❤ LOVE LOCAL ❤
Bringing fresh, seasonal produce to the masses
AWARD WINNING VEGETABLE GROWERS SHILLINGFORD ORGANICS TALK WWOOFING AND EXPLAIN HOW THEY ARE MAKING THEIR PRODUCE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE IN EXETER AND THE TEIGN VALLEY BY MICHAELA PARKER
I
t seems veg box schemes are on the up in the south west, with dozens of producers now selling their harvest by the box-load. Led by Martyn Bragg, a
second generation farmer and business owner, Shillingford Organics sends out more than 200 organic vegetable boxes each week to residents from Exeter and the Teign Valley. Having been farming at Barton Farm
since 1988, Martyn teamed up with his now retired business partner and veg box pioneer Tim Deane in the year 2000 and has taken the scheme from strength to strength ever since. The producer won The Soil Association’s Best Box Scheme Award last year, an accolade of which Martyn is very proud. “It’s a very prestigious award actually!” he exclaims proudly. “It covers not only the best
52 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
vegetable boxes but the meat ones too. We also won Devon Life’s best grower award in 2012.”
As well as delivering vegetables to local food lovers, Shillingford sell their fresh, organic produce at farmers’ markets in both Exeter and Exmouth as well as supplying vegetables for sale at markets in Ashburton and Totnes. Bringing fresh, seasonal produce to the masses is the main aim of the game for Martyn. “It’s an easy way for people to get a regular delivery of really good, tasty vegetables,” he says, “and also a great way for people to eat seasonally and to have a connection to us, the growers.” Martyn grows more than 120 types of
vegetables on his land including herbs, salad leaves, edible fl owers and fruit, and what is grown is centred around the rich
Devon soil that they have at Barton Farm. They grow what will work best in the soil and around 20 acres of their land is taken up by veg box supplies, including four polytunnels. As 90 per cent of what goes into the veg boxes is grown by the team at Shillingfords Organics it’s a huge operation. Martyn also keeps chickens so that they
can provide their loyal customers with eggs as well as the veg. Cream, milk and bread can also be chosen as additional items. Whilst the dairy items come locally from Ashclyst Farm Dairy, the bread selection comes from Emma’s Bread, which Martyn picks up on delivery day mornings when he drops off vegetables to The Real Food Store in Exeter. “It’s so freshly baked, we sometimes wait for the bread to be ready then put it straight
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