Stair organic

The original people who started it all were Steve Hilbourne, Chris Jones, Gordon Hunter and Angela Hill. We had met while studying with the Scottish Wildlife Trust and so came to farming with concerns for wildlife and its various habitats. Becoming a certified Organic holding was therefore a natural choice for us.

Beginning in the autumn of 1996, we began preparing the ground and building the infrastructure needed to run an organic smallholding. We were very short on cash, resources and equipment but with help from neighbours and friends of time and equipment, we managed to start our growing program in 1997.

In June of that year we sold our first produce, strawberries. This was a crop which proved to be a great tasting introduction to our customers. The benefits of growing Organically were immediately apparent; we could produce an excellent tasting product while keeping the production as natural as possible. Still experiencing a steep learning curve, we went on to produce several varieties of vegetables through the season which were sold mostly to the local box scheme, Sundrum Organics and several local pub restaurants.