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28
Aug 2021
With tonnes of tomatoes, reams of runner beans and buckets filled with flowers growing on an incredible allotment plot - this father and son team in Bilton are able to supply some of the top shops in town.
Gary Sibson and his son James run Naturally Grown Farm from a plot and a half, the equivalent of a fifth of an acre, at a committee-run allotment just off Bachelor Gardens.
He started working with just half a plot 15 years ago as a way to bond with his children and teach them the skills his father taught him.
Over the years he has taken on the neighbouring plots to get it to the size it is today. Gary has also changed the way he farms and what he produces over the years as he learns from those around him and from YouTube.
While running an allotment is a hobby for some these days, running Naturally Grown Farm is a full-time job for Gary.
Naturally Grown Farm is now going so well that Gary is keen to take on a much bigger space to be able to keep up with the demand for his fruit, vegetables and flowers.
This year he has had a lot of requests from florists as weddings return. But it has meant that Gary has had to reduce the space he has to grow food.
So he is looking at taking on a field with 10 to 20 times the space he has now and employing an assistant to keep up with all of the work.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
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