The Apricot Centre CIC

@Huxham’s Cross Farm, Devon

The Apricot Centre cultivates sustainability in land, lives and livelihoods....

It is a 35 acre farm and wellbeing service nestled in beautiful Devon countryside 2 miles from Totnes and on the edge of the Dartington Hall Trust estate. The land was taken on in 2015 , and the team immediately began a soil restoration programme using green manures, key-line ploughing and special compost preparations to repair degraded soil that had been farmed conventionally using chemicals for at least 40 years.

It was certified as organic and biodynamic in 2018. The farm produces vegetables, eggs, soft fruit, tree fruit, and of course wheat on a small scale, for sale though a veg box delivery round and at Totnes Friday market. Grade-out and unsold produce is processed into jams, juices, cordials and chutneys. The Apricot Centre is also home to a well-being service, bringing children with mental health issues on to the farm for professional therapy services and nature based experiences. The farm hosts courses in sustainable agriculture, offering training in permaculture, biodynamics, agroforestry and The ECO-nomics of permaculture. The team now regularly consults with other farmers who are keen to replicate our model on their land.