The Team
We established Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op in 2020, to reconnect Lauriston Farm with the community and bring it back to life using agroecology. Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op is a Community Interest Company and a workers’ cooperative.
Between us, we have many years of expertise in horticulture and food growing, food processing, urban biodiversity and ecology, ethnobotany, community development and engagement, ecological arts, health and wellbeing, teaching, seed saving, action research, project management and business development. Meet the team…
The EAC Team
Lisa Houston
(she/her)
Lisa works on community growing and engagement, and teaches food growing skills. Lisa brought extensive previous experience as a community worker, including work with refugee and migrant-led community groups in Thailand, and food growing, seed saving and earthen building skills. She also works for Granton Community Gardeners.
Dav Shand
(he/him)
Dav is a grower in the Market Garden, and also works on whole-farm infrastructure and maintenance. Dav brought 16+ years of previous professional horticultural experience, including as a founding member of the Taybank Growers Co-operative, plus maintenance skills and experience of collective organising.
Jossie Ellis
(she/her)
Jossie is a grower in the Market Garden. Prior to joining us, Jossie set up an organic no-dig market garden in the Borders, and before re-training as a landworker, worked in business development. She is also on the board of Nourish Scotland and designs edible and food forest gardens.
Kate MacDougall
(she/her)
Kate works on communications for the farm. Kate brought experience arranging and promoting community-based events, plus a background in education and mental health services, and collective organising.
Daisy Tickner
(she/her)
Daisy is a grower in the Market Garden. Daisy brought her previous experience in organic and regenerative market gardens and community supported agriculture, as well as having delivered programmes of creative, mindful and movement-based outdoor activity, and facilitated the development of several small community gardens.
Emma Brierley
(she/they)
Emma coordinates the Community Supported Agriculture shares & community engagement events. Emma brought 20+ years experience in projects that intersect arts, community, ecology and food justice. They are also the creative producer of Temporary Commons.
Gill Dickson
(she/her)
Gill works on the co-op’s systems, processes and administration, and is developing our approach to wildlife monitoring and habitat enhancement. Gill brought her expertise as a zoologist and conservation geneticist, and of textile arts, and previous experience co-ordinating community climate action.
Agnes Taiti
(she/her)
Agnes looks after the community allotments project. She is focused on supporting a diverse range of people to connect to the farm. Agnes brought her expertise as a social anthropologist with a particular focus on heritage and ethnobotany, and her background in historic environment research.
Hannah King
(she/her)
Hannah works on community outreach and engagement, making the farm more accessible. Hannah brought 10+ years experience in community work, and a background in social prescribing, therapeutic gardening and mental health. Hannah is also a qualified trauma-informed yoga teacher.
Ruth Goodfellow
–
Ruth is a grower in the market garden, and is developing our field scale alley crop system. Ruth brought extensive previous experience in growing for an organic veg box scheme, and in operating and repairing farm machinery. Ruth also ran her own coppice business. She loves systems and is passionate about changing our food system.
Sam Jones
–
Sam is our site maintenance co-ordinator, and works on infrastructure installation and maintenance across the farm. Sam brought extensive previous experience as a joiner and builder, and also in collective organising.
Jamie Wallace
–
As a volunteer External Director, Jamie lends us his expertise in the operational management of sustainability-focused organisations. Jamie’s career has focused on sustainability across the public, private and charity sectors, including working for Forum for the Future, setting up his own online social enterprise, helping grow a successful food business, and working in the environment team at the Greater London Authority.
Advisors
Our Advisory Committee reflects our collaborative and connected ethos. It includes representatives from regional and national organisations (NatureScot, Nourish Scotland, NHS Green Space, SRUC and Landworkers’ Alliance), local organisations (Granton Community Gardens and Fresh Start), and sustainable development (Forum for the Future).
The EAC team has received support and advice from a huge range of organisations and individuals, which has been invaluable when planning, developing and starting up the farm.
Volunteers
The farm has a dedicated and lively community of volunteers, supporters and participants. From day one and the first tree plantings, local folk have engaged with caring for this place and have built a whole new community. In the old agricultural tradition of the love darg (a day’s work gifted to neighbours), many hands have sown and collected seeds, prepped veg beds, harvested grains, tended to saplings, made the Community Allotments, built the Community Kitchen and more. Thank you to everyone who gives their support, commitment and elbow grease to help Lauriston Farm come to life.
Find out how you can get involved: