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.
The wild strawberries I find growing in margins around the farm withstand drought, rain and weeds and still produce Botrytis-free fruit; a far cry from the today’s mollycoddled commercial crops.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 12th May 2021
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My brother Oliver is a master at the tricky job of establishing grass in our rotation without artificial herbicides or fertilisers, as so often is the case, the organic way requires more complexity.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 28th April 2021
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It's been another near-perfect spring for us in Devon and despite working flat out on the farm, we're not harvesting much as we're about to enter the Hungry Gap, the lean few weeks on UK farms.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 21st April 2021
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I found it hard to disagree with the main conclusion of Seaspiracy: that there is almost no sustainable fishing, and the labels claiming sustainability fall a long way short of delivering it.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 8th April 2021
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If someone tells you that they will reach net zero, I urge you not to be impressed until they have told you how.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 31st March 2021
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The illegitimate faith in greed shown by our PM’s comments this week will lead us over the cliff, destroying all that so many of us love about our country, and ultimately our planet.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 24th March 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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