Helen Browning'S Organic

Helen Browning’s family has farmed at Eastbrook Farm on the Wiltshire/Oxfordshire border for 67 years and we have been organic since 1986. Our philosophy is to grow the best quality crops and animals, whilst making space for nature too. But this doesn’t stop at the farm. Helen Browning’s runs the Royal Oak, a boutique hotel and dining pub here in Bishopstone. We also offer workshops and courses as part of Eastbrook Experiences run a wildlife photography and workshop business, Prohides. Our direct to consumer online shop aims to bring the very best products associated with all our businesses, locally and ethically sourced, including organic pork, beef and lamb meat boxes delivered across the UK. Evolved through the Covid crisis, our village shop at the Royal Oak offers organic essentials for sale, and the pick of locally made food treasures. Helen’s story is simple and compelling … an ongoing exploration into ways to farm that are as good as they possibly can be for people, farm animals and nature. Organic, of course, and constantly challenging how we can evolve our farming systems to do even more to stabilise the climate, feed everyone healthily and restore an abundance of wildlife to our countryside. As Chief Executive of the Soil Association, the educational charity that supports policy makers, farmers, foresters and citizens make better decisions about how we eat, farm and care for the natural world, Helen tries to ‘walk the talk’ at Eastbrook. To get a fuller understanding of the philosophy that she aims to put into practice, do read ‘PIG: tales from an organic farm’ which she wrote recently with her partner in life and business, Tim Finney. It delves deep into the issues that concern so many of us, including the ethics of meat eating, through the real life story of a gang of piglets from birth to bacon.