I’m incandescent, furious, overflowing with rage at Dartington Trust’s ability to continually make the wrong decisions, decisions that show they are out of touch with pretty much everything. In particular, it has just been announced that they plan to revoke the wonderful Agroforestry Research Trust’s lease on their extraordinary temperate forest garden on the Dartington Estate.
To eradicate the Agroforestry Research Trust’s extraordinary forest garden, which has single-handedly inspired thousands of such gardens around the world, would be an act of cultural vandalism on a par with bulldozing the Lost Gardens of Heligan. In order to prop up its inept organisation, Dartington Hall Trust (DHT) has sold off buildings, land and artworks, has closed down much of what made its reputation in the first place, but to mess with this gem of agroecological ingenuity is absolutely a step too far, and demonstrates a profound lack of any real understanding about how remarkable and precious this garden is.
This single agroforestry project, which recently celebrated its 30th birthday, has arguably inspired more positive action around the world than anything DHT itself has done in those 30 years. It is revered and celebrated around the world. This insane decision must be reversed immediately. Please do everything you can to let the ‘management’ at Dartington know this is NOT OK. [List of email addresses below.]
In attempting to justify their actions, the Trust wrote
“We are obliged to ensure we fully realise the potential of the former Schumacher site and surrounding areas, and to carry out our due diligence and legal compliance as a charity. It is essential for us to explore all potential options for the future development and use of the area, ensuring it aligns with our charitable objectives and benefits the wider community”.
Is it not within their arid imaginations that possibly having a world-leading model of temperate agroforestry, the most mature such example in the UK, might actually enhance those options? Make it more appealing to possible tenants? Might bring more people to the estate, enhancing its other businesses? What makes them imagine the place would be easier to let if it had a bulldozed forest garden next to it?
This massively misguided decision is like using the Mona Lisa to mop up spilt wine after your party got a bit out of hand. The work of Martin and Sandra and the ART has been extraordinary. We stand in solidarity with them. Please sign the petition.
Email addresses:
Robert Fedder (CEO): robert.fedder@dartington.org
The Dartington Trustees: trust@dartington.org
Nick Harris (COO): nick.harris@dartington.org
