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The Soil Factory UK

@thesoilfactoryuk

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From food scraps to living soil - powered by microbes, neighbours, and the occasional dance-off. Forest Row, East Sussex, UK

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We’re looking for up to three volunteer directors to help shape what The Soil Factory becomes next.

Our community compost station in Forest Row is turning local food waste into living compost and we’re bursting with ideas about where this could all go!

But first we need more people around the table at Soil Factory HQ to help make it happen. Could this be you?

You might bring experience with projects, people, money or telling a good story. Or you might be new to being a director. What matters is that the vision excites you and you’re willing to shape and be part of the team that delivers it.

Have a swipe, explore the roles via the link in our bio, and get in touch. You don’t need to know exactly where you fit yet.

And if someone potentially suitable comes to mind, please send them our way!

📸 @christylowphotography

#TheSoilFactory #ForestRow #CommunityComposting #VolunteerDirectors taken in Forest Row Sussex by @thesoilfactoryuk

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a month ago

Our first member compost return! 🌱

This is a quite but BIG moment for us at The Soil Factory.

Jo was one of the first people to join as a member, and she is now the first member to collect compost from the station.

This compost began as local food scraps, brought by members like Jo, tended at the station, tested (more on that next), matured, and now returned for our member community to use in their garden beds, planters and growing spaces.

It smells good. It feels good. It’s full of life. And it means our first loop is now complete!

We’re now inviting more Forest Row households and those in the surrounding area to become the next members, so we can bring more scraps into the system and make more compost locally.

There are only 15 spots available.

If you’re ready, follow our JOIN link in bio.

#CommunityComposting #LivingSoil #FoodScrapsToSoil #Compost #SoilHealth taken in Forest Row Sussex by @thesoilfactoryuk

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3 months ago

Yesterday at the Soil Factory 🌱🪱

Many hands made light work!

Big shout out to our legendary station helpers Lucy, Joanna & Sash! 👏🏼

Thanks to them Bin 5 is now available again, the maturation bins received a major worm boost, and lion’s mane substrate courtesy of @flogs_fungi_ltd has been added across the system to boost fungal life and compost quality.

Bin 4 is now running at a healthy 65°C 🔥
Bins 5 & 6 are smelling beautifully earthy ☺️

The station is alive and moving :)

We’ve reached the point where we need more maturation capacity as increasing amounts of food waste move through into the Jora hot composting stage.

We’re hopeful of positive funding news soon, plus every new member helps us keep investing back into growing the system! ✨

For members, will have an update soon on your first batch of Living Soil compost ! 🌱

And if anyone would like to come say hello, we’ll be back at Mansion Market this Saturday (11am–4pm) again with Flogs Fungi with fresh supplies, compost, mushrooms and, we’ve heard rumours, lion’s mane brownies… ! 🤤 taken in Forest Row Community Centre by @thesoilfactoryuk

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5 months ago

Good Morning Forest Row! ☀️

Who’s coming to the Resilience Symposium today?

The Soil Factory be there with a whole crew of brilliant local projects, conversations, and ideas exploring how we can build joyful resilience here in the village and beyond 🌱

We’ll have:
• Freshly packed bags of Living Soil
• A chance to sign up as a member
• chance to contribute to our community’s vision for the next phase of what we’re building

If you’ve been curious about getting involved, today’s a good day!

Starts imminently! Roll in throughout the day
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-solution-focused-community-symposium-tickets-1984293554437

Use code SOIL25 for a discount.

Come find us, say hello, get involved!

#ForestRow #CommunityResilience #SoilHealth #RegenerativeLiving #LocalFood taken in Forest Row Sussex by @thesoilfactoryuk

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6 months ago

Our current economies total addiction to fossil fuels and the fertilisers made from them is rapidly destroying our 🌎’s precious soil and ecosystems. From farming failure to war and climate breakdown - we have to change the way meet our needs for food and fuel and fibre production and start leaving the remaining #fossilfuels in the ground!!

We passionately believe that returning to forest based systems for our food and farming sector is a powerful Sollution to pollution and that biochar creation for local composting is a Sollution multiplier.

Using the heat from the smokeless #biochar creation process to replace the massive use of oil and gas in all our factories 🏭 would create demand for a revival of #coppicing and sustainably managed woodlands again…

THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION COULD BE POWERED BY FOOD FORESTS !!

If we want to carry on eating 🌎 here we need to start investing in this transition to #permaculture - to regenerativeagriculture

We are excited to share more about this in our upcoming and workshop with @hayregenerativesoilscic and the @thesoilfactoryuk and one of the rewards on our campaign is a two hour deep dive talk and presentation with @compost.tom exploring the different ways of making biochar and the best ways to capture the hear 🔥

Hats off to those that have inspired us on this journey - Brian Carbonara @carbonconsciouscreations @carbonfarmers @carbon_gold_biochar and Ed Revell from @greengathering_ and events @fernhillfarm1 back in the early days! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 by @thesoilfactoryuk

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6 months ago

Our Spring Social reminded us that The Soil Factory is not just about composting 🌱

It’s also about community.
About gathering round a fire.
And children peering into a maturation bin with fascination.
It’s about people feeling living compost in their hands.
About the stories, curiosity, and felt sense that soil connects far more than we usually remember.

This all feels especially alive now that spring is here.

We’re building a local compost system, yes, but also something else: a space for learning, connection, practical action and shared stewardship.

Membership is a core part of making that possible.

When you join, you’re not just signing up to drop off scraps. You’re helping build the infrastructure, relationships and rhythm of a living local project, and getting biochar-enhanced Living Soil and other benefits back in return.

We’ve still got a handful of early bird membership places for people who join before the end of March.

Join or find the community WhatsApp link via the link in bio.

