Principles, techniques and tips for making and using your own high-quality compost from kitchen and garden materials
This workshop is aimed at beginner or more experienced gardeners who wish to develop their skills in organic, sustainable gardening techniques and want to learn more about compost making.
What will you learn?
This workshop will take you through the basics, deal with your queries and build your confidence to make your own compost. It will involve both a theoretical and a practical session and introduce participants to key essentials, including:
- what are the benefits and values of compost
- how to produce quality compost for home-grown garden cropping
- identify suitable materials and their sourcing
- learn about different composting systems
- look into needed equipment
- how to build the compost heap
- how to manage a compost heap
- how to use your compost
Part of a series of workshops at Tolhurst Organic CIC to learn to grow, cook and preserve your own food. Each month, we explore and develop food-related skills – from planning a vegetable garden to harvesting and preserving your produce.
Price £70/person. Price includes a home grown, vegetarian lunch and take-home bag of our woodchip compost.
To book your place, click here.
We can cater for special dietary requirements - please contact us directly at least 7 days before the workshop.
We offer GIFT VOUCHERS valid for any workshops organised by Tolhurst Organic, should you wish to give one and let the recipient choose their own date and topic.
We may be able to offer a number of SUBSIDISED PLACES for young growers and those on low income. Please enquire.

The VINTAGE theme returns at this family oriented popular event. We will be offering all things strawberry at the farm, for all customers, local community and beyond. Visitors are encouraged to dress accordingly.

Somebody will be there to do your hair "vintage style".

And get ready for a day of sumptuous strawberry sweets, strawberry ice cream, salads, soups and wood fired pizza.

Children's entertainment with lovely Lori of Bardica Theatre.

Vintage-decorated stalls, licensed bar and free workshops for everyone.

We also have a vintage book for sale "Growing Strawberries Organically", written by Iain Tolhurst in 1986.

Short talk on growing strawberries, varieties and pest control by Iain Tolhurst at 2PM.

Entry is £4.00 per adult, children under 12 come free.

Information for stall holders: if you wish to sell your goods at the Fayre, please send us the Application Form

Holiday Club for children aged 5-13 exploring life on a farm, "field to fork" paths of vegetables and cookery activities. Requested by the Busy Buttons club, London. 

A day of learning, making, and tasting ancient and traditional methods of preserving vegetables – from lacto-fermentation to long shelf-life vegetable medleys.
Who is the workshop for?
This workshop is aimed at gardeners, cooks and food-lovers who want to learn how to preserve vegetables to enjoy throughout the year. This workshop will not cover jams and chutneys; we will focus instead on traditional – savoury and healthy – methods of preserving!
What will you learn?
This workshop will take you through the basics, deal with your queries and build your confidence to get preserving and create your own home-cooked meals in a jar! It will involve both a theoretical and a practical session and introduce participants to key essentials, including:
Health & safety in the preserving kitchen
Different methods of preserving veg – from lacto-fermentation to long-life vegetable medleys and whole tomatoes in their own juice
Taste and discuss our own home-made preserves and pickles over lunch!
Two healthy, savoury recipes which we will make together – picking veg directly from the garden and preserving it together in the kitchen
The theory behind the techniques and recipes so you can experiment and create your own meals in a jar at home!
You will leave the workshop with two jars of preserves, and print-outs of the recipes. You will also have the possibility to buy veg to take home if you want to carry on preserving more of our delicious summer harvests!
Part of a series of workshops at Tolhurst Organic CIC to learn to grow, cook and preserve your own food. Each month, we will explore and develop food-related skills – from planning a vegetable garden to harvesting and preserving your produce.
Price £100/person. Price includes a delicious home grown, vegetarian lunch and preserves to take home.
To book your place, click here.
We can cater for special dietary requirements - please contact us directly at least 7 days before the workshop.
We offer GIFT VOUCHERS valid for any workshops organised by Tolhurst Organic, should you wish to give one and let the recipient choose their own date and topic.
We may be able to offer a number of SUBSIDISED PLACES for young growers and those on low income. Please enquire.

General Farm Walk, looking at the carbon cycle of the farm. Requested by Abingdon Carbon Cutters group. For joining opportunities, please enquire. 

General Farm Tour. Requested by Pathways to Farming in Mid Wales group. For joining opportunities, please enquire. 

Private farm tour looking specifically at our vegan organic farm. Requested by the Vegan Demonstration project, USA. For joining opportunities, please enquire. 

Group farm tour and workshop specifically for policy makers and farmers who are planning to give up livestock. The workshop will be discussing possible policies for such farms. Requested by the Vegan Society, UK with contribution from EU SAFE programme. For joining opportunities, please enquire. 

The Soil Association is running the annual Organic September campaign with thousands of activities across the country to celebrate organic producers and their food.

14th September will see hundreds of independent shops across the country take part in Organic September Saturday, a day of talks, tastings, demos and events, all dedicated to showcasing and celebrating their organic ranges in-store.

Supporting your independent retailer has never been more important, so next time you pass our farm shop Lin's VegShed, pop in to shop and help keep your local community thriving!

We will be featuring a Pop-up Cafe on the day, from 12 noon to 3PM, with sumptuous plant-based soup, desserts and drinks. We will be there to answer your questions, share recipes and taste new flavours.