London’s biggest community farm is looking for £15,000 to secure its future.
Sutton Community Farm is launching an internet-based ‘crowdfunding’ scheme which has been backed by television chef and former model Lorraine Pascale, restaurateur Mark Hix and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage.
Samuel Smith and Joris Gunawardena
The farm depends on income earned from its not-for-profit vegetable box scheme in order to survive and become financially self-sufficient.
The scheme allows the farm to provide South Londoners with fresh, affordable, vegetables that are grown organically on their seven-acre plot.
However, for the scheme to be viable customer numbers need to increase by a minimum of 150 per cent by Christmas.
The farm needs a minimum of £15,000 by Tuesday, October 8, for a marketing strategy aimed at increasing customers. Competition from national vegetable box schemes and supermarkets has slowed the growth of the farm’s own scheme.
Joris Gunawardena picking tomatoes
In return for donations, the farm is offering a range of rewards including signed cookbooks bread making classes , invitations to farm events and donors will have their names written on the farm’s Veg Shed.
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