Developing this project was a priority for the Trust from its very inception and over the last four years we have:

Converted the farm to full organic status
Established the Occombe herd of Red Ruby Devons and employed a Stockman
Obtained planning permission for the whole project
Entered the farm into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Constructed the agricultural buildings
Consulted and worked with partner organisations and supporters in Devon and across the UK to link Occombe with wider networks
Developed detailed business plans for the educational and commercial aspects of the project
Raised over £1m to fund the development, from charitable trusts, donations, DEFRA funding and commercial sources.

We have now constructed the new Farm Visitor Centre combining an Education Centre, Farm Shop, Café and Bakery, linked to the rest of the farm and Site of Special Scientific Interest by a Nature Trail. The Centre is a focus for learning about farming and food and integrates education into the commercial facets of the project. This happens in many different ways, eg:

Resource centre with library and IT facilities, including a digital network of cameras and other resources serving the farm and linking to the internet
Events, educational tours, workshops and courses on the farm and in the Bakery
Meeting, training and conference facility
Information and interpretation about the origins of food on sale in the café and farm shop
Nature trail and farm walks

The Café, Bakery and Farm Shop (which includes a cutting room and butcher's counter) are the core commercial elements of the farm and these profit centres fund and enable the educational work. Their operation is fully in line with the ethics and principles of the overall project and the Trust has developed a Purchasing Policy to help carry this through. The commercial enterprises carry strong environmental messages, emphasising the origins of all the food on sale and making the connections between food and the environment. Food is sourced in the main from Devon organic farmers and producers and, where it has to come from further afield or cannot be organic, then this is fully explained. The mantra of the project's commercial sides are traceability and environmental gains.

One of the key features of the project is to encourage other producers to adopt more sustainable farming practices by offering a ready market for food that has been produced in this way. We are working to develop a network of accredited suppliers to Occombe Farm across Devon in particular and to offer members of this network added value through training, opportunities to trial new products and increased customer awareness of their brand.

Occombe is also in an ideal location to act as a gateway to other South Devon farms and rural leisure activities. We aim to make links and encourage our visitors to explore the wider countryside, discover new experiences and experiment with other produce from the region.