Tilia Market Garden building connections through food across Norfolk

Tilia Market Garden is a small community-focused farm in Norfolk, growing fresh, seasonal produce. With support from the Clan Trust, the project has expanded its growing capacity and delivered hands-on learning experiences to local schools.

Based at Lime Tree Farm in Hempnall, Norfolk, Tilia Market Garden was founded in 2021 and is led by Phil Howes, whose passion for agroecology and local food systems has helped create a thriving market garden.

Though not organic certified, Tilia follows organic and agroecological growing methods. The garden produces a wide array of vegetables, more than 45 varieties in the current growing season, with an emphasis on seasonal and diverse crops.

Products include colourful and flavourful salad leaves like mustards, chicories, lettuces, and herbs, alongside a rotating selection of seasonal vegetables. Starting this year, the farm will also begin producing its own honey.

Produce is sold through a Veg Box subscription using the platform Ooooby, with customers able to choose from small, standard, or large boxes delivered weekly or bi-weekly. Boxes can be picked up from locations in Norwich, Shotesham, and Bungay, or delivered locally within a five-mile radius for a small flat fee.

In addition to the subscription option, Tilia Market Garden has an on-site farm shop and supplies produce to several restaurants in the region, including Britons Arms, Wildebeest, Stoke Mill, and the Earsham Street Café in Bungay. Phil hopes to grow this wholesale side of the business in the coming years.

The funding provided by the Clan Trust the past few years has enabled improvements on the farm, including the grafting and planting of apple trees to enhance crop diversity and upgrades to the wash pack station, which is currently based in a dilapidated barn. Past grants have also supported Tilia’s outreach work, which has had a meaningful impact on local schools and young people.

“The funding from the Clan Trust has made a real difference to what we can do here. We’re super grateful for their help,” says Phil.

Looking ahead, Tilia Market Garden has ambitious plans. Phil aims to expand the farm’s wholesale network and increase farm shop sales to eventually account for a third of the garden’s income, reducing reliance on home delivery. He also hopes to step back from the day to day growing and bring in a head grower, giving him time to focus on new ventures. These include a catering arm that uses Tilia’s own produce, the development of video content and recipe ideas on platforms like YouTube, and a membership hub on Facebook.

Strengthening community engagement is also a major focus, with plans for regular volunteer days and social events such as pop-up pizza nights hosted on the farm.

Phil’s background in organic horticulture, which he studied in Bristol, combined with early experiences on allotments and interest in local food, helped shape the vision behind Tilia Market Garden.

 “Supplying people with produce I’ve grown - that’s where the satisfaction comes from,” he says. “There have been plenty of challenges along the way, but the moments of sharing food on the farm make it all worthwhile.”

Learn more about Tilia Market Garden, here - https://www.tiliaveg.com/