How we use our land
For almost a century the land and estate at Dartington have been used for research and exploration of new agricultural processes.
Today a regenerative approach is at the heart of everything we do. It supports healthy soils, creates rich wildlife habitat and nurtures our community of visitors and small enterprises who have come here because they wish to have a deeper connection with the land.
We have a number of tenants who run enterprises using the land to produce food, fungi or flowers or for therapeutic benefit.
Conservation at Dartington
From dormice to hedgerows and everything in between, conservation work plays a major part in Dartington estate life.
Powered by renewables
A significant proportion of Dartington’s energy is produced via renewables, in the form of our 950kw biomass boiler and 500kh(p) solar-PV array.
Food, farming and conservation blogs
Planning our growing spaces for 2022
Find out from our Head Gardener, Colum Pawson, how he goes about planning what to grow next season and where.
Dartington Estate to become an agro-forestry ‘lighthouse’
Dartington Estate is part of a pilot project for the government’s new agri-environmental scheme to encourage farmers to manage their land in a more sustainable way.
Dartington partners with Sharpham Cheese for new academy course
We are delighted to host one of the countries leading cheese writers, Patrick McGuigan, and Sharpham Cheese, for a academy course helping participants become accredited Associates of the Academy of Cheese.
Project underway to encourage Swifts to return to our church tower
A project to encourage swifts to return to the disused church tower on the Dartington estate has been set up the Trust’s conservation team.
Plea for dog owners to take care around livestock
“I have been hit with sticks, I have had stones thrown at me and I have been spat at” – our tenant farmer issues a plea for visitors to help protect his livelihood.
Vision for Dartington Estate to become a food hub for south Devon
We catch up with Tara Vaughan-Hughes, Food Lead for Dartington Trust, whose culinary influences are inspired by her native home in rural Vermont, USA.
In praise of soils: World Soil Day
Happy World Soil Day! Our Conservation and Land Manager writes on the importance of soil, plus watch a special video message from the Head Gardener at Schumacher College.
Food in Community report massive surge in demand
A group based on the Dartington estate has provided the equivalent of around 125,000 meals for people on low incomes since lockdown began in March.
New wine programme announced
A new programme of courses in wine and wine-making are to be launched by the Dartington Trust, with the help of leading wine expert Justin Howard-Sneyd.
From Mexico City to Dartington: Meeting Rafael Pompa
Since taking up the role of Gardens, Conservation and Land Manager at Dartington Trust ealier this year, ‘Raf’ has been facing up to the challenges of managing a 1,200-acre estate in a time of Covid-19. We went to see how he’s getting on…