Autumn 2026  

Dear members and friends,

Our big news: the official transfer of Cullerne Gardens took place in September, and Ekopia is now the legal owner. Thank you to everyone involved, and our deep appreciation goes to the Findhorn Foundation Trust for this gift.

What a summer it has been. Thanks to you, we have delivered almost 1000 veg boxes since our very first delivery on 11 June. Not only that, you’ve helped restore this community asset from a dormant garden to a thriving agricultural gem that’s feeding our part of Moray.

We took an immense risk when we took on the gardens – an investment of over £80 000 was needed to fix damaged poly tunnels, enrich the soil, implement a no-dig system and prepare for the box scheme production. It could only work with buy-in from you, the investors who became co-owners, and members who signed up for veg boxes.

And then there is the army of volunteers who have come out in all weathers to plant, weed, harvest and pack!

Thanks to you CSA members committing to the season, we’ve been able to plan crops and yields – and plant the seeds of what will grow into a viable business, supporting a team as well as contributing to food security in Moray.

You’ve not simply bought a veg box; you’re taking a step towards looking after our region’s future.

In this first year we averaged 57 members. In 2027 we’re aiming for 90, followed by 120 in 2028 when we should break even. With a few more weeks of this season still to go, we’re already planting next year’s crops.

Share offer The share offer is still open, as we need further investment to help fund our second year. If you would like to support us, please get in touch or visit the Cullerne Gardens website.

So, are you in?

Fasil Bogale, CEO Ekopia

Join us for movie night (and soup!) on 14 October and 11 November

Come and warm up with us each month for veggie soup and movie night at the MAC-Hub! First up is Wilding (2024), the inspiring story of the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, transformed from intensive farmland into a thriving rewilding project, allowing nature to take the lead.

Book now and you could win one of two copies of The Boxing Clever Cookbook – see below 👇

Boxing Clever – the interview

What do you do when overwhelmed by your veg box? Jacqui Jones and Joan Wilmot were inspired to write The Boxing Clever Cookbook. It’s much more than a brilliant collection of seasonal recipes – they realised that how you respond to your veg box reveals quite a bit about your character. From overwhelmed to inspired, we all have a Sprout Rating! Read the entertaining interview with the authors on how the book came to be – and take the Sprout Rating quiz below 👇.

So what’s your Sprout Rating? Take the quiz

What does your veg box relationship reveal about your personality? Take this (completely unscientific) Sprout Rating Quiz, inspired by Joan Wilmot and Jacqui Jones, to see where you sit on the vegetable spectrum.

Pre-pay for 2027

You’re invited to pre-pay towards your next season’s veg box in advance – this will give us some financial security over winter and into the new growing season, plus reducing what you pay once the season starts. Please email hello@cullernegardens.uk.

We’ll also be sending out a member survey soon, so you can share feedback on this season and let us know what you’d like to see in your boxes in 2027.

Update from head grower Mark Crockett We’re busy adding lots of green manure in the fields – fodder radish, mustard and tares – all nutrient-rich to feed the soil for next year. The tomatoes and cucumbers in the polytunnels are being cleared (although we should still have some next week) for a range of crops including garlic, and we’ve already planted spring onions, spinach, chard, cabbage and many orientals for the rest of this season and early spring. In the fields we have spinach, chard, kale and other frost-tolerant crops – we’ll cover them with fleece when it gets really chilly!

Wishing you a peaceful and cosy Autumn,

From the Cullerne Gardens team: Fasil, Mark, Evert, Eveline, Julia, Adelle and Carolin