“I loved the teaching. Jo really knows how to engage the class and has the perfect qualifications with both the academic background and the fact that she has and works an organic farm. She doesn't just tell us information but helps us work out and understand the principles of (organic) growing for ourselves.”

“The teaching was excellent, engaging. Informative and stimulating. Jo is so generous with both her knowledge, her own queries and our often weird & wonderful questions and tangents!”

“Excellent statement of learning intentions at the start of each lesson and time spent at the end focusing on what we had learned. I liked the lack of rigidity in the teaching as and when questions from the students were discussed. Jo was a wealth of knowledge and I gleaned a lot from her lessons.”

“You brought joy, knowledge and enthusiasm every week. I loved how you shared the failures and made us all feel ok about our own, and learn from the bad. It was always clear what we were going to be covering. There was logic and flow. I feel like we learned MORE because you would explain and share knowledge instead of sticking rigidly to only what we needed for this course.”

“I really enjoyed how the course was taught and could not recommend Jo enough. She was enthusiastic and knowledgeable at all times and this really set the tone for the whole year. In addition, she was very organised and the weekly class email update in particular helped me keep on track.”

“Jo helped me to join up some vegetable growing dots that gardening books have not been able to do in the past. Having a teacher from an actual organic farm was a total bonus too - so inspiring to see organic veg growing ‘in real life’.”

“We have had the best Summer ever being part of Farm and Feast. Such a wonderful community spirit. The weekly veg boxes were amazing and ensured that we always had healthy seasonal produce. We always looked forward to the monthly feasts and the kids had so much fun running wild on the farm!”

“I joined ‘Farm and Feast’ as a single person and briefly deliberated over whether I could justify it given I don’t have a family to feed. I am so glad I went for it.

It has had a massively positive impact on my wellbeing and mental health. I have met lovely, likeminded people felt part of a very special community, learned so much about growing and food, and eaten the most incredible dishes.

Jo and Erin are inspiring people. They never hold back on sharing knowledge and are so humble. The programme has been truly life changing for me and also for my Mum who has joined me at Farm and Feast Saturdays and enjoyed my veg box too.

Thank you for everything.”

It might seem as though Jo and her team at Laurelbank Farm have the Midas touch, that whatever they touch turns to gold. But actually, the phenomenal success of the seven-acre smallholding (and its events venue) is due to their remarkable dedication to and passion for the earth and soil, and all of the growing, cooking, eating, brewing, and making that can come from it.

The folks at Laurelbank Farm are constantly working towards higher achievement, and you will always find them brimming with the kind of open, welcoming attitude that will pull you back again and again, whether that's to volunteer days in the growing areas, workshops and masterclasses in skills like willow-weaving, or to performance gatherings with musicians from around the globe, or indulging in one of their decadent supperclubs.

But for me, the best thing is being part of the Farm and Feast NI community, which is Jo's Community Supported Agriculture Scheme, which doesn't just mean weekly organic veg boxes during the year, but which gives tens of families a place to gather from spring to autumn to complete projects on the farm, to eat together and to make a place close to the green things, with our hands in the soil coming to a place of understanding how to love the earth in order to reap from it a sustainable way of eating and living.

And it's all been inspired by Jo's infectious energy!

Laurelbank farm is a magical place. Our family took part in the Farm & feast scheme this year & it has been amazing. Not only did we learn lots about our food, soil, and how better to care for our environment but we also now eat far more vegetables in interesting and delicious ways.

Jo & her team are dedicated, friendly, knowledgeable & very generous with their time & energy. We've also enjoyed other events at Laurelbank farm such as volunteer mornings, a dawn chorus event to hear the birds, and the beautiful supper clubs. All as well organised yet relaxed and welcoming as the farm & feast days.

Only downside to getting involved with Laurelbank is that any other fruit & vegetables are slightly ruined for us now as they never taste as good! But no worries, Jo & Cat will help you learn how to grow your own

Laurelbank Farm is a really special place. As a Farm & Feast member I've loved the abundance of tasty organic veg, herbs & edible flowers.

All the recipes I've made from the website have been delicious. And getting to know the other Farm & Feast members has been a real joy.

As a volunteer I've loved learning about all things growing from Jo & Kat, eating soda farls round the fire with the other brilliant volunteers & enjoying Claire's delicious food.

The sense of community around the farm feels like a big extended family and makes this place about much more than just growing food. Laurelbank Farm is home to me (quite literally!) & I cannot recommend it highly enough.