Middle World Farms

10/06/2026

It has taken us some time to write this update.

The fire that destroyed Middle World Farms didn’t just take buildings and equipment. It destroyed computers, phones, tools, machinery and much of the infrastructure we had spent years building. We’ve spent the last week simply trying to regain access to accounts, understand the scale of the damage and work out what comes next.

Firstly, we want to thank every single person who has supported us.

The messages, donations, shares, offers of help and words of encouragement have been overwhelming. During one of the most difficult periods of our lives, our community has reminded us why we started this project in the first place.

Most importantly, everyone is safe.

That is entirely thanks to Erik the Rottweiler, who woke us up and alerted us to the fire. Had he not done so, this story could have had a very different ending.

Many people have asked what happens next and how the crowdfunding money will be used.

We believe you deserve complete honesty.

Middle World Farms will not be rebuilding on its current site.

The fire has made that decision for us. While the farm itself has been devastated, the vision behind it remains unchanged. We still believe in ecological farming, rebuilding living soils, increasing biodiversity, strengthening local food resilience and helping people reconnect with where their food comes from.

What happens next depends largely on the level of support we receive and our ability to secure a new home for the farm.

If the fundraiser raises less than £5,000, our priority will be survival. The fire destroyed not only farm equipment but also the carpentry tools I used before founding Middle World Farms. In that scenario, the funds would be used to replace those tools so I can return to work as a carpenter and ensure that I am not left without a livelihood.

If the fundraiser raises between £5,000 and £10,000, we would still replace those essential tools. Any remaining funds would be invested into the development of a new community-led veg box scheme that we are currently helping to build alongside other local growers and the Lincolnshire Food Partnership. While that would not rebuild Middle World Farms directly, it would help ensure that local food production and community food resilience continue to grow in Lincolnshire.

If the fundraiser exceeds £10,000, our intention is to secure new land and begin rebuilding Middle World Farms.

The first year would focus on laying strong foundations. We would prepare the land, establish cover crops and begin rebuilding soil health and fertility. Those who know us will understand that healthy soil is where everything begins. By investing in the land first, we would give ourselves the best possible chance of creating a thriving farm for the future and returning to production in 2027.

To our annual members, we owe you a special apology.

Many of you paid for a full season because you believed in what we were trying to achieve. We are deeply sorry that circumstances beyond our control have interrupted that.

The good news is that not everything was lost. Tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers, sweet peppers, courgettes and squash remain growing and are still available. Any annual member is welcome to come and collect produce while it is available.

If you require a refund, please email us and we will do our best to help. We want to be completely transparent that our financial position is extremely difficult following the fire, but we will work through requests fairly and honestly.

We also want our annual members to know that we will not forget your support. If Middle World Farms successfully rebuilds, our intention is that everyone who paid for an annual subscription this year will receive a complimentary subscription when the farm is producing again.

The fire has destroyed our infrastructure, but it has not destroyed the community around Middle World Farms. It has not destroyed our knowledge, our passion or our determination.

Finally, we need your help.

If you know of land in Lincolnshire that may be suitable for the next chapter of Middle World Farms, please get in touch. We are looking for opportunities to create a new home for the farm and would welcome conversations with landowners, farmers, estates, charities, businesses and organisations who share our vision for a more resilient local food system.

This may be the end of one chapter, but we hope it is not the end of the story.

From all of us at Middle World Farms, thank you for standing with us.

Martin, Sue, the Middle World Farms team, and Erik the Rottweiler 🐾

If you would like to support the next chapter of Middle World Farms, the crowdfunding link can be found below:

https://gofund.me/9761b3fce

04/06/2026

We are heartbroken to have to share that Middle World Farms has suffered a devastating fire.
The farm has burned to the ground, and almost all of our kit, tools, equipment and systems have been destroyed. We are still trying to take in the scale of what has happened.
The most important thing is that we are alive and safe — and that is thanks to our hero, Erik the Rottweiler, who woke us up and saved our lives.
We are sorry to say that we will not be able to make deliveries today. We are so sorry to everyone who has been let down, especially our veg box members and supporters who rely on us. For the foreseeable future, Middle World Farms will have to close while we work out what happens next.
A friend has kindly started a crowdfunding page to help us through this disaster, and we are incredibly grateful for every message, share, donation and offer of help.
Right now we are exhausted, shocked and trying to regain access to accounts, phones, systems and the basics needed to communicate. We will update everyone as soon as we can.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Middle World Farms. We are devastated, but we are safe — because Erik saved us.
Martin, Sue and everyone at Middle World Farms.

