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.
Earthworms hate slurry, and few would claim it’s perfect – but with the farmers getting 30p per litre for milk, don’t expect them to be able to make costly compost anytime soon.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 14th January 2021
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My hope is that 2021 will mark the start of the decline of the cult of individual wealth and fame, along with all the waste and loneliness that go with it.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 7th January 2021
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In search of mature, rocket-free inspiration, Riverford supports the Oxford Real Farming Conference: an annual meeting of unconventional farmers, cooks, campaigners and scientists.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 2nd December 2020
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The problem for farmers, like swallows, is not knowing what to expect in a changing world where routines, built on experience accumulated over generations, no longer line up with reality.
By Guy Singh-Watson - 26th November 2020
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I cannot promise when Riverford will be carbon neutral, but I do promise that those solutions will be transparent, well researched and only marginally influenced by the desire to be seen to be doing…
By Guy Singh-Watson - 18th November 2020
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Perhaps belatedly, we have completed an expansive update to our environmental assessment. This time, the mood among our co-owners is almost universally 'so, what are we going to do about it?'
By Guy Singh-Watson - 11th November 2020
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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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