FARM
Flourish Produce is nestled on fields just up from the River Granta in South Cambridgeshire between the villages of Hildersham and Linton.
Founded in the summer of 2017 by Calixta and her two working horses Bill and Ben, the three of them ploughed the first furrow and planted the first vegetables and flowers, carefully cultivating their plants in what was then a small market garden.
Over the years, as Flourish has grown. Calixta and her team have worked diligently to improve the soil and biodiversity of the little piece of land they call home. They strive to make it as beautiful and abundant as possible, using regenerative and certified organic farming practices to grow delicious and nutritious produce.
Our mission is to build a farm that is biodiverse, resilient and productive now and for years to come.
For more details visit our Methods section.
TEAM
One of Flourish’s greatest strengths is the amazing team who work diligently to grow and harvest our produce in addition to keeping things running behind the scenes. We are currently hiring for the 2025 season. Click here for job opportunities.
Calixta, Founder
Calixta crossed the Atlantic in search of a comprehensive education in organic farming in the United States. In 2017 she returned to the UK to set up Flourish with Bill and Ben, and a polytunnel recovered from a closed-down strawberry farm.
Alice, Office Manager
After a 10 year career in advertising Alice spent 12 weeks at Ballymaloe cookery school in Ireland. From there the seeds were sown and she’s worked in food ever since.
Photo credit: Monica R Goya
Lisa, Farm Shop Manager
Local to the area, Lisa's eye was often drawn to the flower field when passing on family bike rides. Her great passion for food resulted in her leaving a career in sales to pursue her interest in local produce. Her time at the farm has evolved and she now looks after all aspects of the farm shop.
Nancy, Grower and, Pack Barn
After years working as a pastry chef, Nancy decided she wanted to connect more with where our food all begins -out in the fields. She spent some time in Norway learning about sustainable farming and looking after a variety of livestock and vegetables. Now she can be found in the flourish fields with her hands happily in the soil.
Pippin
Pippin is Linda’s dog. He loves living on the farm and especially likes to inspect the compost heap for tasty treats. His absolute favourite snack is cucumbers.
Heron, Grower
Heron’s passion is machinery, plants and soil so farming is the perfect place for them. As well as managing their own small CSA on a local Fenland farm, they enjoy farming vegetables and grain here at Flourish: “I believe our farmland can provide healthy and nutritious food, increased biodiversity above and below ground as well as fufilling and challenging jobs for people.” Next season Heron is looking forward to further improving our weeding setup and driving our combine with fewer breakdowns!
Michael, Grower
Michael worked as a chef in the North Hertfordshire area for 11 years. During the Covid lockdown he got an allotment and started to get more interested in where the food he was using on a day-to-day basis came from. His journey to find out more about the health of the food, soil and planet started and he discovered Flourish. Leaving kitchens behind to become a full-time grower, Michael’s been learning lots of new skills and knowledge that he’s looking forward to put to use in seasons to come.
Lucy, Flower Team
Having worked in the creative industry for some time, Lucy’s path has led her to floristry where she’s involved in planting, picking, conditioning, maintenance and, of course, arranging the seasonal flowers and foliage.
Bill, co-founder
Bill’s strength and power are undeniable despite his rather rotund belly. Bill enjoys rubbing on gate posts, gobbling up second grade carrots and snoozing in the sunshine.
Ben, co-founder
Ben's long blonde mane would give Brigitte Bardot a run for her money, however, he turned down many modelling opportunities in favour of a meaningful career on the farm. Now retired, he spends his days flirting with his Donkey neighbours in the water meadows.
Anna, Grower and Flower Team
Anna’s background is in horticulture but she came to Flourish to learn about growing food using regenerative practices. She can’t seem to keep away from her love of flowers so is often found working in the flower field. Bringing the beauty of flowers and food together is what makes her happy.
Linda, Propagation and Herbs
After working in urban growing in London for 6 years, Linda came to Flourish to learn about growing on a bigger scale. Herbs and garnishes are her thing and she’s got big plans for our herb field
Rowan
Rowan is Heron's dog and enjoys running through long grass, sniffing for mice in the polytunnels and catching bunnies, as well as sneaking to the Farm Shop for treats. Pointiest nose on the farm.
Cameron, Grower
Cam is a Cambridge local who is passionate about the need for food sovereignty. By growing here with us at Flourish he’s keen to learn more about growing agroecologically on a larger scale.
Alice, Pack Barn
Passionate about food sustainability, Alice was really keen to join the Flourish team. With an eye for detail and a love for beautiful vegetables, she’s usually in the pack barn, probably raving about the gorgeousness of our various kales while making sure our produce is all snug on its way to the local restaurants.
Andy, Deliveries
With a background in furniture and upholstery, Andy holds the all-important role of delivering our produce to London outlets twice a week.