Share Farming / Market Gardening (Now taken) Opportunity on 96 acres of meadow & woods in Exeter City Devon

 

Collaborative  possibilities –

Husbandry / horticulture farm share plus “cottage industry” potential to nurture an oasis of alternative ideas, culture and to offer fresh healthy food to the city. Long list of possibilities all of which can be synergistically enriched in collaborative endeavour.

 

 

 

Greetings All,  I’m John Yates Goffin’s custodian and one of the growing breed of ancient farmers. However, I’m one who made a political decision to acquire farm land rather that being born into country life and farming as the way to earn a living. I’m a strong believer in the absolute necessity for free people to be free through control of as much as possible of their own food produced sustainably and heathily – plus energy, water and appropriate technology.

In pursuit of these ideas I have the good fortune to be co-operating with Dan Powell founder of Landbase. See Facebook: @landbaseuk We are both concerned by the pressures being levelled on grazing livestock farmers in part endorsed by producers of non meat alternatives and the vegan movement coming from the animal welfare lobby. We seek to establish a share farm enterprise that underpins and strengthens the argument for keeping gazing animals within a holistic farming system that benefits the land via building carbon and conserving soils and habitats. Rare breeds maybe very appropriate for Goffin Land conditions and current infrastructure (no winter stock sheds) and also produce a prestige product for hotels and restaurants in the local Devon area.

My aim is to be part of a collaborative endeavour to create an oasis from the despotic reality of the corporate money and mind control world. As the land owner and enabler I seek to earn a living with people not out of them on the basis of the outlines below and “Working relationship” framework. It will be hard work to establish the individual elements listed below but tenacity and creativity will reward those that succeed with good income and enriching way of life. The thought is for Goffin Land to host an enjoyable socially enlightening experience opening the door to another world of relationships with countryside, wildlife and ourselves.

I propose offering farm share agreements plus openings for co-operation on complimentary enterprises. 

Land Management and Production systems

Regenerative land management / horticulture exploring the ideas of Richard Perkins, Joel Salatin, Elaine Ingam et al. for carbon positive, high health & welfare animal rearing. Traditional breeds as appropriate. Plus chemical free horticulture production for local supply. Sheep and cattle work nicely together in leader-follower for field grazing. Throw chickens in the mix and we’ve got a recipe for success in building top soil. It will be instructive if it works.

Potential enterprises 

Beef, lamb, goats, poultry, pigs, small scale fodder crops & cereals

Innovative soil management. Carbon capture.Woodland, short rotation forestry, agro forestry, biochar, bees / honey

Market gardening informed by Curtis Stone, Richard Perkins et al. Small scale multi enterprise on permaculture /regenerative principles. Focus on the most profitable / lowest labour costs crops. This offer has been taken

Flavia Bigiarini is now setting up her Living Soils Garden on Clover Field and we all look forward to tasting some fresh salad and veg in the summer.

More & Marketing

Fresh and healthy real food hub.

Potential sales to restaurants, hotels and box schemes to local folks as well as investing in the emerging market for “meal planner” boxes .

Food canteen “of the woods” with barn back-up in poor weather.

In house catering for weddings and party events, small festivals etc.

Butchery, charcuterie, preserving and pickling, drying

Local market, REKO marketing in which Goffin Land could be a hub.

Further enterprise openings ……..

Kitchen garden

Fruit production for processing into transportable and more durable (longer shelf life) juices, sorbets, ice cream or “home made” jams.

Mushroom production – rarer mushrooms

Canteen / banquet kitchen

Charcuterie

Tempeh making

To make alcohol / biogas for fuel naturally with in our authorities legal restrictions. To experiment and build wind turbines

To develop biochar making facilities and workshops

In process:

Events & wedding venue

Glamping / camping venue

Creating a magical nature trail with physical and mental puzzles, obstacles and collaborative challenges as per fitness / bootcamp events. Creating tranquil spaces in the woods and edges of meadows for gatherings and wild woods pizza and soup kitchen events plus wild camping.

