Guy Singh-Watson has over the last 30 years taken Riverford from one man and a wheelbarrow delivering homegrown organic veg to friends, to a national veg box scheme delivering to around 80,000 customers a week.
Tired of meetings, brands and the assumption that greed is our predominant motivation, Guy converted the business to employee ownership in 2018, using the proceeds to buy a small farm and return to growing organic vegetables. In common with many of Riverford’s new co-owners, Guy is an advocate of using business to shape a part of the world, however small, to be kinder, more considerate and sustainable; more like the world most of us want to live in.
His weekly newsletters connect people to the farm with refreshingly honest accounts of the trials and tribulations of producing organic food, and the occasional rant about farming, ethical and business issues he feels strongly about.
We must learn to farm for carbon, biodiversity and food in the same space, with differing local emphasis according to land quality and ecological sensitivity.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 18th August 2021
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Am I farming for wildlife, carbon sequestration, or food? Am I a custodian of the land, or a business? Order and production compete with nature – and like many of my neighbours, I feel confused and…
By Guy Singh-Watson - 11th August 2021
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Like swallows, farming will always struggle with the uncertainty caused by increasingly frequent and extreme weather events – be it late frosts, wet autumns that prevent sowing, torrential rains that…
By Guy Singh-Watson - 5th August 2021
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There is a tacit assumption that food must be cheap, despite acknowledging that were we to include health, environmental and subsidy costs, the real cost of food is double what we pay at the till.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 28th July 2021
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Market forces have driven agriculture towards specialisation and scale; the increased yields have reduced the price of food over the last 70 years, but with catastrophic environmental costs.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 22nd July 2021
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Even with the most mundane work there has to be some fun, camaraderie, pride, and a sense of purpose to sustain you through the week.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 15th July 2021
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Eating more fruit and veg, thinking about nutrient intake and wasting less food are all part of how to eat a healthy diet that’s good for the planet.
By Nina Pullman - 29th November 2021
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With a ban on new palm oil plantations in Indonesia about to expire, Anna Turns looks at certification and synthetic palm oil as sustainable solutions.
By Anna Turns - 29th November 2021
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With a focus on crafts, beauty and other original low-impact gifts from small ethical businesses – share the joy of a sustainable Christmas with our 2021 gift guide.
By Becky Blench - 26th November 2021
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Most farmers see better opportunities for their own livelihoods, protecting nature, and connecting with their local communities elsewhere, a new survey has found.
By Nina Pullman - 26th November 2021
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New study finds unhealthy foods have higher emissions as speakers at British Nutrition Federation event point out links between health and sustainable food.
By Nina Pullman - 25th November 2021
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The flavour is great this year so far, after a bit of a panicky start to the growing season: for some reason the plants didn’t establish so we had to quickly replant in another field.
By Richard Tucker - 25th November 2021
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