Growing Food With Wildlife at Sheffield Organic Growers
How we came to be
Sheffield Organic Growers is 20 acre mixed vegetable and fruit farm situated in the Moss Valley just on the outskirts of Sheffield. Huw Evans when buying the land back in 2011 envisioned a model where different vegetable growers could share knowledge, resources, infrastructure and pool their buying power to help make food growing more financially viable, and enjoyable!
Starting with a bare 12 acre field, Huw and lots of enthusiastic volunteers, planted native hedgerow species to divide up the nine acres of rentable vegetable growing area, into four plots, and Sheffield Organic Growers was born. Huw’s first two tenants Martin Bradshaw and Matt West started growing on the land in 2012 and 2013, with various groups and enterprises renting the remaining two plots until Nick Johnson arrived in 2015 to rent one other plot, with the remaining plot being eventually divided up between Huw, Matt and Nick. Huw has planted and run the 2 acre orchard on the other side of the stream that runs through this original parcel of land.
In 2020 Huw bought an adjoining field from the same farmer John Rose, and added another 8 acres to the existing site. This area is now growing a mix of autumn winter vegetables and flowers, run by the growers collective Over the Hedge- Matt West, Eleanor Heneghan and Sally Benson. The top third of the new field is being rented by Sheffield Fruit Trees for their propagation and sale of fruit trees for Sheffield and the wider area.
Nick Johnson
A former Soil Association apprentice, Nick learnt how to grow the full range of vegetables at Troed-y-Rhiw Organic Farm for three seasons. He met Huw at the last apprenticeship seminar attended and hearing there was an opportunity to rent land from Huw at Sheffield Organic Growers, decided to take the next step in his growing career to plan and run a market garden. Nick has been supplying his own veg scheme Sheffield Organic Growers, as well as wholesale customers Zeds Wholefoods, Tonco Bakery, Beanies wholefoods, V or V Restaurant and Regather.
Huw Evans
The founder of Sheffield Organic Growers, Huw first planted a 3 acre orchard of soft and top fruit including blackcurrants, gooseberries, apples, pears and a whole lot more! Huw supplies Zeds, Tonco Bakery, Nether Edge Farmers Market, Regather, Moss Valley Market Garden and Beanies Wholefoods.
Matt West
Matt has worked at Beanies Wholefoods for 25 years, buying fresh vegetables and fruit for the lively, colourful shop in Crookes Valley, and helping start Sheffield’s first Organic Box Scheme. A keen allotment gardener, joining SOG fulfilled his long held ambition to grow food on a larger scale and increase the amount of genuinely local produce available in the shop.
Organic principles in practice
Focused on staying true to the core principles and practises that underpin organic vegetable and fruit cultivation, Sheffield Organic Growers hosts an amazing array of habitat for wildlife. Three ponds have been dug in various locations to encourage amphibians including the great crested newt, many nest boxes for various sizes of owls, kestrels and smaller boxes for blue tits and great tits. Organic growing seeks to utilise nature’s balance in aiding the grower in pest and disease management, so diversity and particularly habitat for apex predators like owls, that help keep rodents in check and blue tits whose diets consist entirely of moths, (the codling moth is a famous pest of orchards), wildflowers and brash areas for overwintering pupae of lacewings, parasitic wasps and ladybirds have over the last decade, transformed this patch of land to a much more species rich and diverse habitat area than it once was. The new field also plays host to a new agroforestry area, with native species of trees planted in wide strips, so crops can be planted between them in the inter rim of their growth and establishment, willow also plays a key part in utilising nature's resources as using the wood chip as a mulch for fruit trees has proven effective in controlling scab on apples.
The growers here at Sheffield Organic Growers produce vegetables and fruit primarily for veg bag schemes and box schemes in the city, with over 50 varieties of crops grown on site each year, from broccoli to fennel, tomatoes to carrots and plenty of kale. We have old and modern varieties of apples, pears, plums and soft fruit in our orchard. Providing over six full time jobs worth of work on this 20 acre site, all at living wage or above, our team share a vision of land work that is both fulfilling and rewarding for both humans and the other plants and animals that share the space with them.
© 2025 - Sheffield Organic Growers
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