{"id":2318,"date":"2024-03-13T10:43:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T10:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agroreforest.eu\/?page_id=2318"},"modified":"2025-10-08T11:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T11:32:48","slug":"living-lab-uk-gibside-community-farm","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/agroreforest.eu\/es\/living-lab-uk-gibside-community-farm\/","title":{"rendered":"Living Lab UK Gibside Community Farm"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thttp:\/\/gibsidecommunityfarm.co.uk\/<\/span><\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Contact person:<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Rachel Putz<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Director<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Read a news item providing overview of the Living Lab here <\/a><\/span><\/p>

Read the research update \u2018Quantifying impacts of agroforestry on soil health in Gibside Community Farm\u2019 here<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Watch a video about the Living Lab in UK<\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

LIVING LAB 7: United Kingdom<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Gibside Community Farm<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm<\/em><\/p>

General<\/strong>\u00a0information
<\/b><\/p>

Gibside CSA is located 30 minutes outside of Gateshead\/ Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England. The farm is a members co-op Community Interest Company (CIC) with two directors and a steering group of three others. There are about 20 members who come regularly to the field to grow the produce supported by contract growers for about 13 hours a week in the summer.\u00a0 Gibside Community Farm (GCF) rent a 5.8-hectare (ha) field from the National Trust<\/a>.\u00a0 Many of the members have experience of growing in allotments but it is also a supportive place for people to come and learn about organic growing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

The National Trust were very supportive of the idea of a community farm being developed on their estate and helped the founder members in creating the CIC in 2013. In 2017, the lease on the land was granted and infrastructure could start to be placed on site. A 25-year farm business tenancy with Gibside National Trust estate was signed and the long lease time enabled the CSA to receive grants for buying trees. Agroforestry was part of the design at Gibside Community Farm from the beginning. The first grant they received was from the ‘MOREwoods<\/a>‘ initiative by the Woodland Trust<\/a>. However, they could only supply native trees, and the variety of species was limited. After approaching a local charitable trust, another \u00a33000 was secured to purchase trees which suited the silvohorticulture system at GCF. The Agroforestry Research Trust<\/a>‘s Martin Crawford gave advice.<\/p>

One of the main reasons for incorporating trees into the CSA was to reduce the impact of wind on what is a very exposed site. The additional benefits of trees to the vegetable production and other beneficial relationships were also a consideration.<\/p>

When initially setting up the silvohorticulture field, the members of GCF looked to the system at Wakelyns<\/a> and Tolhurst Organic<\/a> with a view to potentially replicating elements of what they were doing. Advice from Ian Tolhurst on the feasibility of the farm plan was also taken into consideration. Most of the trees in the alleys are immature at 5 years old. The shelterbelts are made up of young native trees, 7 to 8 years old, such as walnut, sweet chestnut, alder, birch, oak and scots pine.<\/p>

Initially, the CSA was operating from the National Trust walled garden, to test the model before moving to the larger scale field they are currently in. Before the 5.8 ha field was converted to silvohorticulture, it was part of an arable rotation.<\/p>

The vegetable produce is mainly sold through a bag scheme to members. \u00a0It includes whatever is in season on the farm and is also sold via an online system. Other avenues of sales are through organic wholesale, a pop-up stall at the National Trust Gibside marketplace, and occasional markets.\u00a0 The yields in 2023 totalled 10.45 tonnes which included 5.5 tonnes of potatoes, 1.6 tonnes of alliums, 223 kg of beets, 2.22 tonnes of brassicas and 294 kg of legumes.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

General farming approach
<\/b><\/span>Organic<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Objectives
<\/b><\/p>