A city farm which closed down in controversial circumstances is reopening to the public - and is holding a party to celebrate. Hartcliffe City Farm has been closed since before the covid pandemic but is returning under new management on Sunday, June 5, with a day of family activities to celebrate the jubilee.
And the farm is appealing for volunteers to help run the farm in the future, and say it will be a combination of a visitor attraction for the local community, and a green space to produce food and offer volunteering opportunities. The farm effectively closed in early 2020 when Bristol City Council said they no longer wanted to allow the then management team to continue to run the farm.
A takeover was proposed by South Bristol horse charity HorseWorld, but that ran into trouble, and then, with the pandemic delaying work to sort out the farm’s future, the council offered the opportunity to take on the farm to any interested charities and organisations. Local community organisation Heart of BS13 joined forces with Bedminster’s Windmill Hill City Farm to put together a plan that the council then backed - and the two groups took over the farm in 2021.
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Now, finally, after around two years, the farm is set to reopen, although those now running it say they still have a lot of work to do. “It’s a working city farm, providing a green space with market and flower gardens for local people to enjoy, as well as producing food and offering volunteering opportunities,” a spokesperson said. “We’ll be celebrating the opening and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a free community event on Sunday, June 5. From then, the farm will be open to the public six days a week, and be closed on Mondays.
“There’s still plenty of work to be done on the farm but for now you’ll find a lovely green space for the children to run around in with vegetable and flower gardens and some farm animals to visit. A café trailer serving coffee, cake and sandwiches will be open on most days,” she added.
As well as the market and flower gardens, animals are back at the farm - with goats, pigs, chicks and guinea pigs. The opening event on Sunday June 5 has been backed by the Lotto Community Fund’s Platinum Jubilee Grant, and the event will include junk model making, flower crafts, sunflower seed sowing and the opportunity to help create a mosaic that’ll become a permanent feature of the farmyard.
The team running the farm said they are looking for more volunteers to come and help out, and join a growing group of locals in Hartcliffe and Withywood who have already got involved.
“We’ve been thrilled by the enthusiasm of volunteers wanting to get stuck in right from the beginning and help shape their city farm,” said a spokesperson for Heart of BS13. “At first, the site will just be a greenspace for locals to enjoy, with activities, events and volunteering opportunities building over time according to funding.
“Down the line, the farm will boast market gardens producing fresh fruit and veg and beautiful flowers, animals to visit, there for educational and therapeutic purposes, as well as food production. A food trailer or café will serve tasty dishes, as much as possible made from food produced at the farm.
“More volunteers will be welcomed, to get involved, learn new skills and meet others or, if they have mental health or learning difficulties they’ll benefit from supported placements helping with gardening or caring for the animals. They’ll be crucial in the running of a working city farm that benefits the whole community.
“School children will come to learn about food, farming and nature, meeting the animals and identifying, picking and cooking the fruit and veg grown at the farm. These are some of the things we’re envisioning at first, but there are plenty of additional facilities and services that might develop as the project progresses.
“We’re at the very beginning of a journey, but things are starting to take shape at Hartcliffe City Farm,” she said.
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