Guernsey Landscaper Establishes Regenerative Farm

Jack Etheridge aims to encourage Guernsey residents to consider the origins of their food, citing the practice of supermarkets stocking green beans imported from thousands of miles away. He stated, “Right in the middle of season, where they could be grown here, the supermarkets are flying them from very far-flung places like Kenya and Peru,” further remarking, “It is sacrilege that food isn’t produced here.” The former landscaper expressed that cultivating food locally in “deepest darkest” St Pierre du Bois was a more logical approach, a vision he is now pursuing by preparing to launch a sustainable regenerative farm. Mr. Etheridge, whose farm is scheduled to open in June 2025, observed that “good food” production was scarce in Guernsey, notwithstanding the island’s “rich horticultural heritage.” Named Rowan Tree Farm in honor of his son, the establishment will operate on regenerative principles, which entail striving to enhance the condition of the land. Mr. Etheridge stated, “I’ve been into the regenerative farming movement for a long time.” He elaborated, “In the first instance it is going to be a commercial market garden and we are going to have approximately 100 growing beds producing a range of vegetables.” He continued, “It is strictly organic, and we are going to pay close attention to the soil health, and we are going to be building our soils using all natural additives gained from as much as we can from island.” He mentioned the creation of a substantial woodchip pile, intended to suppress weeds, conserve water, and stimulate microbial activity within the soil. With the farm’s establishment, Mr. Etheridge expressed a desire to facilitate educational workshops and provide tours. He also indicated an interest in offering visitor accommodation, subject to planning approval. He stated, “We really want to make this an area where people can come and learn how to produce their food but also come for a day out.” He further detailed, “In time we will be running chickens, pigs and we really hope to get into cattle. We will have some turkeys and we are supposed to meeting up with a guy who has an emu.” He articulated his intention to be “completely transparent on what we are doing here.” He added, “A key thing is that I want to have an open farm policy and I want to be completely consumer-led.” He explained, “People can come and see how your food is being produced and if you choose to eat meat or eggs, you can come and see how we treat our animals.” He concluded by stating, “It is crucial to know where your food comes from.” Readers can follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook, and submit story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites and provides information on its approach to external linking.