Meliora Farm
Meliorism: The belief that the world can be made better by human effort
A soil-first farm for abundant community, biodiversity, and productivity.
Soil-first farming is an agricultural philosophy and set of principles that put the health of the soil at the centre of everything - before yields, profits, or even crop choices.
Growing community.
Our community farm in collaboration with Community Action (3VA), operates as an Ecosystem Restoration Community.
The Community Farm sits at the heart of Furnace Brook’s wider vision to restore ecosystems while helping local people thrive. The farm is designed to bring people together through growing food, learning practical skills, & caring for the land.
This is epitomised by our collaboration with the home ed community veg patch we are setting up with We Grow.
We’re building this with our community, step by step, with a focus on soil health, biodiversity, and regenerative practices.
Community is key to what we do here & we welcome groups & individuals to come & get involved with the project in many ways.
Our aims
Grow nutritious, seasonal food using low-impact methods
Restore soil life & support wildlife across the site
Create hands-on opportunities for learning & connection
Build local resilience through shared skills & resources
Support people who may benefit from time outdoors & in community
Strengthen the local food system for the wider High Weald
Where are we now?
We’re in the early phase of establishing the farm. Work so far includes:
Preparing the first growing areas
Improving soil health with compost & biochar
Developing a plan for trees, grazing, beds, & shared spaces
Hosting volunteer days & small pilot projects
Building relationships with local growers & organisations
This foundation allows us to grow steadily & intentionally.
Mob-grazing goats.
Our first port of call with the purchase of the new farm, was to evaluate our soil, and second came the integration of a livestock to help kick-start the system!
We have five beautiful goats who are managed in an adaptive grazing system.
It involves moving them frequently between small paddocks after short, high-density grazing periods, allowing for long recovery periods for the plants. This mimics the behaviour of wild herds & aims to avoid overgrazing while building soil organic matter, increasing water infiltration, boosting overall biodiversity, & not needing to regularly use medication on the animals.
Healthy soil > Healthy plants > Healthy goats
What’s coming next?
Over the coming months & seasons, we plan to develop:
A productive no-dig market garden style growing area
A biochar demonstration area
Seasonal workshops and hands-on courses
Partnerships with schools, local groups, & wellbeing organisations
Opportunities for community members to steward growing beds
As the farm grows, it will become a shared space for food, learning, & nature.
Ways to get involved
Everyone is welcome, whether you’re an experienced grower or complete beginner.
You can:
Join a volunteering session
Share skills or help with infrastructure projects
Take part in courses & workshops
Partner with us as a local organisation
Offer tools, plants, or materials you no longer need
If you’d like to be involved, or have an idea that supports people or nature, we’d love to hear from you.
On top of our spaces to stay, brewery, events, Compost Club, biochar production & market garden, we plan to create niches for our community to come & join us in our efforts to create an abundant & beautiful place here. You can read more about these initiatives here.
We foresee beekeeping, mushroom & micro green (indoor) growing, music & art studios, forest & farm school, a community cafe, sauna, the list goes on.
Do reach out if you’d like to work here with us.
Contact us here.