Ambitious plans for social enterprise farm.
One of Edinburgh’s most unique farms is set to expand this year and return to its organic roots.
Cyrenians Farm, a social enterprise just outside Edinburgh, is growing its innovative ‘Veg Box in a Bag’ scheme, giving customers top quality fresh produce, delivered direct to workplaces in easy to carry reusable bags.
The farm is also expanding its fun and active team away days, giving companies a chance to ditch the desk for the day.
Already a significant, local, individual supplier of fruit, veg and eggs to Lothian restaurants and shops, the farm is converting back to organic this year.
Cyrenians is a charity that I’m very passionate about
Mark Greenaway
It is also home to a community of vulnerable young people, many of whom have been homeless, providing opportunities to develop new skills and confidence as a step towards a settled lifestyle.
Farm manager Rob Davidson said: “This is a hugely exciting year for Cyrenians Farm as we expand and diversify our activities while going back to our roots.
“Organic food used to be just called ‘food’ and all farms used to be organic. As the Farm is such a great place to grow, we’ve decided to convert the farm back to full organic status to improve the marketability of our produce, give customers greater choice and benefit local wildlife.
“Our innovative ‘Veg Box in a Bag’ - where the produce arrives direct to workplaces in a reusable, easy to carry bag - has been such a tremendous success we’re pleased to be able to expand. Using fresh produce from the farm and from a network of community and small-scale growers around Edinburgh, including our own community gardens at Midlothian and the Royal Edinburgh Community hospitals, this year we’re able to serve even more customers with a greater range of top quality fruit, veg, eggs and preserves.
“And for businesses around Edinburgh, we can now offer even more team building activities and challenges at the Farm, giving more staff the chance to ‘ditch the desk’ and get their hands their hands dirty in return for a feeling of achievement and a fantastic lunch.”
Cyrenians Farm supplies the 3 AA rosette Edinburgh eatery Restaurant Mark Greenaway.
Chef and owner Mark Greenaway said: “Cyrenians is a charity that I’m very passionate about.
“Cyrenians Farm delivers a mystery veg box to me every week and the variety is incredible. I never know what I’m going to get into the restaurant and ingredients are grown here that I’ve never really used before, like kale flowers or borage, so for a chef that’s really exciting.
“The Veg Box in a Bag is always locally grown, always bang in season and it’s always delicious.”
