When the site first came into community ownership in 2018, the wildlife was rampant. Brambles 8ft high, deer in the front lawn, foxes in the courtyard, rats in the house, they had begun to reclaim the whole site as theirs, buildings included!
Slowly, with hand tools, the brambles were cut back in the nearest areas to create growing space, animals were brought in to help keep in check the brambles, over 300 trees were planted and different groups emerged from all these activities! Find out more below about the different groups taking on the land work.
Join the Volunteer WhatsApp Group for updates about workdays (without the cross-chatter as only admins can post!)
Vision and Values
We envision the land at Bridge Farm to become:
- Open to the local community; socially and economically accessible and diverse.
- A place for social and ecological enterprises that provides food, education, wellbeing, and other land-based resources and opportunities.
- A cooperative community growing space with an inclusive membership system inspired by the CSA model
We Bridge Farm growers value:
- Open access; encouraging organic development between the cultural and ecological aspects of the project.
- Local/circular economy for the benefit of the community at both neighbourhood and city scale.
- The energy and experience of existing members alongside the potential of new ones; balancing the Individual needs with the common vision.
- An intergenerational, inclusive, community culture of care and collaboration: sharing the wellbeing benefits of this place.
- Nature recovery: through appreciation of the local natural resources, existing, native habitat, and ecology/wilderness, enhancing biodiversity, growing organically and regeneratively, integrating animals into land and ecology systems.
Who’s Involved?
The Communal Growers
Over 2021 during lockdown, the farm became a haven of work and pleasure, where local folk could come and clear some brambles and grow plants. This group has moved towards a communal system of growing to make learning and working easier. The produce is shared amongst those working and often a shared meal might be involved at lunchtime, with workdays often happening at the weekend.
The Forest Garden
The Forest Garden was first cleared by Josephine and her piglets in 2021 and now there are dozens of fruit trees, bushes and perennials planted and mulched, and soon they will be fruiting for the first time! A forest garden is a perennial ecosystem of productive edible plants that can provide food and medicine year-round without needing to disturb the soil every year to replant, healthy for us and nature. The forest gardeners meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month to work on keeping the space growing and healthy.
Bristol Tree Craft C.I.C.
Bristol Tree Craft aims to make traditional green woodwork and its benefits as accessible as possible to Bristol’s communities, particularly those experiencing marginalisation from society. We use craft as a vehicle to bring people together to learn new skills, connect with each other, and engage with local green spaces. In bringing heritage crafts to the heart of the city, we aim to help create stronger, more resilient communities, where people can be creative, share ideas, and resource themselves in whatever way will best support their needs. Sharing craft is a way of creating unity, fostering community resilience, and most importantly of all, having fun!
Website: www.bristoltreecraft.co.uk
Course booking: https://bristol-tree-craft.widget.obby.co.uk/timetable
Pig Keepers
Pigs were recruited from Watercress Farm Rare Breeds (round the corner in Boiling Wells) to help clear the forest garden, and the couple who did this (Josephine and Arthur) gave birth to a set of 8 piglets in the summer of ‘21. Of these we have been given 2 as our own; they are called Pearl and Barley . They are the sweetest addition to the farm, and adorable as a small breed, and serve a great purpose – they help us clear bits of land and scrub in preparation for planting. The members pay a small contribution towards feed costs and take it in turns to check on them, and do cleaning and workday tasks.
Chicken Club
A farm without chickens would likely not be a farm some would say. Our chicken club cares for a small flock of chickens, paying a monthly contribution towards feed and expenses, and in return every time they come and do the round they take home a box of eggs. They are very entertaining creatures and it is easy to spend a long time watching and laughing!
Flower Garden
Elsie’s flower patch has evolved into a community held space. Beginning as a small enterprise, it is evolving into a community gardening project starting in February 2024, in partnership with Aid Box Community Charity. Here, with the assistance of our facilitators, we are helping our newest community members increase their wellbeing, root into the land and find solace in gardening through witnessing displays of colour, texture and shape that are out of this world.
Tree Nursery
Carmel has been around since the beginning and her patch was one of the very first to be cleared. She has many young trees available for purchase and loves finding special seeds and varieties to grow. She has also founded ‘a tree project’ which you can find out more about here:
Get in touch directly to talk about anything-tree : carmel@cuckoo.org
Seasonal Celebrations
We respect the Earth, its seasons and the changes they bring. We honour these in seasonal celebrations which were the starting point for many modern traditions. These may take the form of a weekend fair or evening event, often with music and always with food! Whether it’s blessing the apple trees at a wintery Wassail or rejoicing in the coming of summer on Mayday, we invite those around to come and enjoy the abundance that we create.
