Heeley City Farm has been practising and promoting food grown locally and organically for many years. Our efforts are currently boosted by substantial funding from the Big Lottery Local Food Scheme. As well as reading this page, you can view a pdf brochure.

Our main activities:

· Restoring land to cultivation
· Growing and marketing crops
· Education, training and volunteering
· Consultancy and support
· Open days and events
· Demonstrating organic methods.

Our main growing sites

Heeley City Farm Kitchen Garden.
This is an allotment sized garden with raised beds, a polytunnel, cordon and espalier apple and pear trees. We use “No-Dig” methods on some of the beds, which have advantages for the time-stresses or less flexible gardener! Provides a valuable demonstration of what can be grown throughout the year to the thousands of visitors that the farm receives. Most of the produce grown here supplies the Farm’s excellent café.

Meersbrook Park Walled Garden.
Once the reserve of the Ruskin family when they resided at Meersbrook Hall (now the City Council Recreation Department offices). 1 acre garden including large vegetable and soft fruit growing area and orchard. We are currently expanding the vegetable crop growing area, so lots of help required. Large greenhouses support, among other exotics, some delicious figs and white peaches…

Wortley Hall Walled Garden.
The grand hall and 3 acre walled garden were originally built by the Earl of Wharncliffe in the late 17th Century, now in the hands of the Wortley Hall Trust as “The Workers’ Stately Home”. Heeley City Farm now manages the garden as an organically certified market garden, with three big polytunnels, pear and apple orchards, and extensive vegetable and herb growing areas. The produce is marketed at Farmers’ Markets, and sold to local shops and restaurants, as well as to keep the Farm’s café topped up. See http://www.organickitchengarden.co.uk

We are also running a Heritage Lottery Fund supported project looking into the history of the hall and garden. See our website for further information, and unique volunteering opportunities.

Grow Your Own Courses & Workshops.
The next course will be a programme of half day workshops at Wortley Hall Walled Garden covering a range of subjects to get you growing a wide range of fruits and vegetables confidently and successfully.

We also hope to host more of the popular Organic Farm School Masterclasses in partnership with the Soil Association. You can register by email to receive further information about these and other courses as details are available.

Opportunities to volunteer.
We offer lots of opportunities to get involved and learn about growing food organically and successfully, in a fun, friendly and informal setting. We can provide boots and gloves, and travel expenses as required.

We organise lots of special events and open days through the growing season, which are fun and rewarding to be a part of, as well as the actual gardening work. eg. Apple Day, Heeley Festival, South Yorkshire Festival, Autumn Fair and Produce Show, Heritage Open Days.