Hello friends,

A hard piece of news to share this week is that our wonderful grower Michael is leaving Flourish after three years, to take on a new hospitality role at a friend’s business. He has been an enormous part of the farm’s journey – through long harvest days, muddy winters, big challenges and big wins. Michael has brought energy, determination and deep care to the land and the team, and his contribution here has been huge. Before he heads off, we asked him to reflect on his time at Flourish.

Michael came to Flourish having been a chef for 12 years and wanting to get involved with the other side of the food industry...

“On a personal level, it’s been a fantastic experience. I spent a long time cheffing, then had a career change at 32. Being able to come here and learn so many new skills – a completely different skillset – was a really valuable experience. It taught me a lot about who I am. It’s given me so much more confidence in what I can do for the rest of my life. I know that I’m capable of achieving a lot. It really is hard work, this job, and I’d like to think I’ve done well at it.

I’ve still got so much unfinished business – things I still want to achieve at the farm. I don’t want to move away from the industry forever, because what we do here is so important and it’s been great being part of it.

A special mention to Calixta and the team for the opportunity to work somewhere like this. She’s genuinely pioneering in the regenerative movement, and I really appreciate having had the chance to work in a place like this.

Being part of a team that’s striving to do better – and then being part of the team that won a BBC Food and Farming Award – was such a big moment. When you’re in it day to day, head down, there are always big challenges. That award was one of those moments that lifts you up and reminds you how far we’ve come and how much we’ve achieved.

It was great to receive that recognition. It solidified my convictions about the farm and why we do what we do – and knowing it’s being recognised on a national scale too.

And working on the chefs’ tours was always a highlight. Being able to give tours of the farm and speak directly to the people presenting our food to the public was incredibly rewarding. Talking to them about what they do with the food, why they’re driven to work with Flourish, and having the responsibility to educate them about the farm – that meant a lot.”

n other farm news, it’s been relentlessly wet. While we know other parts of the country have had it worse, the constant rain has made life on the farm pretty challenging. Tracks are thick with mud and often impassable, harvesting has become slow and heavy-going, and the soil is simply too saturated for early ploughing. Potholes are multiplying (yes, including the one in the Farm Shop car park), and our gutters and tunnels have struggled with the downpours. We’re more than ready to step into the new season – but for now, we’re working around the weather and making the most of every dry window.

Behind the scenes, there’s plenty growing. The tunnels are gradually being prepared for summer crops, with Poly 3 – our most beautiful edible flowers and garnish tunnel – undergoing a major revamp. Smaller tunnels are being re-skinned between showers, salads are being replanted, and irrigation systems are being readied for the months ahead.

The propogation house is full to the brim: onions standing like neat green soldiers, the first tomatoes emerging, herbs and edible flowers germinating, brassicas pushing through, and perennial herbs and flowers looking full of promise. It’s a wonderful place to stand – so much potential in one space.