Organic Farm
Important: After 27 years of growing organic produce, Simon and Jane have now retired so this information is historic. The holiday cottages continue to be available for holidays and short breaks.
Simon and Jane Brooke bought Merricks Organic Farm in 1992 having both decided to have a career change and relocate to the South Somerset levels. Without any previous farming experience, apart from an allotment, there followed a steep two year learning curve in how to grow organic fruit and vegetables, coping with pests, predators and weeds.
The farm is small, totaling just 30 acres and licensed by the Soil Association. 5 acres are devoted to vegetables, herbs and cut flowers together with just over an acre of orchards producing mostly apples with a few pears, plums and cherries. The additional land is used to produce hay or silage depending on the weather.
With the aid of four large polytunnels and a greenhouse over 115 different varieties of vegetables and herbs are produced. In the orchard are some twenty old and local varieties of apple. Apart from occasional surpluses that are wholesaled, all the produce is sold through the farm shop, and is also available from Evans Butchers in Langport, Cobb's Wholefoods in Somerton from late June to the following February each season. The farm also supplies loose vegetables to local cafes.
Our aim is to grow and supply top quality seasonal organic produce at a reasonable price to a local population from a sustainable method of production.
There are many good organic vegetable growers across the country but two distinguishing features about Simon and Jane's are their freshness and traceability. For freshness all vegetables are harvested on the morning of packing which means that, apart from winter stored items such as onions and potatoes, all the produce is less than 24 hours old on delivery. As to traceability their aim is to produce everything on the farm so that the customer can have total confidence as to where the produce has come from and the standards to which it has been produced. This philosophy extends to Jane raising all the farm's plant seedlings on site. This year they anticipate that all the produce available will have been grown on the farm.
Merricks Organic Farm is a small local producer, it’s produce ia available through small local shops. The farm has a small farm shop open every day from dawn till dusk stocked only with produce grown or made on the farm. The farm will if asked host farm walks to local clubs. Farm customers receive a fortnightly newsletter and an availability list, and they are welcome anytime to come and have a look around.
