Our Community - The Community Farm

Kim Brooks

2021-07-13T23:11:01+01:00

Born in Croydon, South London, our family holidays to the countryside (combined with a love of food) created a basic curiosity in where food comes from. My education focused on business: Business Studies at school, Management at university, and then Financial Audit and becoming a Chartered Accountant as a graduate. But it was an organic veg box in Brisbane, some stern words from my partner, and the purchase of a campervan that persuaded me to spend six months on organic farms in Australia; this lit a passion for food and farming that helped me realise just how vital these things are when trying to look after our own health as well as that of the land. Following my return to the UK, I decided to pursue an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture. It was during these studies that I was lucky to start volunteering at The Community Farm. The rest is history! As Managing Director I’m hoping to bring together this journey from business to farming and guide us into the next stage of The Community Farm’s existence.

John Miller

2021-07-13T23:12:12+01:00

Daisy Sutcliffe

2021-07-20T16:55:12+01:00

I've spent more than 30 years participating and working in community engagement with arts, environmental and conservation initiatives, starting in Yorkshire where I grew up, followed by stints in Edinburgh, at London's South Bank Centre and Hackney Empire and many others and, more recently, Dorset, leading the Jurassic Coast Arts Programme. This led to a PhD at The University of Glasgow exploring UNESCO, World Heritage and the implicit geopolitics and colonialism in Western concepts of land management, however "nature friendly". I suggested a more-than-human approach to working with the land, in which all life is recognised, respected and collaborated with.

The birth of my daughter and a house move followed, before I joined the team at The Community Farm in summer 2021, where we are beginning to bring some of this theory into practice, not least by including all species present on and in the land as members of our community. There are never two days the same, and I love being part of the 'farmily'!

Julian Gren

2021-07-20T16:56:00+01:00

Tom Richardson

2021-07-20T16:56:23+01:00

After an initial stint in London ad agencies, I have spent all of my career focused on environmental and social issues. Over time I have specialised in food, first working alongside Rainforest Alliance, and then as Head of Marketing at the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

For the last few years, I have supplemented my time behind the screen by getting my hands dirty as a market gardener. In London I worked for Growing Communities, running a small, organic market-garden for their veg box scheme and more recently as a grower for various market gardens in Bristol. It feels great to be back in my home city and working at The Community Farm: an organisation which shares my vision of local food systems built for health, beauty and permanence.

Ian Sumpter

2021-07-13T23:14:28+01:00

I have been fortunate enough to spend most of my career working within the organic sector. I have tried my hand at everything from warehouse work to rearing crops and livestock. After managing a 50 acre mixed farm in Ceredigion I made the intrepid voyage across the Severn to join The Community Farm. I spent a couple of years with the warehouse team, packing, driving, and managing the wholesale and box deliveries, then in March 2014 I started on pastures new in the field building up our volunteering team as part of a grant funded project.

Emmy Wurmli

2021-07-20T16:56:41+01:00

I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm and have spent much of my working life with my boots amongst the roots, working on charity and community projects with volunteers and delivering environmental education in organic farm and market garden settings.

I really enjoy hosting groups here on the farm, helping people to connect deeper with nature and our food system, get giving people the opportunity to get closer to the soil in their soul - so come along and join our amazing team of volunteers here on the land!

Sally Purnell

2021-07-13T23:09:22+01:00

I have always been extremely interested in environmental issues and an avid supporter of organic, locally-sourced food, this has shaped my career to date. I started working in environmental consultancy immediately after graduating, specialising in the environmental assessment of many waste disposal and infrastructure projects in the UK and further afield. In more recent years I have been involved with research projects concerning recycling and waste minimisation. In amongst the academic work, I managed to squeeze in the setting up and running of my own organic food retail shop. I sold this business in 2002 but I am happy to say it remains trading today.

When the opportunity to work at The Community Farm came my way, I jumped at the chance. I love everything about working at the farm; my colleagues, the atmosphere, the volunteers, the food, the mud, the ethos of the farm and the complete commitment of everybody here.

Annabel Wallace

2021-07-20T16:57:10+01:00

Born and bred in Somerset, I was lucky enough to find The Farm when I moved from Bristol to the Chew Valley with my husband and two young children. Prior to this I had a few wonderful years in Asia, working for a branding company in the amazing Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, as well as a stint in advertising and marketing in London. Working at The Farm has opened my eyes to the values of eating and growing sustainably as well as the importance of fostering strong local communities, for which I'll be eternally grateful! When not working I can be found walking my cocker spaniel and exploring all the beautiful countryside the Chew Valley has to offer!

Ellie Nurcombe

2021-07-20T16:57:54+01:00

With a background in gardening and healthcare, running Grow & Make, our therapeutic horticulture programme here at The Farm, is the perfect mix of my skillset! As well as running Grow & Make I can often be found packing customer boxes, hosting visiting partner groups, promoting our Go Organic scheme and so much more.

Jason Leck

2021-07-20T16:58:11+01:00

I have always enjoyed working with people from diverse backgrounds, ages and abilities, helping them build a deeper connection with nature. Over the years, I have done this through various roles such as an Outdoor Activity Instructor, Nature Conservation Leader, FE Tutor, and Forest School Leader. In 2016, I was fortunate to start working on Avon Wildlife Trust's Wellbeing with Nature project. During this time, I became curious about the strong link between nature and wellbeing through the lens of ecopsychology and how our disconnect to nature is affecting both human and planet health. Joining The Community Farm team in 2021, as the Wild Steps coordinator, has been an incredible opportunity for me to continue doing what I love - being with people outdoors. Here, I can inspire people's connection with nature while caring for the farm's wildlife through practical conservation activities, and, of course, having fun!