Listen here

Wendy Seel set up Vital Veg with her partner Anne Taylor in 2005 on their farm North Tillydaff, 16 miles west of Aberdeen in north east Scotland. They grow a large number of different types of vegetables for their box scheme Vital Veg. They are “organic, grown with nature, small scale and local.” The vegetable cropping is just under 10 acres and is part of a larger 130 acre farm – 50 acres are young mixed native woodland, 5 are unharvested crops for winter birds, and the remainder are grass (grazing for both cattle and sheep, hay and silage) and cereals. The grass and cereals are currently let or sold as standing crop. They are just starting to use controlled grazing with Shetland cattle to improve the woodland understory. Grampian Graziers are providing the cattle and the expertise.

Alongside the field vegetables, they also have about 400 square metres of protected cropping, where they grow leafy salads, cucumbers, and other crops to help fill ‘the hungry gap.’ The growing system in the field is based largely on a 5-year rotation; the 10 acres are divided into 5 blocks, with the bigger crops on a 5-year rotation, and smaller crops such as leeks on a 15-year rotation. Within the 5 year rotation, 2 years are fertility building; grass and clover leys are increasingly mixed with flowers for pollinators, and they do as much undersowing of crops as they can – any bare patches are sown with mixtures of legumes and plants that are good for pollinators.

  • Wendy explains that they try to get as much diversity (growing numerous different varieties of potatoes, leeks kale etc.), and as much variation in time, space and variety as they can. Trees and hedgerows are central to the design and function of the farm. “Radiating out from the woodland and through the veg field we have an inceasinging number of hedges – part of the strategy on the farm is to have as many edges on the farm as possible – where all the most important allies of the organic farm live.”
  • Wendy talks about her increased appreciation for weeds, which have proven to be particularly useful for providing winter ground cover if a green manure fails, but also provide a good food source for wild birds. “I’m increasingly growing 2 crops – one for our customer and one for our wildlife.”
  • She talks about their “whole farm approach,” describing the all-important design of the farm – which has evolved around the vegetables to protect them and to provide the services they require in terms of pollinators and predators of pests.

  • She explains that part of the strategy on the farm is to have as many edges as possible, “where all the most important allies of the organic farm live,” so they have an increasing number of hedges and strips of wildflowers and longer grasses to provide habitats for different creatures and insects, above and below ground.
  • In addition to the habitats, the trees provide important shelter from the wind, helping with the establishment of vegetables, and they are experiencing progressively less damage from flooding due to the trees, hedges, shelter belts and woodland. Rowan berries, elderberries, hazel, roses (rosehips) and crabapple (an important hedgerow component for flowers and fruits to pick) also provide an income.
  • Wendy talks about some of the challenges of the farm in relation to the agroforestry and emphasises the importance of the design which was focused on providing the greatest chance of building a natural system.
  • She explains her background, how Vital Veg came about, and how she’d like to see the way they farm develop in the future, continuing their ethos of “better not bigger.”

FARMER TIPS

  • If in doubt, leave it out – a simple rule that works for everything.
  • Pay attention to detail – really look carefully – take the time to observe – it helps you pick up things early.
  • Read lots but think for yourself – every site and every system is different – with different suites of predators, soil, staff… think carefully about your own site.

Wendy would like to thank the Scottish Government for help establishing the woodland, the Woodland Trust for help with hedges and shelterbelts, and The Habitat People for whole-farm wildlife guidance.

*Wendy and Anne are looking for a new custodian for Vital Veg. If you are interested, please get in touch.*

All photos courtesy of Wendy Seel. All Rights Reserved.

Related articles

Agroecological principles to support Integrated Weed Management

To provide farmers with a wider choice of options for ‘diversification’ of their cropping systems, several EU and national projects were set up to explore...

Could farming with trees help to control pests and boost pollinators?

Can farmers control pests without pesticides, and pollinate their crops without honey bees? All while making money out of it? Agroforestry, which is basically farming...

Growing seasonal veg using energy efficient systems

I believe that an ecological and preferably local and organic approach is the only way to feed the world sustainably. Part of our quest in...

Nature-based Integrated Pest Management – hints, tips and more

"We set out to create some easy to follow but detailed resources that would help farmers, growers and other land managers to increase their use...

Market gardens on the fringes

Video footage of a workshop held at Organic Matters 22 focusing on a project which aims to increase access to fresh fruit and veg across...

Mulch systems and rotational no-till in vegetable farming

Organic Grower article explaining a system German grower Johannes Storch created using cover crops, grass and silage as mulch and the MulchTec planter he and...

Weed Control in Organic Vegetable Cultivation

A FiBL technical guide packed with useful information on weed control strategies and techniques.

Iain Tolhurst (Tolly)

​Tolhurst Organic is located on the Hardwick Estate in south Oxfordshire, between the Chilterns and the river Thames. The farm is made up of 17...

Andy Dibben

"My approach for producing organic fruit and veg is a systems approach, so I don’t look at irrigation, pest control, planting and weeding separately… the...

Joe Rolfe

"RBOrganic is a vegetable growing business that forms part of Houghton Hall Estate in Norfolk. We have a long-term relationship with Houghton and are a...

Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith grows organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers on the island of St Martins, about 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall.

Andrew Burgess

The RBOrganic Ltd team grow carrots, onions, leeks, potatoes, parsnips, beetroots and courgettes. We are a LEAF Marque certified business. We work as an integrated...

Ruth & John Daltry

We have a 1.5 acre organic vineyard, plus polytunnels. We grow a wide range of crops for our vegetable box scheme. We also sell wholesale. One...
To top