Why 2025 Was a Trial Year at Stef & Sue's Little Farm (and Why That Matters for 2026)

Stefano Toffolo
Jan 18
2 min read

At Stef & Sue's Little Farm in Barwell, Leicestershire, we’ve taken a deliberate decision not to rush into production. Instead, 2025 has been a learning year — focused on trial beds, animals, and understanding our land before committing to our first full harvest season in 2026.

This blog explains why we chose that approach, what we’ve learned so far, and how it’s shaping everything we’re growing going forward.

Learning the Land Before Growing Food at Scale

Every small farm has its own conditions. Soil type, drainage, exposure to wind, frost pockets, and sunlight all affect how crops perform — even within a single field.

Before growing vegetables and cut flowers for harvest, we spent time:

Testing small trial beds
Observing how water moves across the land
Noting where frost lingers and where warmth arrives first
Watching how crops respond to minimal intervention

This kind of site-specific learning is essential for small-scale farming and can’t be rushed.

Why Trial Beds Matter on a Small Farm

Rather than planting large areas straight away, we used trial beds to understand what grows well in our soil and climate.

These trial beds allowed us to:

Test crop varieties without pressure
Learn which vegetables and flowers suit our conditions
Identify areas that need improvement or rest

Some crops thrived. Others struggled. Both outcomes were valuable.

Knowing what not to grow is just as important as knowing what to prioritise — especially when building a sustainable, local farm.

Using Animals to Understand the Land

Animals have played an important role in how we’ve learned about the land at SAS Little Farm.

By integrating livestock thoughtfully, we’ve been able to observe:

How soil responds to disturbance and recovery
Where land benefits from grazing or rest
How timing affects soil structure and plant growth

Animals are part of a wider regenerative farming system, helping us make better long-term decisions about how we grow food.

Preparing for Our First Proper Harvests in 2026

All of this learning leads to one clear goal: 2026 will be our first proper harvest year.

Because of the work done in 2025, we’re moving into the next season with:

Better crop choices
A clearer understanding of our microclimate
More realistic planting plans
Growing systems shaped by observation, not guesswork

This slower approach gives us the best chance of producing high-quality, locally grown vegetables and cut flowers.

Building a Small, Local Farm the Right Way

SAS Little Farm is being built step by step, with a strong focus on soil health, animals, and seasonal growing. We’ll continue sharing what we learn — including what works, what doesn’t, and what we change along the way.

If you’d like to follow the journey as we prepare for our first harvests in 2026, you can keep an eye on our updates or join our subscribers list, below, for local news from the farm.