Richard and Ruth Kelsey, Hallwood Farm

A visit to Hallwood Farm on Open Farm Sunday (12th June) offers a great opportunity to discover the story behind your food and so much more. Run by husband and wife team, Ruth and Richard Kelsey, Hallwood Farm is a member of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), the organisers of Open Farm Sunday. LEAF is a registered charity that assists farmers and producers, to manage their farms as efficiently and sustainably as possible which as a result, helps them to produce good food with environmental care. 

Visitors to Hallwood Farm on Open Farm Sunday will have a unique opportunity to see and hear how Richard and Ruth grow vegetables for the 150 veg boxes they supply within a 15 mile radius every week. They can also learn about their Ruby Red Devon Cattle, rare breed pigs and Poll Dorset Sheep.

Like most farmers Richard and Ruth are always looking for ways to save precious resources like water and to make sure any waste is minimal. For example ‘waste’ vegetables are never thrown away as they are fed to the pigs or sheep, valuable dung is used on the veg fields to replace organic matter and sheep are sent in to graze after cattle to improve grassland quality.

On Open Farm Sunday there will be a self-guided tour around the 90 acre farm which provides a superb insight into the extensive conservation work that the Kelsey’s have done on the farm. There is a new lake, protected water courses, rush pastures and plenty of bat and bird boxes, all of which are home to the numerous wildlife that live on the farm – including barn owls and otters. Richard has also recently added a wildlife corridor on the farm, providing yet another important habitat for birds, insects and animals. 

Contact: Richard and Ruth Kelsey, Hallwood Farm, Hallwood Farm, Petrockstowe, Okehampton, Devon EX20 3HP
Website: www.hallwoodfreshveg.co.uk
Tel: 01837 811762

For more information visit www.farmsunday.org and for up-to-date campaign information, follow us on Twitter – twitter.com/openfarmsunday

To arrange a visit to Hallwood Farm or an interview with Richard or Ruth contact:
David Gough or Laura Bates
Open Farm Sunday Press Office   
T: 01189 475956 M : 07884 353 474  
E: david.gough@ceres-pr.co.uk / laura.bates@ceres-pr.co.uk