8 Educators providing Farming courses in Reading

tolhurst organic

Tolhurst Organic lies just outside the village of Whitchurch-on-Thames in south Oxfordshire. Nestled between the Chilterns and the river Thames, the farm is situated in the picturesque Hardwick Estate, with 17 acres in two fields and 2 acres in the 500 year old walled garden. Iain Tolhurst, along with his business partner Lin, have held the organic symbol for over 30 years, thus making Tolhurst Organic one of the longest running organic vegetable farms in England. The farm doesn’t only hold the “Soil Association” symbol but was the first to attain the “Stockfree Organic” symbol in 2004, and has had no grazing animals and no animal inputs to any part of the farm for the last 10 years. In may 2014 we registered as a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. This shows that our activities benefit the community, and it offers more opportunities for business development. We supply in-season organic vegetables and fruit delivered to your neighbourhood weekly, via a Neighbourhood Rep’ scheme. Almost all vegetables are harvested the day of delivery to guarantee their freshness. The bags will vary from week to week according to the season and availability of produce. You cannot choose the contents of your bag – if we were to pack to individual requirements it would double the cost, so this approach keeps our box scheme affordable and accessible to all. The delivery round covers Reading, Pangbourne, Wallingford and Oxford areas, every Thursday. Our produce is dropped off to points run by Neighbourhood Reps. Your orders are placed with the Rep, and produce is collected from him/her. As well as helping to keep prices down, this way of delivery minimises food miles to almost zero. If you are in Whitchurch-on-Thames or Pangbourne, we can deliver to your door. To allow some flexibility with contents, we have a list of Extras available, so that you may order extra items, such as quantities of potatoes, carrots, onions, salad packs and less usual things such as organic flowers. We pride ourselves on being able to grow as many of the vegetables as possible ourselves and can in an average year manage to produce at least 85% of the value on our own land. We believe that food should be as local as possible, and try as far as possible only to buy from other organic farms in the area. We are founder members of Thames Organic Growers, a group formed to encourage the production of local food for local people, so where possible we trade within our group members.

oakingham stud

premiere dressage, full livery yard, hook

acc contracting

willow farm

Livery and Holidays

the museum of english rural life (the merl)

The Museum of English Rural Life is owned and managed by the University of Reading. We use our diverse and surprising collection to explore how the skills and experiences of farmers and craftspeople, past and present, can help shape our lives now and into the future. We work alongside rural people, local communities and specialist researchers to create displays and activities that engage with important debates about the future of food and the ongoing relevance of the countryside to all our lives. We were established by academics in the Department of Agriculture in 1951 to capture and record the rapidly changing countryside following World War II. The Museum is based on Redlands Road in a building originally designed by Sir Alfred Waterhouse in 1880 for local businessman Alfred Palmer, of the Huntley & Palmer biscuit company. The house then became St Andrews Hall of Residence in 1911, and in 2005 a modern extension was built onto the house for the Museum. The Museum was awarded £1.8million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in 2014 for the redevelopment of the galleries, reopening in October 2016. The redevelopment strengthens and renews our links with agriculture as well as enhancing our position in supporting engagement opportunities for students and academics across a wide variety of disciplines, nationally and internationally. The MERL and Reading Museum are currently in a strategic partnership as part of the Arts Council England National Portfolio 2018-2022. As Museums Partnership Reading we work together to provide cultural opportunities for Reading’s young people and diverse communities, through schools, volunteering, digital engagement and exhibitions. PLANS AND POLICIES

toast

TOAST began with loungewear and nightwear, designed in a farmhouse in Wales. Originally founded by James and Jessica Seaton in 1997, the collections reflected a sense of ease and a slower, more thoughtful way of life. Today, led by Suzie de Rohan Willner, TOAST creates and curates simple, functional, beautiful clothing, homeware and editorial. TOAST has shops throughout the UK and can be found in concept stores across the US and Europe. With studios in both London and Swansea, TOAST continues to design and develop all collections in-house and is proud to be one of the few fashion brands with its own full pattern room – lined with calico toiles and full of pins, papers, chalks and spools of thread, it is a true place of making.

university of reading

The University of Reading has been at the forefront of UK higher education for nearly a century. Over the decades we have become innovators and pioneers, pushing academic boundaries and leading social change. In 2016, we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the grant of our Royal Charter by King George V. Find out more about the history of the University and our journey to where we are now