Farm

"Your staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We had a fab day and it was great to be able to physically help instead of my usual desk job."
- Participant@TeamBuildingDay

Rob, Farm manager

Cyrenians Farm is a community farm near Kirknewton in West Lothian, only 10 miles from Edinburgh city centre. The farm is home to a Cyrenians Community of young people living in peer-supported accommodation and provides opportunities for residents and volunteers to grow food, skills, ideas and confidence. We are a small farm or ‘market garden’ with 8 acres (about one field to most farmers). We have an orchard with 250 fruit trees, 8 indoor growing houses, outdoor growing spaces, 110 free-range laying hens, a craft workshop, a production kitchen and an eating and meeting space. We grow a range of Organic fruits, vegetables and herbs, and produce free-range, Organic eggs.

Sign up for our Veg Bag scheme:

Cyrenians Farm Veg Bags are filled with fresh, seasonal and locally grown organic veg. Throughout the year an average of 50% of produce in the bags is grown on Cyrenians Farm. All other produce comes from Chapel Farm in East Lothian, neighbouring farms or from West Lothian based wholesaler Organic World. By choosing a Cyrenians Veg Bag you are supporting the work of Cyrenians to create sustainable solutions for the causes and consequences of homelessness. You’re also giving your household a regular supply of local, healthy, seasonal, Organic veg which always includes the staples of potatoes, carrots and onions, as well as up to 7 additional items.

Our veg bags are available in:

·         Large (10 items @ £15)

·         Medium (8 items @ £12)

·         Small (6 items @ £9)

In Edinburgh our Veg Bags are distributed by Pete’s Farm Run ‘a modern milk run’ offering home deliveries of fruit, veg, bread, milk, eggs and more to the Edinburgh area. Visit Pete’s website and fill out the web form to set this up.

In West Lothian you can arrange a for a Veg Bag collection at Kirknewton Festival Store. To set this up please email farm@cyrenians.scot with 1) Your name 2) The size of Veg Bag you would like 3) the frequency you would like (weekly or fortnightly). You will receive an email when this request has been processed, letting you know when your bag will be available for collection from the store. Veg Bags will be delivered to the store each Monday by 6pm, and should be collected that evening or by Tuesday evening ideally to get your produce as fresh as possible. The store is open from 6.30am to 8pm Mon – Sat (7am to 7pm on Sundays). You can pay for your Veg Bag at Kirknewton Store along with your regular shopping at the till-points by card or cash. You can also pick up Cyrenians Organic Eggs and other seasonal produce with your Veg Bag while shopping in the store. Please note Veg Bags are available by arrangement only.

Buy our produce:

We work with a small number of retailers and restaurants supplying them with eggs, fresh produce and seasonal preserves.

·         Kirknewton Festival Store, Kirknewton - eggs, seasonal preserves, Cyrenians Veg Bag collection point (by arrangement only)

·         The New Leaf Coop, Marchmont - eggs (bring your own egg box), fresh produce, seasonal preserves

·         Dig-In, Bruntsfield - fresh produce, seasonal preserves

·         Harajuku Kitchen, Tollcross - fresh produce

If you are a restaurant or retailer interested in trying our produce or visiting the farm please contact farm@cyrenians.scot.

Volunteer with us:

The farm is open to volunteers from all backgrounds. As a Cyrenians Farm volunteer you can expect to; get lots exercise and fresh air, develop your knowledge and skills of farming and producing food, and feel part of our community. Fill out this form to register your interest in volunteering. You will then receive information on the next open day.

Book a team-building or corporate volunteering event:

We offer team-building and corporate volunteering days for groups of up to 25 people. These can involve a bespoke mix of farm volunteering work, team challenges such as scarecrow making competitions, and farm BBQs. We can also provide meeting space hire, enterprise training days and catering on request. Please contact farm@cyrenians.scot with your requirements to enquire.

Book a school group or educational visit:

The farm is a fantastic educational resource, providing the perfect classroom to teach people about local sustainable food production, ecology, community projects and social enterprise. Please contact farm@cyrenians.scot to enquire.

We are pleased to add that in 2020, with support from the Ernest Cook Trust the farm will be hiring an Outdoor Education Officer to develop and expand the farm’s educational offering.