Magical Lauriston Farm

I booked my visit with Spencer a while ago and was so much looking forward to it today! Dropping off my little one at school was even easier than usual, a sign of a good day, hey? The drive wasn’t bad at all. I was expecting a full hour to reach Goldhanger (It is on the Blackwater Estuary btw!), but it only took me 38 minutes as there was no traffic - I left Billericay at 9am -. The road to the farm was a little adventure with a few potholes and difference in heights (we call it dénivelés in French) but with my Ford Kuga, I had no problem reaching the final destination.

Spencer Christy, the farm director, straight away, came across as very friendly as he greeted me with a big smile. 5 other people joined us for the tour: some very local to the farm and a couple towards our end (Brentwood/Billericay). It was such a sunny day (16C!) I am sure it also added to the lovely atmosphere during the visit!

Before to start the detail of the tour, here are a few words about the farm itself. Lauriston’s farm is home to rare breed cattle and sheep, bee hives, laying hens, vegetables, woodland and a strong social farming impulse. Eighty-five percent of the farm is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Next time you hear SSSI, you will now what it stands for :-) Within this, there are also two listed ancient monuments. The 210 acres are managed using Biodynamic techniques and philosophy inspired by Rudolph Steiner’s Agriculture Lectures from 1924. Spencer is currently vice chair of the Biodynamic Association and his farm became Demeter certified in 2008. He studied environmental science at degree level and worked on a conservation research studentship with MAFF for three years, and worked in industry before joining the family farm.

The farm business became community owned where feeding the local community, education about biodynamics and working with adults with learning difficulties will be a major focus. In addition to giving local talks about biodynamics and bees, Spencer runs a seven day introductory biodynamic course and around 200 people a year on farm walks and open days.

The tour started with the Shetland cattle. I thought there was something different about them but I couldn’t get what it was. Spencer explained to us he thought keeping their long horns was part of their beauty and look. Horns are also used in biodynamic agriculture. Is that not called horns manure? I would need to explore this a bit deeper.

We pursued with the visit of the North Ronaldsay sheep area. You could feel they were special to Spencer. He told us how he thought there was something very unique about them. The North Ronaldsay or Orkney is a breed of sheep from North Ronaldsay, the northern most island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. It belongs to the Northern European short-tailed sheep group of breeds. An important point, for the farm owner is that animals evolved without much cross-breeding with modern breeds.

We stopped by the raised beds area, which are used on accordance to the moon dynamic cycle. The whole area is 100% wheelchair accessible and it is absolutely amazing to see such a fantastic set up for people with special needs. Next to the beds, around 14 Ixworth chicken were running around happily in the protected coop. Spencer hopes to increase the number of chicken as the local demand for eggs is high.

As we walked to the vegetables zone, we stopped to look at the unusual bees’ hives. Those were designed by German sculptor, Guenther Mancke: the fruits of many years of research into the nature of the honeybee colony. The Sun Hive (Weissenseifener Haengekorb) is a key element of the Natural Beekeeping Trust's commitment to bee guardianship. The shape and materials of the hives reminded me of my grandmother’s big baskets I used to hide materials in, while on summer holiday in Poland. I am sure there must be a rural influence there as I spotted similar baskets in the recluse countryside of Sardinia too.

We finished our tour in the veggies area. It was amazing to be hit by the smell of the leeks. I am serious. On the farm, the blend of sounds, smells and the views is so incredible. It was a great pleasure meeting the lovely Dutch couple, Monique and Andre and the group of volunteering gardeners. We chatted for a little while to them and found out more about the vegetables they were growing at the moment. From Cara potatoes to rainbow chards to glorious artichokes. Being French, I can’t wait for those, artichokes-vinaigrette, what can be better than this? From spinach to leeks, there is so much here for locals to choose from!

We finally came back the tour starting point, the barn. I forgot to tell you how much work the guys had done in there as well. I also changed my mind about big corporations during that visit. Spencer explained to us how they applied for a Tesco PLC’s community grant and won it.

£4,000 now is being invested into offices and toilets expansion on the left (when you are facing the building). On the right hand side, a lovely atelier for wool processing and weaving is available too. Lauriston farm also sells its yarn on Etsy!

It was very generous of Spencer to finish the tour with tea and coffee, very British (with organic biscuits). While having our warm drink, he said something that resonated very much in me. He could supply his products into London only (and make more money?), but he would be lying to himself. His aim is to supply quality food to local people, as much as possible, within a few miles from the farm. I was hooked!