History

Tree of Life Organics was formed in 1996 by Marie Welsh and Sylvia Carthew. We had a lot of help and encouragement from Marie's parents, Ron and Thelma Welsh and Chopsticks Organics.

Initially we were growing vegetables on our smallholding mainly for ourselves and families. For a number of years people kept asking if they could buy our produce so we thought about finding a way of supplying our vegetables to the wider local community. A box scheme, we decided, was the best way forward, especially as it seemed to be the most direct way of getting the vegetables direct from the field to the door.

We then decided to join the Soil Association to give ourselves full organic status.

We started small, advertising locally and Tree Of Life Organics has grown mostly through recommendations to others by our existing customers.

Our vegetable growing area has expanded and we now produce some of our own fruit, including Blueberries, Gooseberries and Apples as well as organic meadow hay.

History - Formation

The growth our business is due to an increasing awareness of the importance of organic food production, and the value in buying locally produced food.

We chose to become members of the Soil Association for two main reasons:

  1. The Soil Association is the leading organic certification organisation in the UK and Europe and has widespread recognition.
  2. The Soil Association has also the highest standards when it comes to animal and environmental welfare.

We have inspection once a year to make checks and to help maintain the highest growing and accountability standards.

Since October 2016, after 20 years, we are no longer running the box scheme but still provide vegetables for our holiday customers and Churchtown fruit and veg shop in the centre of St Agnes.

History - Vegboxes