“To provide the local population with a permanent centre for the demonstration and sharing of organic principles and local produce.

A place to grow, to eat, to learn”
 

We are delighted to have been chosen by the site’s owners, The Congelow Educational Organic Trust, as the new operators of Yalding Organic Gardens following the withdrawal of Garden Organics, the previous operator.

So what are we going to do with these fantastic organic gardens? Well we plan to develop the site further to provide a much more than just a garden. The main areas for us to develop are:

Organic Gardens

These beautiful organic gardens are a fantastic testament to the hard work of the gardening team’s work over the past 10+ years. We are very pleased that many of the team are joining us and remaining at the gardens.

We plan to further develop these gardens by using them to demonstrate organic principles that can be used in our customers’ gardens. Covering plants & flowers, vegetables, fruit and other aspects of the organic process, you will be able to come to the gardens and see how to do it organically. You will be able to get advice and information on how to and when to, and see all if this in action in the gardens.

Plant Sales

Having seen the plants and vegetables growing in the garden, you will be able to buy them for your garden as well. Grown by us, they will be organic and you will also be able to buy other equipment and reference books you need to be an organic gardener.

Local Produce Shop

With the success of The Old Dairy, we will put a replica shop into the garden’s main building. It will sell all that is best with local food, providing a full range of local food for the shopper who is fed up bigger players. Organic where we can get it, guaranteed to be local, you will be able to support your local food producers and lower your carbon footprint across the range of foods you need. There will also be produce from the gardens on sale as well! Covering meat, poultry, game, dairy, alcohol, bakery, fish and of course fruit & veg, you really will be able to complete all your local shopping in one place whenever you want.

You will also be able to sign up to our veg box scheme and get it all delivered to your home once a week. We now cover most of West Kent.

Local Food Café

There is a lovely café on site, overlooking the beautiful gardens. We plan for the café to serve the best in local/organic food, with many items coming from the gardens themselves. So whether you want a quick snack, or something more substantial, you can do so in the best of surroundings.

Education

With all this information and resources available on site, we feel there will be a big demand for our customers for courses and demonstrations on the techniques and principles followed. We will establish a range of practical courses covering all aspects of the services we offer above. So if you want to learn how to garden organically, run your allotment/veg patch, or cook your produce we will have something for you. Run by our resident experts and selected partners, you will be able to come and ‘get your hands dirty’ with us.

Opening Day!!

We plan to re-open the centre on Saturday 24th May. We shall have some other things planned for the day, so come back to the website for updates as we progress……..

 

I shall post more information about the gardens etc over the next few weeks, so please keep looking here. Alternatively, you can email me at enquiry@marofoods.co.uk and I will send you more information as I get it.

 

Steve Oram – Director

18/04/08