North Aston Organics began in 1997 when we
(Mark and Ginny Stay) moved to the village, slap
bang in the middle of 900 acres of organic farmland,
with a two-year-old, another baby imminent and a
Big Idea.
We
come from families of farmers and gardeners,
and Mark was bitten by the vegetable bug when
we were living in Sussex with an allotment. The
obsession grew, we moved to Suffolk so that Mark
could go to agricultural college and learn all
about organic crop production - then followed
several years of rewarding work in a horticultural
therapy project, but still yearning to have our
own smallholding. We spent holidays traipsing
about the wilder shores of western Ireland, Wales
and anywhere with land we might be able to afford,
until we met Jeremy Taylor, the landowner here
in North Aston, who has a largish amount of
land, a welcoming disposition and a conviction
that organic farming is the only sane way.
So, here we are, renting a house in the village
and 12 acres of farmland, complete with wonderful
views of the Cherwell valley. We grow on three
sites, with different soil types and aspects
so we can produce as wide a range as possible,
from Aubergines to Zucchini (sorry, courgettes,
but what else begins with 'z'?)
We
have a great team working alongside us, seven
people both full- and part-time. We belong to
the Soil Association apprenticeship scheme, so
are fortunate to have enthusiastic young aspiring
growers to keep us on our toes - Mark is one
of the growers teaching seminars for the scheme.
We've
learned a lot over the years, acquired
a fair few lines and grey hairs (and a third
child ) but still have the same drive to grow
delicious, healthy vegetables, and sell them
locally. Most of our crops are sold via our veggie-box
scheme and our monthly stall in Deddington's Farmers' Market.
We believe this is the best way to get
the produce to you as fresh as possible, and
it seems our loyal customers agree - many have
been with us from the start.
We've
always felt strongly the importance of the
local economy (and events in the wider world
during the past few years have only strengthened
this) so wherever possible we use local suppliers
and expertise, from tractor servicing to stationery
supplies to web design. When you buy
your vegetables from us, you're not only cutting
down food miles but helping strengthen the
web that makes up the local economy.
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