Norwich FarmShare

Norwich FarmShare is a not-for-profit cooperative CSA that produces local, seasonal, ecologically grown food with and for the local community and works co-operatively with local ecological small scale farmers and growers in Norwich.
We are an award winning Community Supported Agriculture project in it’s 6th year and part of a wider movement to enable people to have a better say how their food is produced.

The project was started by East Anglia Food Link as a part of a project with Transition Norwich looking into how the city could become self sufficient in food (report by Tully Wakeman).

In 2016 we lost our original 7.5 acre growing site when the site ownership changed but were fortunate to be able to conduct a funded Site Feasibility Study to search for and design a new growing site. In 2018 we moved onto a new 3 acre site in Trowse on the south east edge of Norwich. In 2018 we moved onto a new 3 acre site in Trowse on the south east edge of Norwich.

In 2019 we almost doubled our membership from 65 members to 120 members, growing 100% of our produce for three months over the summer. When we need to buy in we support a local network of organic farmers. We supply our members with produce, including bought in eggs and fruit, all year round, taking the produce to a central distribution point. In 2019 Norwich FarmShare introduced a city-wide delivery service using Zedify, a zero emissions delivery courier.
 
As a Community Benefit Society both our members and the wider community benefit from the educational visits and activities we offer to school groups, youth groups and other disadvantaged groups and the volunteering opportunities and social events we provide which are open to all.

New membership was temporarily capped in November 2019 with the intention to expand in 2020. After 18 months on the new site about 1 out of the 3 acres has been cultivated.