Enterprise openings

Running workshops and events to enlighten more folk of the benefits of all the above – alt energy, permaculture, regenerative farming, local growing of chemical free foods and rearing for local markets. If there are teachers of yoga, mindfulness, singing, pilates  etc. that wish to earn a living off the land coupled with passing on knowledge for love and additional income – then possibilities will exist here on the land.

The barn and catering facilities offer excellent potential for closing the loop on food production by selling  Goffin Land produce on & from the land. It affords a complementary income linked with growing and rearing healthy food.

There is potential for people to create their own income stream as long as the process is beneficial to the overall projects – Biophilia & Goffin Land.

So lots of potential – PICK & MIX basket of interests that could create both a money and goods income and desirable living environment. “Goods” are the food / accommodation / workspace and onsite selection of paid casual engagements

My personal interest lies in using food as way to engage in discussion with all comers. Whilst creating the new infrastructure on Goffin Land I started running workshops and events to enlighten more folk of the benefits of all the above – alt energy, permaculture, regenerative farming, local growing of chemical free foods and welfare husbandry rearing meat for local markets. Very keen to build up use of the land for enlightening engagement, education and training in food related issues.

Given time I want to arrange gatherings for conversation about broader key issues of our time from environmental, emotional/health concerns to economy/money system, media and war.

Collaborative  possibilities?

I hope the offers above are interesting. They are based on the “Working Relationship” outline below

The share offers are presented in collaboration with Dan Powell of Land Base (web site is offline being rebuilt)

See Facebook: @landbaseuk. My hope is that a successful outcome to share Goffin’s potential will help stimulate the Landbase journey to provide opportunities to those wishing to involve themselves and earn a living with land based activities.

 

John Yates ……………….  Custodian of Goffin Land / 19.12.2019

Please contact in first instance Dan Powell of Landbase   dan.landbase – at – gmail dot com

LandBase seeks to provide opportunities to those wishing to involve themselves in land based activities on a range of levels, and to close the gap between the growing interest in rural living and skills, and the lack of structured learning facilities for new entrants to small-scale food production in the UK. LandBase will provide experience led, affordable, long-and short-term courses for motivated land-workers, both current and aspiring.

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Working relationship

Market Garden: My investment / commitment

1. Half an acre flat naturally fertilised fenced rabbit safe growing area.

    Further south facing acre potentially available. 

2. Space in a 20 x 7 metre barn.

3. Share of workshop.

4. Space alongside for covered area

5. Bore hole water and big tank for rain water

6. Share of Case 275 tractor

7. Possible share of Land Rover

8. Marketing and sales development

9. Metered electricity borehole maintainance

10. Greenhouse

Husbandry: My investment / commitment

1. 86 acres of meadow approx 50 sown with herb and legume rich swards all newly fenced and gated.

2. Water to middle of farm plus access to ponds and brook running water.

3. Maintained tracks

4. Maintained fencing

5. Shared use of a Case 4240

6. Possible share of Land Rover

Goffin Woods and Goyles

1. Approximately 10 acres of woods and tree lined water courses

2. Woodchipper 

Gray’s Barn & Grounds

 1. Agricultural barn available for workshops, conferences and gatherings on mutually agreeable terms

2. Commercial kitchen on wheels

3. Rocket stove piza oven

Follow-up?

I hope the offers are interesting. They are presented in collaboration with Dan Powell of Land Base (web site is offline being rebuilt) See Facebook: @landbaseuk. My hope is that a successful outcome to share Goffin’s potential will help stimulate the Landbase journey to provide opportunities to those wishing to involve themselves in land based activities.

John Yates ……………….  Custodian of Goffin Land / 19.12.2019

Please contact in first instance Dan Powell of Landbase   dan.landbase – at – gmail dot com

LandBase seeks to provide opportunities to those wishing to involve themselves in land based activities on a range of levels, and to close the gap between the growing interest in rural living and skills, and the lack of structured learning facilities for new entrants to small-scale food production in the UK. LandBase will provide experience led, affordable, long-and short-term courses for motivated land-workers, both current and aspiring.

Facebook search: @landbaseuk