Horticulture is a huge part of life at Coombe House Farm. Throughout the year, we grow a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and flowers, giving pupils the opportunity to learn where food comes from while developing practical skills and a connection to the natural environment.
We believe that gardening should work with nature, not against it. That’s why we use no-dig methods wherever possible, helping to protect soil structure, encourage biodiversity and reduce our impact on the environment.
We also avoid pesticides and use only natural fertilisers, including our very own homemade comfrey feed, which provides nutrients for our plants throughout the growing season.
The vegetables and fruit we grow support many different areas of the farm and wider community.
🥕 For Pupils and Cooking
Pupils love harvesting fresh produce and enjoy taking fruit and vegetables home to share with their families. Produce is also used in cooking activities, helping pupils see the journey from seed to plate.
🐑 For Our Animals
Fresh produce is regularly fed to our animals as part of a healthy and varied diet. There’s nothing better than freshly harvested vegetables straight from the garden for our chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, sheep and goat.
🏡 For the Community
Our produce is available in the Produce Shack at the end of our driveway, where members of the public can collect freshly grown fruit and vegetables through a donation-based system.
All proceeds are donated to a charity chosen by our School Council, helping our harvest make a positive difference beyond the farm.
Over a recent six-month period, produce sales raised an incredible £417.06 for Blandford Animal Sanctuary.
Our current charity is Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital, and we look forward to supporting their important work over the next six months.
❤️ Supporting Local Food Projects
Any surplus produce is donated to Open Fridge Shaftesbury at Father’s House, helping ensure good food does not go to waste.
In 2025 alone, we donated more than 50kg of fresh produce, supporting local people and reducing food waste.
Our horticulture area is a place to experiment, learn and have fun. We encourage pupils to try new things, develop their knowledge and understand that sometimes gardening involves a bit of trial and error.
Not everything grows perfectly, but that’s part of the learning journey. We do our best, celebrate our successes and learn from our challenges.
One of our proudest achievements was successfully growing watermelons, proving that sometimes taking a chance can lead to amazing results!
