Our farm wouldn’t thrive without its people. Meet the team behind your veggies.
The Farm Team
Alex
GrowerMy name is Alex I joined the farm team in May 2022 as seasonal worker and have since been asked to stay on as a more permanent member of the team. Before I moved to SCA I completed a years traineeship at Abbey Home Farm in Cirencester with Head Grower Andy Dibben, after which I stayed on as an employee for another season. Currently at SCA I am working with the team on establishing the newish site at Brentlands where we plan to grow all of our field scale veg next season. We look forward to sharing it with you and hope it will be abundant and fabulous!
Beni
GrowerBeni Stewart started work as one of the three Growers in 2023, and their area of responsibility is the propagation of our seedling. Thanks to Beni we are buying in less plug plants and the range and diversity of this coming season’s crop plan is exciting and abundant. They also have responsibility for the Oakbrook beds, our polytunnel at Oakbrook and the large planting field at Hawkwood – on the right hand side as you come up the drive from the main road.
Emilija
FarmerEmilija brings masses of experience and passion for animal husbandry and an affinity with the cows. She has worked at SCA previously so has knowledge of the land and the organisation. Her role is a blend of veg and livestock work, which allows the animal responsibilites to be spread over the week.
Ruth
Pack Shed & Volunteer CoordinatorI’m Ruth. I’ve been a member of the SCA since 2015, when I moved tonStroud. I joined the Core Group in November 2021. I’m now the Pack Shed coordinator on the Farm Team. I try to make sure that there’s enough veg
harvested so that everyone can get their share; I also order in the extra veg and eggs when we need them. I am also responsible for coordinating our volunteers. My previous background was in architecture I was a partner in a London-based practice for 25 years. I am fully committed to the ethics of Community Supported Agriculture.
The Core Group
Sebastian Billing
Hi, I am Sebastian and have been connected to the farm for a number of years. I first visited the farm during primary school for farming lessons. When I had my own children we joined the weekly family volunteer days. I have been a member of the farm, enjoyed the produce and especially enjoy the community of people around the farm, coming together for the barn dance, farm fest and many other occasions.
I live locally, work full time in the care sector, have two children who have a strong connection to the farm. I try to dedicate some spare time to help the farm with admin and organising events.
I have been part of the core group since 2021 and feel passionate about SCA as a social enterprise and pioneering sustainable food production.
Molly Scott-Cato
Sally Pickering
I have lived in the Stroud District for over 30 years. Most of my working life has been in the voluntary and community sector, heading up small local charities in the fields of homelessness, mental health, domestic abuse and advice services, as well as volunteering for international community development organisations. For 10 years I was also CEO of the Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action, which provided advice and support to community groups throughout the county. Agriculture is a totally new area for me, giving me a chance to learn and grow personally whilst contributing my experience of the governance of non-profit organisation, community development and volunteering good practice to make sure SCA is a great place to work and is truly “community supported”.
Mike Williams
Other key team members
Rachel Joyce-Gibbons
Finance Administrator
Carol Mathews
Membership AdministratorI’m Carol Mathews. I’ve been a member of SCA since it began, being partner of Nick Weir, one of the founding members. Since 2007, I’ve also been working for SCA as Membership Administrator. In this role, I receive new joining forms, get new members set up with their veg share, help members who want a bigger or smaller veg share or when they need to leave and generally maintain our membership database. It’s such a pleasure to support our community farm in this way. I love the seasonality of our veg: my pleasure when the first leeks arrive and then how sick I am of leeks by springtime and then the delight when the leeks end and the summer crops arrive.
Ben Martin
Newsletter and Website CoordinatorBen took over responsibility for the SCA website and newsletter from Aleks in January 2024, and is currently trying to remember how to use WordPress
Mari-Liis Nukis
Somali Kitchen project coordinatorLiis worked at SCA from September 2021 till February 2023 as a grower and animal farmer. She is now coordinating the Somali Kitchen twinning project.