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Tolhurst Organic
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How can I be sure that it is really organic?

We have held the Soil Association Symbol of Organic Quality for over 30 years. We are one of the longest established organic vegetable farms in the country. Our production system and accounts are monitored annually to ensure that we adhere to their high standards. Every year we hold several open days, which you will be invited to attend, so you can see for yourself the vegetables growing in the field and walled garden. Since before the BSE crisis we have been moving towards operating a completely animal free system. We do not bring any animal manure on to the farm, relying instead on a comprehensive system of green manure to maintain fertility. This is working very well and we have visitors from many overseas countries interested in this system. We are now considered pioneers in this area of production and are regularly featured on TV.

How can I join the scheme?

Place your first order on our website, using the Ordering widget in the Box Deliveries page. Providing that you live within our delivery area (central and east Reading, Pangbourne, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Wallingford, Abingdon and Oxford area), we will pick up your order and assign you to a local Neighbourhood Rep. We will be in touch by email. You join by picking up your first order and paying for it  in advance by bank transfer.
You do not have to keep to the same size bag or order each week, just place an order for the next week with your Rep when you collect, or tell them if you are away. Please return your empty bag if it is re-usable.

Most Pangbourne and Whitchurch-on-Thames customers benefit from door-to-door deliveries. They are not assigned to Neighbourhood Reps and are dealing with Tamara or Lin from our office.

Can I choose the contents of the bag?

Unfortunately not – if we were to pack to individual requirements it would double the cost. Many of our customers have told us how they enjoy the element of surprise, that our scheme frees them from having to make decisions, and that it has encouraged them to become more adventurous and creative with their cooking. Most of the winter vegetables will keep a long time if kept cool and dark. People will sometimes swap items with each other in groups, depending on personal preferences. Over the course of the year there will be over 80 different vegetables in your bag. Some items you may not have seen before, so we try to include occasional recipes. There is an Extras list on our website,from which you may wish to order additional items. To keep you in touch with what happens on the farm we publish an occasional newsletter – The Onion Oracle

What happens about the packaging?

To reduce waste and conserve resources we ask you to fold the bags neatly and return them to your neighbourhood rep. If they are damaged and not re-usable please ensure that you put them out for recycling.

Why can’t you deliver to our door?

Because delivering to your door will increase the cost, and increases the carbon footprint of our produce. We also feel having a system of neighbourhood reps improves the social aspect of food distribution.

Most Pangbourne and Whitchurch-on-Thames customers benefit from door-to-door deliveries.

Do you grow your own fruit?

Occasionally throughout the year we have some of our own fruit to go in the bags, for example we sell strawberries  from May-July. But on the whole most of it is bought in from an organic distributor in London. Wherever possible we buy fruit from the UK, but sometimes our first choice isn’t available and in this case we are occasionally sent produce from other European countries. The bananas are always from the Caribbean but we can assure you all imported fruit comes by boat. We don’t buy any produce that has been air freighted.

Are there any allergens in your fruit and veg bags?

According to new EU regulations, celery, celeriac and mustard are considered allergens. We sell celery stalks, celeriac and mustard leaves in our salad mixes. We do not have to label our bags, as celery and celeriac are obvious in bags, but we will be labelling our salad mixes, when containing celery or/and mustard leaves.

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  • Our Carbon Footprint
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Latest News

  • Recipe of the month: Strawberry Chocolate CupcakesMay 25, 2026 - 6:26 pm

    Millie Godfrey was our volunteer from April – July 2024. She spoiled us all with her vegan dishes, and we managed to steal this recipe from our Strawberry Fairy. It’s for a cake, or cupcakes, or for whatever takes your fancy.  Millie: Growing up, my mum always made this cake for her friend who was […]

  • Recipe of the month – April Spinach Filo PastryApril 13, 2026 - 7:44 am

    Tamara:   If you like Spanakopita (spinach pie) – which is often served in Greece, and many Eastern European countries too – then you will love this vegan alternative.  

  • Iain Tolhurst by Tractor and plough
    To plough or not to plough – That is the questionApril 9, 2026 - 8:50 pm

    This comes up regularly at any famers meeting you may be attending. The plough has been the primary instrument of agriculture ever since the humans began the noble craft of growing food in one place, as opposed to wandering around to hunt and gather your rather unpredictable source of nutrition. The plough has been with […]

  • Fuel for the farm- what if it ran out?February 17, 2026 - 2:32 pm

    Our farm runs on a number of energy inputs: the human energy that we all put into working the land and growing fantastic crops; the energy that we grow to produce the fertility our soils need to replenish the crops we remove from the land; the energy required to produce the materials we use on […]

  • Recipe of the month – Parsnip and Pear FrittersNovember 10, 2025 - 4:34 pm

    This mouthwatering dish is the perfect accompaniment to any winter feast! A great way to use up the more knobbly parsnips that you might find in your veg box.

  • Cauliflower AntipastiOctober 25, 2025 - 1:46 pm

    Our peeps love this preserve! I make sure I keep back a couple of jars for our crew meals together, otherwise they fly off the shelves at the farm shop.  We make preserves when we wake up to a glut, and cauliflowers often come ready at unexpected times, or all of them at the same […]

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Why Choose Us?
    • Our Team
    • Awards
    • What is Stockfree Organic?
    • Our Carbon Footprint
    • Biodiversity
    • On-farm Trials
    • Back to Earth (Book)
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
  • Our Veg
    • Box Scheme
      • Ordering: how does it work?
      • Recent Contents
      • Price Lists: Boxes, Bakery, Extras, Fruit & Veg
      • Bakery
      • Storage
      • Seasonal Calendar
    • Farm Shop
      • Lin’s VegShed
    • Catering & Venue Hire
      • Catering and Venue Hire
  • On-farm Opportunities
    • Self-Guided Farm Tour
    • Farm Walks
    • Consultancy & Advice
    • School Visits
    • Volunteer Worker Placements
    • Job Opportunities
  • News
  • Events
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Pages

  • 01. Lin’s VegShed
  • 02. Green Manure – Year 2
  • 03. Cabbages and Kale – Year 4
  • 04. Onions and Leeks – Year 5
  • 05. Potatoes and Sweetcorn – Year 3
  • 06. Willow Coppice
  • 07. Beetle Banks
  • 08. Hedgerows
  • 09. Agroforestry
  • 10. Pumpkins and Squashes – Year 7
  • 11. Green Manure – Year 1
  • 12. Beets and Roots – Year 6
  • 13. Soil Health
  • 14. Compost
  • 15. Stockfree Organic
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