Indie Farmer

02/09/2026

Do you know where your flowers really come from? 🌸

Sinead Fenton, grower and founder of , shares why provenance matters - and what we often don’t know about imported flowers.

🎥 Watch the full Aweside Farm film on YouTube - link in bio.

02/09/2026

What does it really take to build a small farm from scratch? 🌱

I recently spent the day with Sinead at Aweside Farm near Arlington in East Sussex.

Sinead has transformed the site into a diverse small farm, growing herbs, edible flowers and other produce for chefs, while planting thousands of trees and creating new habitats across the land.

We talked about how she got started, the realities of building a farm from scratch, the challenges of securing planning permission, and what happens when the pressure of making it all work starts to take its toll.

The feature is the final instalment of my Lund Trust Fellowship, exploring people and places helping to shape the future of farming and food in and around the High Weald.

Thanks to the Lund Trust and High Weald National Landscape for supporting this work.

🌱 Read the full article below — and watch the accompanying film to hear Sinead's story and see Aweside Farm for yourself.

In the twelfth and final instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Aweside Farm near Arlington, East Sussex, where first-generation farmer Sinead Fenton is growing organic edible flowers, herbs and garnishes while r...

29/08/2026

“I want to love this again.”

After years of building from the ground up, Sinead’s journey has been anything but straightforward.

From fighting to stay on the land and eventually securing planning permission, to the physical and emotional toll of building a farm and business from scratch, this is a story about what it really takes to make a new farm work - and what happens when survival starts to take the joy out of it.

I spent the day with Sinead at Aweside Farm, near Arlington in East Sussex, hearing about what she’s built, what she’s learned and why she’s now rethinking the farm for its next chapter.

🎥 Watch the full film, The True Cost of Starting a Farm, on the Indie Farmer YouTube channel.

📖 You can also read the full story on Indie Farmer.

Both links are in my bio.

This is the final instalment of my Lund Trust Fellowship series exploring the people and places shaping the future of farming and food in and around the High Weald.

25/08/2026

Why are more people choosing locally grown flowers? 🌸

I recently spent the day with Poppy Royds at Dusky Slug Flowers, her small-scale flower farm near Staplecross in East Sussex.

Poppy grows seasonal flowers on around an acre using no-dig methods, supplying florists in London and Hastings as well as customers closer to home.

We talked about how she got started, the growing demand for British-grown flowers, the economics of running a small flower farm and what she’s learned along the way.

The feature is part of my Lund Trust Fellowship, exploring people and places helping to shape the future of farming and food across the High Weald.

Thanks to the Lund Trust and High Weald National Landscape for supporting this work.

🌸 Read the full article below — and watch the accompanying film to hear more from Poppy and see Dusky Slug Flowers for yourself.

In the eleventh instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Dusky Slug Flowers, in the High Weald National Landscape, near Staplecross, East Sussex, where first-generation flower farmer Poppy Royds is building a small...

23/08/2026

Why are locally grown flowers becoming so popular? 🌼🌷

More people are beginning to think about where their flowers come from, how they’re grown and what’s in season.

In this reel, Poppy Royds of explains why she believes interest in locally grown flowers is on the rise.

I spent the day with Poppy for the latest instalment in my Lund Trust Fellowship series, exploring the people shaping the future of farming and food in and around the High Weald.

📖 Read the full article on Indie Farmer.
🎥 Watch the full interview on YouTube (link in bio).

🌱 Follow for more stories of farming and food

14/08/2026

Farm Gate Sale tomorrow at Hockham Farm 10am to 1pm 🥩

We’ve got a really great selection of fresh, grass-fed beef available from the farm gate tomorrow, alongside a small selection of pre-cut Pevensey Blue and Tilley Lane cheese from Pevensey Cheese (who won’t be there tomorrow).

📍 Hockham Farm
📅 Saturday 15th August

Come down and stock up — hope to see some of you tomorrow!

08/08/2026

🥩 Our next batch of fresh Aberdeen Angus beef is nearly ready!

We’ll be opening the farm gate again on Saturday 15th August, with our 5kg and 10kg beef boxes available to pre-order.

🥩 5kg box — £90
🥩 10kg box — £170

📍 Collection from the farm on Saturday 15th August
🚚 Local delivery available Monday 17th August
📦 Nationwide delivery also available

We’ll also have pre-cut Pevensey Cheese available to buy on the day or pre-order, including Pevensey Blue and Tilley Lane 🧀

Our cattle are grass-fed and reared here on the farm, with the beef properly hung for flavour and tenderness.

Drop me a message to reserve a beef box and add some cheese to your order!

07/08/2026

So, what are they doing about it? 🌦️

In my last reel, Simon Wheeler from explained why increasingly unpredictable weather has become one of the biggest challenges facing the farm.

Now they’re taking steps to adapt - reducing livestock numbers and planning to build a reservoir to secure more water for the farm during increasingly dry summers.

It’s all part of making Tibbs Farm more resilient to whatever the weather throws at them in the years ahead.

I spent the day with Simon and Phil Wheeler for the latest instalment in my Lund Trust Fellowship series, exploring the people shaping the future of farming in and around the High Weald.

📖 Read the full article on Indie Farmer.
🎥 Watch the full interview on YouTube (link in bio).

How are you adapting your farm or business to more unpredictable weather?

05/08/2026

The biggest challenge? The weather. 🌦️

Every farmer expects to deal with the seasons, but increasingly unpredictable weather is making it harder to plan, grow and harvest.

In this reel, Simon Wheeler from explains why the weather has been one of the biggest frustrations for the business.

I spent the day with Simon and Phil Wheeler for the latest instalment in my Lund Trust Fellowship series, exploring the people shaping the future of farming in and around the High Weald.

📖 Read the full article on Indie Farmer.
🎥 Watch the full interview on YouTube (link in bio).

How has this year’s weather affected you?

🌱 Follow for more stories of farming and food.

05/08/2026

Family farms have always had to adapt. At Tibbs Farm, diversification has become the key to building a resilient business for the future.

My latest Indie Farmer story explores why. 🌱

In the tenth instalment of my twelve-part Indie Farmer series, supported by the Lund Trust and the High Weald National Landscape, I visited Tibbs Farm near Udimore, East Sussex, where brothers Simon and Phil Wheeler are building a more resilient family business by combining traditional farming with....