Year In Review

2024 - Our 19th Year

Life at the farm is full - if we aren't in the workshop we are in the vineyard and if you can't find us on site then invariably we are out working with collaborators or giving lectures or learning from other regenerative farmers. Running a small business has always been a full-time pursuit, farming is full-time + overtime, all the time.

There is little time to reflect, until just now, when we close up shop for Christmas and the whole team is off until after New Year. 

Of course we have been rescuing materials and building up our donations but as you know, we do so much more! Here are a few of the highlights! 

1. We got the BEST FEEDBACK EVER!
2. We did both a bird count, and a newt count at the farm with truly wonderful results... I think the best complements came from our bird and newt experts who both commented that we are creating healthy habitats for abundant life.
3. We were featured on the BBC twice! Once on Radio Kent and then again on Sunday Morning Live!
4. We officially became LEGENDS... thanks to Zoe Law including us in a wonderful exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.
5. We made our first really large bespoke art pieces - a 2m x 2m artwork for a client in Switzerland and a 4m x 4m woven fire-hose installation (which you will be able to see in person in 2025!)
6. Kresse was made an Honourary Fellow by Social Enterprise UK.
7. We won a couple of awards from Country and Town House including a Future Icon Award (where Kresse was featured as #31 on a list next to the King at #30!)
8. We did some really lovely collaborations:
   1. We made tap handles, to help our friends at Toast, ensure their pints of beer (made from stale, wasted bread) are being pulled in style.
   2. We made all kinds of wonderful pieces for guests at 1 Hotel in Mayfair.
   3. We launched our first piece made from rescued benches, a project with fellow B Corp, Gaze Burvill. This is definitely a space to watch!
9. Really early in the year we were able to analyse a full year of our energy consumption in the new workshop - and that was the big day that we discovered that despite more than tripling our size, we had reduced our power consumption by 94.7%
10. We had some incredible guests: Women in Impact Finance, Social Enterprise UK, Kingston Uni, the University of Victoria, the Mayors of Kent, hosted a few dinners and a screening of Six Inches of Soil. 
11. We hosted more than 20 Design-Your-Own Workshops and Workshop and Farm Tours and too many guests stayed in our Field House to count!
12. We rescued some old hoses from London's Air Ambulance Charity and made them into some truly wonderful pieces to help with their fundraising.
13. We opened up the farm to the National Garden Scheme, to inspire people with our Wetland System. Despite torrential rain we had about 65 guests. 
14. We released the Festival Pouch - which has already become a firm favourite!
15. We welcomed the lovely Pippa to our crew. 
16. We wrote pretty passionately about why we are a Farm and not a Maison....
17. We lost Monty, and we found Joni. And we still grieve for Monty. I think that is forever. 

And then a few hints for next year. 

1. Keep your eyes on April. Something is definitely afoot!
2. We have a couple of new products on the horizon and some truly wonderful collaborations!
3. This should be the first year when we can harvest a few grapes - enough for our first experimental batch of wine!
4. We will also be recertifying as a B Corp for the 4th time, and can't wait to announce those results. We have worked incredibly hard to be increasingly regenerative, and it shows.

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