The last photo is Erik's best mate Poppies grave. not sure how but her grave artifacts did not burn,;whilst all around metal and glass was melting with heat close to 2000c?

07/05/2026

🌱 A REAL ASK FROM MIDDLE WORLD FARMS 🌱

Last year we had around 23 members.

This year we reached 55 members… and completely sold out.

And now we have another 45 people sitting on the waiting list.

That means the waiting list alone is nearly double our entire membership from last year.

Honestly, we never expected this.

People are finally starting to believe in local food again. Real food. Grown here, by human hands, for this community.

But the truth is, we are right on the edge now.

For the first time ever, Middle World Farms is getting close to being able to properly employ local people. Not just survive season to season — actually create jobs, train people, and build something lasting for Lincoln.

But we are not there yet.

The next few months are absolutely critical. The farm has grown faster than we ever imagined, and right now we need volunteers from the community to help carry this momentum through the season.

Not because we want “free labour”.

Because this farm was never supposed to belong to just us.

This was always meant to be a community-supported farm. A place where people come together to rebuild local food resilience, reconnect with nature, and prove there is another way forward besides giant supply chains and imported food travelling thousands of miles.

If Middle World Farms matters to you…
If you believe Lincoln should feed Lincoln…
If you want children growing up understanding where food comes from…
If you want wildlife, soil, and people thriving together…

Then now is the moment we need you.

Even a couple of hours helps massively.

No experience needed.
Just good people willing to muck in.

Planting.
Harvesting.
Packing veg boxes.
Weeding.
General farm jobs.
Tea drinking and solving the world's problems.

This community has already achieved something incredible. Far beyond what we thought possible.

Now we need help to carry it over the line.

Let’s Grow Together 🌱

— Martin
Middle World Farms

22/04/2026

Come a have your say on how the food system should work for us.

Lincolnshire Food Summit 2026 is on the theme of civil food resilience

The Lincolnshire Food Summit is an opportunity for organisations in the food system to come together to share inspiring practice, discuss key issues, and solve problems together.

When: Thursday 14th May 2026, 9:30am-4:00pm
Where: Wragby Town Hall
Tickets: £10 (low-cost and supporter tickets also available) HERE
This year’s summit focuses on civil food resilience, and is a place-based response to the important Just in Case report by Prof Tim Lang.

Food Resilience means different things to different people: some are thinking about diversity in crops, diets or supply chains, others about the survival of their farming business or community organisation, others about how the poorest households afford and access healthy diets.

But these issues are fundamentally connected, and fair, inclusive solutions to food resilience require us to see them as such.

The purpose of this year’s Lincolnshire Food Summit is to bring multiple conversations on food resilience into the same room, co-create a shared picture of the issues in Lincolnshire, and develop place-based responses together.

The Summit will be of particular relevance to those involved in the food system, from farming, retail and catering, through policy, education and health, to social food support, community kitchens and local growing projects.

Keynotes from Professor Sarah Bridle and Dominic Watters

Panel discussions on:

Diverse farming & supply, with Hannah Thorogood Inkpot Farm , Matilda Dennis, Stenigot Estate, Martin Taylor Middle World Farms , John and Jack Turner ;

Access to healthy diets and changing food culture + environments, with Simon Hawking Acts Trust , Martin Walmsley (Crisis & Resilience Fund), adn Harriet Atkins from The Grocery at the Open Door

Also, delicious lunch by GoGro CIC with bread from of Truth bakery with Lincolnshire flour from Turners of Bytham
- booking essential! Go to the Lincolnshire Food Partnership website

And a choice of lunch table conversations. It's going to be brilliant!

With Lincolnshire Co-op and kind sponsorship from Branston Ltd

12/04/2026

Quick update from yesterday 😊

Things have moved fast — we’re now down to just 5 spaces left for this season.

The response this week has honestly been incredible — thank you to everyone who’s joined so far 🌱

We’ll keep building towards around 80 over the season as more crops come through…

But right now, we can only take a handful more without compromising quality.

