ART given notice to quit 31-year-old Food Forest

Incredible shortsightedness from charitable landlord

Dartington Hall Trust (DHT) have given a years’ notice to end the lease for a groundbreaking 2 acre food forest project which has been under way on the Dartington Estate for 31 years, despite it costing them nothing; whereas it has brought in over 50,000 visitors to the estate, hosted important scientific research on carbon storage, and become what is often described as the best example of a food forest (or forest garden) in the temperate world.

Groundbreaking work by agroforestry pioneer

Martin Crawford, founder and director of the Agroforestry Research Trust, the charity which has leased the land for 31 years, says:

“We’ve put in decades of work to achieve this exemplar of a food forest system. This seems like a complete betrayal of trust by the DHT, who are only looking at money – they have given us no reasons but think they can get more money by flattening and building there or using it for something else instead of the rent we pay.”

A food forest or forest garden is a complex agroforestry system using trees, shrubs and perennial plants to mimic an ecosystem but with lots of crop plants. Think fruit and nut trees underplanted by fruiting shrubs and vegetables. They are very sustainable systems to grow food and store carbon at the same time. The food forest at Dartington has inspired the creation of thousands of such systems throughout the world, and more recently has inspired the Royal Horticultural Society to diversify their plantings at Wisley, and the National Trust to start its first forest garden at Shugborough.

Martin continues:

“Our charity and the DHT have had a long association with the understanding that ours is a long term land-based project which after 31 years still has a long way to go. For example, long term measurements of carbon storage in such systems are vitally important in climate change research.

DHT have had many other benefits too. We’ve brought some 50,000 people to the Estate, many of whom have gone on to use the accommodation or catering facilities. Over the years the DHT have used our name to get kudos for doing ecologically sound projects on the Estate.

“Ecological vandalism”

“Throwing us off is not the same as giving a tenant in a building notice – they can easily move. This food forest is irreplaceable. It is literally priceless. What the DHT are doing is ecological vandalism.

I had thought there was still a thread of ethical behaviour at DHT but was clearly mistaken. DHT are not breaking any laws giving us notice but it is still unethical, amoral behaviour breaking 31 years of trust between our organisations. Some of their communications have been casual, disrespectful and with a feudal tone too, rubbing salt into the wounds. Their calculations may well turn out wrong if an economic boycott takes place.

It’s even more galling, because we obviously need a secure long term tenancy, and we spent 4 years negotiating this with DHT and had a verbal agreement to go ahead with the last CEO Alan Bolden. Then with regime change the DHT reneged on that agreement and refused to give us a long term deal.

A lot of people have visited this food forest and know how valuable it is. Please protest this decision by writing to the DHT (see below) and tell them what this space means to you and what it’s loss to the wider world means; and why they should give us long-term security.

To the Dartington Trust I say: please reconsider your actions. As well as retracting this decision, we need a long term secure lease or ideally to buy our site. This kind of behaviour will lose you a lot local support. Do you really think you can survive without it?”

Dartington Trust Contacts to write to:

Robert Fedder (Interim CEO): robert.fedder@dartington.org

Nick Harris (COO): nick.harris@dartington.org

The Dartington Trustees: trust@dartington.org (these are listed on the Charity Commission website)

We’ve created a Save the Dartington Forest Garden page about this is at www.agroforestry.co.uk/save-dartington-forest-garden where updates will be posted and your messages of support too if you want. Send messages of support to be posted there to SavetheFG@agroforestry.co.uk

Call for Economic Boycott of Dartington Hall Trust

Some local ART supporters are doubtful that DHT will pay any attention to these kinds of protests, and argue that since DHT only understands the value of money, economic actions need to take place to persuade them to change their minds – in effect an economic boycott. They want people to ask themselves: Do you really want to give your money to such an unethical organisation? If not then target DHT and not the many wonderful business tenants on the Estate:

· Don’t go and stay there.

· Don’t buy their food at the White Hart. (But the Green Table/Montrel bagels are run by tenants)

· Don’t use or rent their facilities.

· Don’t use the DHT Cider Press shops

· Watch films at Totnes cinema rather than the Barn at Dartington Hall

· If you’re a funder, think twice about funding DHT

· If you’re a tenant on the Estate – maybe look elsewhere when your lease is up. Otherwise watch your back.

· If you’re a prospective tenant – look elsewhere!