morethanorganic

Hi, I´m Gavin Venn. 

MorethanOrganic, is a small 5 acre farm in the mountains of Catalunya.  Prior to me buying the land four years ago, it had not been cultivated for more than twelve years.  The previous owner had planted traditional Catalan vines and built a small stable for their mule.  Unfortunately, the abandoned vines had rotted to the point where they had to be removed.  However, the structure of the farm with its deep terraces and traditional retaining limestone walls is intact.

From the UK originally, I couldn´t afford to buy a farm there, so moved to Catalunya. The land was bought with the intention of creating a small organic farming business, where I could work and live at the same time.  This is starting to take shape.  Before starting this adventure, I had no substantial farming expereince, my background was spent mainly in the software business.  I´ve had to learn quickly from local people and trying out my own ideas.  Also, not having any starting capital has been a real challenge, that I´ve solved by painting houses.  This has given me the flexibility to support myself and slowly develop my farm over the past four years.  So now, the farm has an irrigation system, a tractor, cultivated areas and i´ve turned the small stable into the beginnings of a house.  I´ve learned what to grow and I´m now getting to grips with how best to sell it locally. 

This experience is constantly teaching me to improvise and make the most of what I have.  What I´d like you to get from this web site is that you don´t need to be wealthy to start a new small farm, or to make sustainability a part of your life.  But you do need to be creative, and believe me, you are!