Once these last few spots are gone, we’ll be closing sign-ups and starting a waiting list.

If you’ve been thinking about joining, now really is the time 👍

👉 https://middleworldfarms.org/

11/04/2026

🥕 LINCOLN — FRESH LOCAL VEG BOXES (STARTING SOON)

Right now, most of our food travels hundreds (sometimes thousands) of miles…
Picked early, stored, shipped, and stripped of life.

We’re doing something different at Middle World Farms.

🌱 Grown right here in Lincoln
🥕 Harvested fresh (often the same day or week)
🤝 Supporting a real local food system

🧺 JOIN OUR VEGETABLE BOX SCHEME

Our new season is about to begin — starting in the next few weeks

By joining now, you:
✅ Secure your space before we fill up
✅ Help fund the final planting + harvest push
✅ Get truly fresh, seasonal food every week

Each box is packed with what’s ready — no long storage, no imports pretending to be “fresh”.

💷 FAIR & FLEXIBLE PRICING

We do things differently.

You choose what you pay — based on your means.

That means:

If you need it cheaper, you can pay less
If you’re in a position to support others, you can pay more

It’s how we make real food accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford supermarket markups.

📍 LOCAL DELIVERY — LINCOLN AREA

We deliver across Lincoln and surrounding areas.

📩 WANT IN?

Drop a comment or send us a message and we’ll get you set up.

Let’s build a food system that actually makes sense 🌍

01/04/2026

🧺 THIS IS A REAL BOX FROM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS 👇
🌱 LINCOLN — FRESH LOCAL VEG BOXES (STARTING IN 2–4 WEEKS)

Right now, most of our food travels hundreds (sometimes thousands) of miles…
Picked early, stored, shipped, and stripped of life.

We’re doing something different at Middle World Farms.

🥕 We grow real, seasonal vegetables — right here in Lincoln
🌍 We farm with biology, not chemicals
🤝 We’re building a local food system owned by the community

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# # 🧺 JOIN OUR VEGETABLE BOX SCHEME

Our new season is about to begin —
📅 **starting in the next 2–4 weeks**

By joining now, you:
✅ Secure your space before we open
✅ Help fund the final planting and harvest push
✅ Become part of the farm from the very start of the season

Each week, you’ll receive fresh, nutrient-dense produce — harvested just days (sometimes hours) before it reaches you.

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# # 💷 SOLIDARITY PRICING

We don’t believe good food should only be for the wealthy.

You choose what you can afford —
and those who can, support those who can’t.

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# # ⚠️ EARLY MEMBERSHIP NOW OPEN

We are a small, ecological farm.
We expect to fill up **before the season even begins**.

👉 **Booking early is the only way to guarantee your place this season**

Once we’re full, that’s it.

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# # 👉 JOIN HERE

🔗 https://middleworldfarms.org

Or drop us a message — we’re happy to chat.

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💬 If you’re interested, comment **“EARLY”** and we’ll message you directly.

Let’s build something better — together. 🌱

Our Promise Our Solidarity Promise How It Works Choose the price tier that works for you. Every box helps support fair wages and sustainable farming 💚 Solidarity Price From £10.50 We subsidize you (that's okay if you need help) Farm takes a loss 🌱 Standard Price £15 – £25 Covers costs + m...

20/03/2026

There’s a lot of talk at the moment about rising food prices, fertiliser shortages, and the knock-on effects of global conflict.

And yes — it’s real.

Nitrogen fertiliser in particular is heavily tied to global energy markets, and when those are disrupted, it puts pressure on large-scale farming systems that rely on it.

But here’s something important that often gets missed:

Local, small-scale farms are built differently.

We still feel the pressure — fuel, materials, seeds, everything is affected — but our food system isn’t dependent on long supply chains or imported inputs in the same way.

We grow food here. For people here.

That means:
🥕 Short supply chains
🌱 Soil-led fertility, not just synthetic inputs
🚜 Less reliance on global systems
🤝 Direct relationships with the people we feed

So while the wider system may feel increasingly fragile… local food systems are part of the resilience.

This isn’t about fear — it’s about understanding where your food comes from, and why that matters.

If you’ve ever thought about supporting a local farm, now is a very real moment where it makes a difference.

– Martin, Middle World Farms

18/03/2026