More soon on ways to gather, learn and contribute together this spring and summer.

📸 @christylowphotography taken in Forest Row Sussex by @thesoilfactoryuk

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7 months ago

“I feel we’ve achieved peak Forest Row.” 🪱😅

That was one of the comments yesterday as about 25 of us gathered round the fire at the Soil Factory station for our first Spring Social.

Together we welcomed worms into the first maturation bin of members’ winter scraps.

In a slightly spontaneous ceremony, each person received a worm, offered a blessing with a little birch sap from Windyridge, and returned it to the compost to begin its work.

It was simple and rather beautiful 😍

There’s also a magnificent birch tree standing right beside the station — “one of the biggest I’ve ever seen,” said Tom from Old Tree — quietly watching over the whole thing like a kind of guardian.

Huge gratitude to everyone who came, brought worms, stories, food, curiosity, and warmth.

And special thanks to Bob Kennedy @bob_the_wandering_wizard for the fire, Tom from @oldtreesoil for the fresh birch sap and living compost, and Hans-Gunther @wholisticlivin for your ongoing support and wisdom 🫶🏼

A few are preparing to join now as members, which feels like a lovely sign that this little compost system of ours is becoming something real.

If you’ve been curious about being part of it, it is a great moment to jump in!

🔗 Links in bio 😉

More soon 💚 taken in Forest Row Community Centre by @thesoilfactoryuk

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7 months ago

WORM ARRIVALS 🪱🔥
& SPRING SOCIAL!

This Saturday, 1pm to 4pm, we’re gathering for The Soil Factory’s first Spring Social.

The firepit is confirmed, the songs & stories are lining up, and the first maturation bin is now full of members’ Jora-composted winter scraps, ready for worms.

And you!

We’ll gather round the fire to welcome our wriggly friends into the next stage of the journey.

And because we do love a good ceremony in Forest Row, we’ll be marking the moment properly.

Bring a story or song about worms or soil, bring something for the shared table, or just bring yourself.

If you’d like to bring worms, compost or manure heap worms are best. Garden soil worms, not so much.

We’ll also have fresh compost from @OldTreeSoil for sale on the day.

Find us at The Soil Factory Station, at the rear of the Forest Row Community Centre car park.

Free to RSVP (link in bio)

If you’re curious about membership and want your scraps to be part of the journey, go ahead and check out our JOIN link (also in bio 🌳) taken in Forest Row Community Centre by @thesoilfactoryuk

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7 months ago

🪱 WORM ARRIVALS
& SPRING SOCIAL ☀️

On Saturday the 14th of March The Soil Factory in Forest Row is rolling out the welcome mat for a fresh crew of compost worms… and you’re invited!

Gather round the fire. 🔥
Raise a mug &
Come celebrate the arrival of our new underground workforce 🥳

We’re so excited to welcome you to the station and share the quiet magic unfolding there.

As more members gift their food scraps to the tumblers, something magic is happening within.

This week four chambers worth of material, over 500 litres, will be transferred into our next-stage maturation bin, where our hungry worms will begin their work alongside microbes, turning it all into lush Living Soil.

And in a few months’ time, that soil will come back to you ✨

It’s our first proper social as a growing community and we’d love to have you there 🥳

Let’s gather, celebrate, and witness what we’re building together.

Totally free! BYO food & drink and get in touch if you have a song or story or something else you’d like to offer 😍

RSVP via link in bio.

#TheSoilFactory #ForestRow #CommunityComposting #LivingSoil WasteLessGrowMore by @thesoilfactoryuk

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8 months ago

Exciting news everyone.

The Soil Factory is hosting its inaugural Spring fire-and-soil gathering on Saturday 14 March (1–4pm) at the Community Centre station 🥳

There'll be fire & food. And because this is Forest Row, a worm ceremony!

If you’ve already been down to the station, this is when you’ll see it come alive in a new way. If you haven’t yet, this is your chance ;)

The spirit is very much BYO - food, drink, songs, stories. (Bonus points if worms and/or soil feature!)

If you’d like to offer something - a story, a song, a fun game, or something else entirely - drop us a line at hello@thesoilfactory.earth or 07747732995

Also: we’re looking to borrow a firepit and some wood for the day. If you can help, please get in touch! 🔥

Totally free and open to all.

RSVP + details:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thesoilfactorycic/2068498 by @thesoilfactoryuk

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8 months ago

It’s time to gather!

Saturday 14 March · 1–4pm
Community Centre Station, Forest Row

We’ll be by the station with fire, food, and - because we love a good ceremony in Forest Row — a proper welcome for the worms as our first batch of winter compost enters its next stage.

If you’ve already seen the station, this is the moment it shifts gear. And if you haven’t, this is a perfect time to see it in action ;)

It’s free. It’s relaxed. All very much BYO.

If you’ve been hovering around membership, this is the day you’ll see exactly what you’re stepping into.

RSVP or join as a member — link in bio.

ps Membership is super easy and turns your food scraps into scrumptious Living Soil you can use to boost your pots, garden or allotment. All for just £6/month! taken in Forest Row Community Centre by @thesoilfactoryuk

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8 months ago

This Monday (tomorrow!), we’re hosting a hands-on compost training lunchtime session at The Soil Factory in Forest Row.

Come and see how food waste becomes living soil, what’s happening at a microbial level, and how community composting really works.

Led by Tom from @oldtreesoil, who brings years of experience in living soils and compost systems, and has been supporting our composting system and learning culture.

Helpers, members and curious locals welcome.

When: Monday 19th, 1pm–2pm
Where: Forest Row Community Centre (rear of the car park)

Interested? DM us or comment below. taken in Forest Row Community Centre by @thesoilfactoryuk

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9 months ago