Where our community farm is situated


Highbridge Community Farm in Hampshire is part of a larger farm -Highbridge Farm - of 240 acres which is situated on the Northern edge of the town of Eastleigh and straddles the beautiful River Itchen. Much of the farm is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with managed water meadows which are flooded in late winter. Mr Russell is the last remaining farmer on the Itchen to manage the fields in the traditional manner. The grass on these water meadows warmed and fertilized by the Itchen waters and begin to grow a couple of weeks earlier in the year than surrounding fields which benefits cattle that can begin grazing there significantly earlier. Currently the meadows are home to about 60 beef cattle.

O.S. Map showing northern edge of Eastleigh and Highbridge Farm

The Water meadows

There are 100-120 stakeholders involved in Highbridge Community Farm working on an area of 1.7 acres (0.71 ha) of vegetable growing and 0.935 acres of fruit trees and bushes. The fields are just above the flood plain. A stakeholder can be an individual, couple or a family, so the actual number of people working this land at any one time is around 250 people. Our peak working time is Saturday morning when there are frequently 80 people or so present.

Table 1 How the land at Highbridge Community Farm is allocated

Designation	Area m2 (approx.)	Number of stakeholders involved
20 vegetable plots	4392	100
3 polytunnels	103	5
Soft fruit and rhubarb plus New Soft fruit area	1172	5
3 orchards containing approximately 250 fruit trees	3304	5
Paths, sheds compost bins, stores, selling area, meeting area, water containers.	2350	3

 

Crops being  grown in 2010 -our first 

The Aims and Ethos of our community project

As a group,

•  to produce food locally for ourselves
• To provide an additional, sustainable and resilient food supply in a world where future food supplies are becoming increasingly uncertain
• To encourage the consumption of food that is nutritious and fresh
• To give members knowledge and experience in vegetable and fruit growing, using organic methods as far as possible
• To help our own and the wider community understand climate change, the need for putting more carbon into the soil and less into the atmosphere and the need to transition away from fossil fuel consumption.

In the Ethos statement of Highbridge Community Farm we state:

We have evolved from the Transition Movement and retain their founding principles - a community-led response to the pressures of fossil fuel depletion and climate change, supporting local economies and moving towards a more viable and sustainable future……..we work together to produce food for ourselves with minimum use of fossil fuels and chemicals. We support growing techniques that maintain the natural balance of the soil, preserve wildlife and their habitats, and encourage biodiversity.