wind, cooler conditions and slightly shorter seasons. However, it is a challenge and an experiment! If we can be successful here, if offers a lot of opportunity for this form of food production to be taken up more widely in the Welsh hills.

We will seek to involve the community by offering events that offer nature connection, and opportunities to volunteer and learn about growing vegetables, as well preparing and eating them, providing a greater understanding and connection to fresh, healthful ingredients.

What experience do we have?

John and I previously owned a 7.5 acre smallholding, where we farmed 3 orchards, a polytunnel, deep beds, 28 sheep, 30 chickens and 3 geese. We produced eggs, apples, vegetables, herbs, and products made from sheep’s wool and willow. Since then, I have been on a long, healthy food journey, and in recent years I have produced vegetables and grown microgreens for veg boxes and direct sales.

Why is sustainable food production so important?

The challenges of our time include reversing the loss of biodiversity, tackling excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and building resilience in these times of increasingly uncertain climatic conditions.

In response, we are adopting a regenerative approach to growing, which we believe will also bring resilience. We will take actions that increase soil carbon, which in turn will store water in the soil and make more nutrients available to support healthy strong plants and give generous yields. We will also use natural techniques like creating windbreaks and creating sheltered microclimates, and ensure there are food sources, especially nectar for pollinators. Increasing sustainability and biodiversity will be at the heart of what we do!

We are lucky to be in area where there is a high awareness of, and high demand for fresh and local food. Local food production has many benefits, including; food security, increased taste, highly nutritious food, increased retention of money in the local economy, and less transportation emissions.

What will the money go towards?

Approximately £1,000 for field preparation, £1,000 for creating a harvest area, £2,000 for windbreaks and fencing, £2,000 for compost and amendments, £7,000 for a second hand compact tractor and tools, £7,500 for hand tools and harvest equipment, £10,000 for a polytunnel.

In addition, if we raise more than needed then this could fund plants and seeds, wet weather protection, a staff rest area, irrigation, and repairs to the agricultural shed. We reserve the right to fund the project in ways we deem fit.

Please be aware that we are raising funds for our private market garden business, independent from Radnorshire Wildlife Trust but aligned with the Trust's vision for nature’s recovery and sustainable food production at Pentwyn Farm.

Thank you for your support, we appreciate every single donation!

Lisa and John