About our Market Garden

Here at Forty Hall Farm we’ve been growing seasonal veg in our Market Garden for over ten years.

We’re proud to be certified organic by the Soil Association, and organic principles underpin our whole approach to growing veg. The Market Garden occupies about 3.5ha, approximately 5% of the farm's total area. About half of this area is dedicated to increasing biodiversity, which is a cornerstone of our pest control system - by providing varied habitat and food resources we help beneficial insects thrive, which in turn prey on pest insects on our crops through summer.

At any one time, two-thirds of our cultivated land is used for annual veg production, with the remainder growing a fertility building ley (otherwise known as a green manure) - a mixture of beneficial plants, primarily deep-rooting legumes and wildflowers, which serve to increase soil fertility and enhance its resilience in the face of a changing climate as well as providing even more beneficial insect resources.

Alongside our outdoor annual crops, we maintain 800 sq m of polytunnels which supply us with tomatoes and cucumbers in summer, and greens and salads through the winter. We also have a well-equipped propagation tunnel where we raise about 100,000 plants per year from seed.