the farm
Our story.
A family farm, rooted in this land since 1936.
Norton Court Farm is a family farm near Gloucester, with dairy and livestock at its heart and a long relationship with the land, wildlife and landscape around it.Our family’s connection with Norton Court Farm began in 1936, when Francis Godwin Smith and his wife Suzannah first rented the farm. They farmed here and raised their four children, the youngest of whom was Michael — known to everyone as Mike. In 1970, the family purchased Norton Court Farm as sitting tenants, and Jean moved to the farm after marrying Mike. Jean and Mike went on to raise their two daughters, Debbie and Celia, here, and in 1989 they took over the farming partnership.Mike spent almost his entire life at Norton Court. He continued to run it as a traditional mixed farm, with the dairy herd at its heart, raising calves for beef and growing arable crops on the more forgiving land. Over the years, the farm expanded to include neighbouring fields at Villa Farm, floodplain meadows at Coombe Hill and land at Sandhurst. Alongside farming, Mike always made room for nature — from the large, untrimmed hedgerows to thistles left at field edges for butterflies and goldfinches. He also had, as his father had before him, “a way with cows”, nurturing and caring for them, particularly when they were unwell.Mike died in 2022, leaving a huge hole in family and farm life. His influence, however, is everywhere — not only in the gates and fences still held together with his baler twine, but in the love of farming, animals and nature that he passed on to the next generation.Today, Norton Court Farm is farmed in partnership by Jean and her daughters, Debbie Wilkins and Celia Smith. Debbie returned to the farm with her husband and three children in 2008 after a career in scientific research. With a PhD in biochemistry, she brings a scientist’s curiosity to farming and has developed a particular passion for soil biology, soil health and regenerative agriculture. Celia is an artist whose work has always had nature at its heart, bringing creativity and a strong interest in community resilience, education and social projects to the farm.
FARMING WITH NATURE
Healthy soil. Thriving life.
Nature-friendly farming isn’t something new at Norton Court Farm. Hedgerows, wet meadows, woodland, orchards and wildlife have long been part of the way the farm is cared for. Today, we are building on that legacy through regenerative and increasingly agroecological approaches to farming, with soil health at the foundation of everything we do.Soil is not simply something for plants to grow in. Healthy soil is a living ecosystem containing extraordinary communities of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and countless other organisms. Its physical structure, chemistry and biology work together, creating pores through which air and water can move and allowing healthy soil to behave almost like a sponge — absorbing, storing and releasing water. Understanding this has changed the way we think about farming. Rather than continually intervening in natural processes, our aim is to work with them: supporting soil biology, building fertility, protecting water, encouraging biodiversity and creating healthier pastures and crops. We don’t need to understand every interaction happening beneath our feet to recognise that soil is alive — and that our role as farmers is to support rather than disrupt those systems. That philosophy extends above ground too. Our species-rich wetland meadows, mature woodland, traditional cider and perry orchard and kilometres of hedgerows provide valuable habitats across the farm. Farming and nature aren’t separate things here. Our aim is to produce good food while leaving space for wildlife and building a healthier, more resilient landscape.SOIL IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FARM.
A FARM EVOLVING
Rooted in tradition. Growing for the future.
Norton Court Farm is entering an exciting new chapter. We are building on almost ninety years of family farming while changing how we produce food, care for the land and connect the farm with the people who live around us.The farm has begun its transition towards organic farming, while the dairy is moving towards a cow with calf system, putting natural behaviour, animal welfare, pasture and a closer-to-nature approach at the heart of the herd. In time, fresh dairy produce will also be available directly from the farm.Our new farm butchery brings another part of the food journey home. Beef raised at Norton Court Farm can be prepared here using whole-carcass butchery, making the most of each animal with skill and care and shortening the journey from field to customer.Alongside the established farm enterprises, we have established Norton Growing Space C.I.C., a community-led organisation encompassing both Norton Community Farm and Norton Growing Space. Delivered in partnership with Agroecology Project Ltd. The C.I.C. brings together intensive small-scale food production, community participation, practical learning and skills development, alongside opportunities for nature recovery. Through these complementary projects, the C.I.C. aims to create a productive, inclusive and environmentally sustainable community growing and agroecology hub, increasing the wider social, educational and ecological value of the farm.At its heart is a productive no-dig market garden, growing seasonal food for CSA-style Veg Boxes and direct local sales. Around it, the project is developing community allotments, flowers, eggs, volunteering, courses and workshops, school projects, events and opportunities for people to connect with food, farming and nature.The 1,000 Seeds Project is one of the first examples of this new chapter. Funding from the Coronation Living Heritage Fund via Tewkesbury Borough council enabled an outreach project with three local schools to sow 1000 seeds of squashes, beans, sweetcorn and sunflowers. The seedlings were then planted in the C.I.C field and grew to be our first community crop. A grant from the same fund also has helped to establish new community orchard within the C.I.C field. Together, the dairy, livestock, butchery, market garden, Growing Space and community projects are becoming parts of one increasingly connected farm system. Different enterprises, but a shared direction:
Good food. Healthy soil.
Thriving nature. Stronger communities.
