Work has begun on a new Growing Hub at Bath City Farm in Whiteway, which will see food and plants being grown to supply the site’s farm shop and café.

Photo © Bath City Farm
Comprising two new polytunnels and a haybarn, the hub will also become a pollinator-rich habitat.
The two 20-metre polytunnels will increase growing capacity at the farm, with one becoming a wildflower nursery featuring native wildflowers and the second growing vegetable crops including tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, kale, and salad leaves.
Bath City Farm’s growing is peat-free and naturally grown without pesticides.
The 12 by 8 metre haybarn will store up to 300 bales of hay produced from the farm’s own wildflower meadow, helping to reduce costs, as well as containing a juicing facility which will be ready for pressing apples in the autumn.
Funding for the project has been raised through a mix of private donations and money from charitable trusts, including the West of England Combined Authority, Tredwin and Pennington Family Fund held with Quartet Community Foundation, Bathscape and Dan’s Force donated by the Wick family.
The Growing Hub, a project which has been two years in the making, is expected to have a significant impact on the farm and local community.
The flowers grown will help boost local habitats, with research showing 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost in the UK since World War two.
The growing hub will also create learning opportunities for participants of the charity’s youth programmes and vocational projects with additional needs, to learn new skills and increase confidence.
Brendan Tate-Wistreich, Bath City Farm Director said: “This is an exciting time for Bath City Farm, we are creating the infrastructure to grow more food with local communities, helping to address the climate challenge and promote nature-friendly farming.”