Having spent 5 seasons working as part of the team at Bennison Farm CSA in Colchester, benefitting from the tutelage and experience of both Danny Steele and Ben Lambert, I met Sandra Bond (the owner of Dodnash Fruit Farm) at a local organic growers meet-up in summer 2023. Shortly after, I founded ELIAS Permaculture before signing a farm tenancy agreement for the 3 acre plot now known as ‘Bantu Farm’. The 2024 season marked my first year of offering veg shares—a milestone in my journey to nourish both people and planet.

Beyond the fields, I’m a founding member of Common Ground Colchester, a community cooperative driving local food resilience through our café and kitchen at The Minories Art Gallery in Colchester city centre. Here, we connect organic growers to the local community, fostering a thriving, equitable local food system.

As an artist and storyteller, I weave my love for the land into creative work. Currently, I’m honoured to be the Extraordinary Essex Artist Commission recipient, creating a film that celebrates “the people of Essex & the land that nourishes them”. Through photography, film, and hands-on workshops, I merge regenerative agriculture, Indigenous knowledge, and art to inspire deeper connections with nature.

Whether hosting skill-sharing events, designing permaculture systems, or tending to the land, my mission is simple: to grow food, community, and hope—one seed, one story, one shared harvest at a time.