Oakbrook Community Farm

This 41-acre (17- hectare) farm, just outside Stroud, was purchased by the community through the Biodynamic Land Trust in November 2015. Previously known as Lot 3, Hammonds Farm, the community renamed it Oakbrook Community Farm, inspired by the land’s beautiful spring-sourced, oak-lined brook. The farm is Demeter certified organic and biodynamic.

The Oakbrook Community Benefit Society (OCBS) signed a 100-year lease with the Land Trust in April 2020. OCBS has developed the farm infrastructure and raised £125,000 from a pioneer share offer. The funds have been used for tracks, fences and a barn.  See the OCBS website for more information.

The farm is currently home to 4 individual and collaborative enterprises. Each enterprise shares Oakbrook’s overarching values and vision in providing food for the local economy at affordable and accessible prices and supporting citizens to get involved in volunteer and education days. Below you can learn more about each tenant. 

ZeroDig

The Zerodig plots run by Mario Peters and Christopher Upton replicate a forest’s sustainable growing system. This removes the need to plough, stores carbon and builds soil health. The beds at Oakbrook are ready for the growing season.

stroud community agriculture

Stroud Community Agriculture is a community led enterprise producing local, biodynamic meat and vegetables on 70 acres across Gloucestershire. Oakbrook Farm is proud to host just one of them! It allows new growers to develop their skills with the support of SCA. There is a polytunnel and small greenhouse to assist with growing vegetables and raising seedlings.

oakbrook orchard

An experimental agroforestry project, Oakbrook Orchard is growing fruit and flowers in community. They currently have approx 150 fruit trees, with plans for around 40 more to complete the field scale agroforestry system. Almost all the apple, pear and plum trees in the orchard were propagated in their own small nursery on the farm, and the first trees were planted in 2020. The land between the trees is grazed by the dairy cattle. The aim is to supply seasonal fruit and flowers through a community supported agriculture scheme.

Fox Lane Flowers

Kate set up Fox Lane Flowers in 2022, form her garden in Stroud, the demand for her blooms outgrown her garden.  Fox Lane Flowers has relocated  and become a tenant of a plot of land and barn space at Oakbrook community farm.

Kate studied Organic horticulture though the Soil Association over 15 years ago and has been growing and gardening organically ever since. Kate sells gift bouquets, does wedding flowers and funeral tributes, DIY buckets and runs courses on flower arranging, and growing seasonal flowers from her studio at Oakbrook Community farm.

Visiting Oakbrook farm

The farm is located near the gates to Hawkwood College on Painswick Old Road, Gloucestershire GL6 7QW. The entrance is through a gate about 50 yards south of Hawkwood College’s entrance. Please feel free to walk on any of the marked public footpaths.

’This project is a brilliant demonstration of how restoring and enhancing the ecological fertility of land can have huge social and economic benefits for local communities. Re-localising our economies around sustainably productive land, as is the case with this land in Stroud, can help provide food security while providing education, training and job opportunities for local people’