Larkin’s Farm is a 105 acre community farm located on the urban fringe in Croxteth. The farm is a community-owned resource delivering a range of activities and services for the local community including:
Fresh, locally grown produce – NSC grows a range of staple crops including potato, broccoli, carrot, leek, swede, and salads. The food we grow at the farm serves a range of community outlets including Larkin’s Delicatessen on Carr Lane East, the community café at The Communiversity on Altcross Road, and Larkin’s Restaurant at the Alt Valley Community College on Gilmoss Lane.
The local produce is also used by Larkin’s Catering which provides buffets for weddings, community events and businesses meetings.
Veg boxes can now be delivered straight to your door, containing fresh, locally grown vegetables.
Training/Volunteering – the farm provides the base for a range of training and volunteering placements and activities including horticultural skills, vehicle maintenance and repair, administration and finance. Care Project – the farm hosts a care project providing therapeutic work placements for local people with learning difficulties. The team manages their own market garden, growing a wide range of crops, as well as creating wonderful products such as planters, bird tables and bird boxes, out of 100% recycled materials which would otherwise have gone to landfill. The team makes a fantastic contribution to the working on the farm on a daily basis!
Renewable Energy Generation – we have installed a 6kW wind turbine at the farm which will produce approximately 10,000kW of renewable energy per year, representing around one third of the Farm’s anticipated energy demand.
The turbine installation will aim to save around 5 tonnes of CO2 per year, and is part of NSC’s long-term strategy for the environmental and financial sustainability of local food production at the Farm, for distribution to local communities.
Wildlife Areas and Habitat Creation – the farm contains a range of valuable wildlife areas including ponds, woodlands, a reedbed, hedgerows, wetland areas, a grassland area and field boundary strips. We are working to manage these areas for wildlife, as well as creating new habitats to encourage local biodiversity.
Species observed at the farm includes a wide range of invertebrates, bird species including buzzards, kestrels, barn owls, lapwings, and mammal species including stoats and water voles.
We are developing new activities at the farm including:
- Educational activities and resources – a range of healthy eating, healthy living educational resources will be developed for use in local schools and community events.
- Educational visits – a programme of farm visits for school parties, linked to the national curriculum, including awareness of how food is grown, how to eat healthily, along with practical activities.
- Environmental Trail – a long term aim of NSC is to develop a fully accessible environmental trail around the farm, taking in key sites such as ponds, woodland areas and hedgerows.
