Trial Beds: What Grew Well Here (and What Didn’t)

Before committing to full production, we spent 2025 using trial beds to understand how this land actually behaves.

This wasn’t about chasing yield or proving a point. It was about paying attention — letting the land give us honest feedback before we asked more of it.

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Why Trial Beds Matter

Every piece of land has its own character. Even within a small area, soil structure, drainage, exposure, and temperature can vary more than you expect.

Trial beds allowed us to:

• Test crops without pressure

• Observe growth across the season

• See where plants thrived naturally

• Identify areas that needed rest or change

Some crops grew steadily and predictably. Others struggled despite our expectations.

Both outcomes were useful.

When Things Don’t Work

Several crops simply didn’t perform well enough to justify pushing them.

Rather than forcing them with extra inputs or attention, we took that as feedback. Farming well often means recognising when something isn’t suited to a place — and being willing to let it go.

Those decisions save time, energy, and resources. They also make future seasons clearer and calmer.

What This Shapes for 2026

Because of these trial beds, our planting plans for 2026 are simpler and more realistic.

We’re moving forward knowing:

• What we’ll prioritise

• What we’ll grow in smaller quantities

• What we’ll leave out for now

That clarity is one of the biggest benefits of a learning year.

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Learning Before Scaling

Trial beds gave us confidence without pressure. They allowed us to learn properly before committing fully.

If you’d like to follow how these lessons shape the seasons ahead, you can join our subscribers list below.