Tolhurst Organic is a Community Interest Company limited by Guarantee and managed by Iain Tolhurst family. The company rents the land from Hardwick Estate of Sir Julian Rose.
The farm has held the organic symbol for over 40 years, thus making Tolhurst Organic one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. The farm was the first to attain the “Stockfree Organic” symbol in 2004, and has had no grazing animals and no animal inputs to any part of the farm. Since 2014 we are LEAF members and have applied for CEVAS accreditation in 2017.

Read the Tolhurst Organic Info sheet for Teachers.

Geographical position & landscape
Tolhurst Organic lies just outside the village of Whitchurch-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire. Nestled between the Chilterns and the river Thames, the farm of 17 acres is situated in the picturesque Hardwick Estate, with 17 acres in two fields and 2 acres in the 500 year old Walled Garden.
Soils & Geology
Soils are calcareous loam, a mixture of sand, clay and silt. The geology is predominantly over chalk and gravel and the soil is made of a mix of alluvial and glacial deposits.
Flora & fauna
The farm has a natural system, embracing flora and fauna to control the problem of pest and disease. There is a huge list of wildflowers, beetles, butterflies, birds, earthworms, ladybirds that can be observed during a garden walk.
History
The site was very popular during the Stone Age times, due to the high quality of flint in the soil and the natural forest cover. In later periods the land was cleared for grazing, from Bronze Age times, and during the Middle Ages it was used for a mix of grazing and arable cropping.
From the 18th century it was only sued for grazing. It was ploughed extensively during the second world war for arable crops and potatoes.
The current use for horticultural production, growing veg started in 1987 with Iain Tolhurst taking over the farm tenancy.
Current crops
The farm grows and supplies in-season organic vegetables and fruit delivered locally, as well as in Reading and Oxford areas. Almost all vegetables are harvested the day of delivery to guarantee their freshness. We grow over 200 types of fruit and vegetables throughout the year and there are products to see, harvest and taste at any time.
These are attended by our team of 3 staff and 2-3 volunteers during the summer.
Possible activities
Nature walk in the garden, beetle watching, bird watching, berry collection, weeding, harvesting, compost mixing, sketching.
Read the  Tolhurst Organic Info sheet for Teachers.

Tolhurst Organic Linked to the National Curriculum KS1 KS2  

This project has been developed with financial support from the Ernest Cook Trust, one of the UK’s leading outdoor learning charities www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk