Otter Farm Honiton: and finding a better way of feeding ourselves

Last night's Gardeners' World on BBC Two had a peek at a farm near Honiton:
BBC Two - Gardeners' World

And this is the Otter Farm in Weston
Otter Farm - Home

which does all sorts of innovative stuff and has a host of courses:
Otter Farm Kitchen Garden School - Home | Facebook

It has been featured in the national media many a time:

Mark Diacono's A Year at Otter Farm features growing and eating ideas galore

Diacono has finally turned out the tome that explains what he's been up to down there in the West Country all this time

Emma Townshend
Saturday 21 June 2014 

Diacono's exotic crops have ranged from apricots to grapes via Szechuan pepper (pictured)

The first time I met Mark Diacono, he'd just taken delivery of a load of Italian olive trees. Which was surprising, because he lives in Devon. But there you go, he's just that kind of a guy. Oh yes, horticulturally speaking, he'll tell you all about climate change, and his ambitions to farm in a way that reflects our coming reality. But the truth is, scratch at the surface and you'll find someone who never accepts standard operating procedure and who does everything with an intriguing little twist. Including even the thorny issue of World Cup snacks.

Diacono was the very first person I ever wrote about for this paper, and at the time I didn't quite realise what an immense journey he was embarking on, that muddy day, unloading olive trees from a lorry. Eight years later, with exotic crops ranging from apricots to his own grapes via Szechuan pepper (pictured above), and after having written a number of acclaimed and indeed award-winning books, he's finally turned out the tome that explains what he's been up to down there in the West Country all this time. It's rather deceptively titled A Year at Otter Farm, when more accurately that should be "Almost a Decade"; but it reflects the seasonal nature of all his growing, cooking and eating. Also drinking. Where Mark's concerned, you do need to factor a bit of enjoyable drinking into the equation.

Mark Diacono's A Year at Otter Farm features growing and eating ideas galore | The Independent

And at the heart of the project is 'finding a better way of feeding ourselves':

Most of the inventive steps in finding a better way of feeding ourselves are coming at this scale. Urban farms are on the up, allotment waiting lists are lengthening, lawns are being dug up and Landshare (landshare.net) partnerships are formed every day. Whether through Community Supported Agriculture, the Transition Movement or individuals and families doing their own thing, there is a growing appetite for real food grown with sun and soil rather than carbon. Whether you're already part of it or thinking of doing something yourself, I hope to persuade you to do so adventurously and with flavour at the forefront of your mind – because life is too short to grow unremarkable food.

The growing pains of Otter Farm | Life and style | The Guardian
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