At Heckfield Home Farm, serving as stewards to the land and contributing to our local community go hand in hand. This past month, as winter granted us a little extra time before the full pace of the growing season begins, our team has been out in local schools, helping to create green spaces for children, planting trees, and sharing our passion for nature. Alongside this, we’ve been making progress here at Home Farm—from planting heritage roses for Wildsmith Skin to trialling new dairy products and welcoming the arrival of new lambs.
School Garden and Tree Planting Projects
This month, a few of our team members led a community garden project at Greenfields School, transforming an outdoor space into a welcoming, natural haven for children to enjoy. Our arboriculture team also played a key role in community greening efforts, planting a sugi and Scots Pine at Tweseldown Infant School and another sugi at Church Crookham Junior School. These trees will grow alongside the students, offering both educational and environmental benefits for years to come.
The Wildsmith Rose Garden
One of our most exciting long-term projects took a big step forward this month with the planting of 243 Damask roses in the Wildsmith Rose Garden, with help from the Wildsmith team. These roses, specially bred for Home Farm and ordered back in 2022, are naturally high in Vitamin E, which makes them perfect for soothing and moisturising the skin. By 2026, they should be producing enough roses to be incorporated into Wildsmith skincare products—bringing the benefits of our careful growing practices into every formulation.
The First Sowing Begins
The first seed sowing of the year has started, though only in small amounts as we wait for warmer weather. This is always a hopeful time, as the first steps of the growing season take shape in the Market Garden.
Insights from the Oxford Farming Conference
Two of our Market Garden team members attended the Oxford Farming Conference, returning with fresh ideas and innovative approaches to sustainability and regenerative agriculture. These insights are already being woven into our practices, ensuring we continue to evolve and lead in responsible farming.
Welcoming the First of This Year’s Lambs
Six lambs have been born on the farm, with their arrival bringing a renewed sense of energy and excitement. We are now transitioning to a year-round lambing schedule, ensuring a more continuous and sustainable approach to raising our flock.
New Tree Plantings Across the Estate
Our commitment to enriching the landscape continues with new tree plantings across the estate, including: Purple beech; incense cedar; Scots pine; Rocky Mountain juniper; Quercus glauca; Quercus warei; and Quercus chrysolepis.
Each of these trees will contribute to biodiversity, support local wildlife, and strengthen the natural resilience of our woodlands.