Glebelands Organic Produce ceases production “with a heavy heart”

Local market garden shuts down due to rising costs and adverse conditions.

The market garden sat on a 2.7-acre site in Sale © Life in Sale

Sale's only organic market garden, Glebelands Organic Produce, has officially ceased production. The business made the difficult announcement yesterday (29 June) on social media. Dan Larke, the owner, shared the challenging journey that led to this decision in a heartfelt statement.

"For those of you that don't know - Glebelands Organic Produce Ltd has ceased production of veg and sales of veg boxes," Larke began. "This is not a decision I have come to lightly, but the last year or so has been incredibly tough, and I have come to the realisation that the business is no longer viable for me to run."

Larke outlined a series of setbacks that plagued the business, starting with skyrocketing production costs. "It started last year with insane increases in the cost of production – electricity doubled, minimum wage up by 10% and no increase in wholesale prices needed for me to have a sustainable business," he explained. The business also faced severe weather challenges, including an exceptionally wet and overcast July that disrupted crop growth. "Successions of crops all went out of sync and in some cases, crops almost ceased to grow. There was also the slug pressure – something which has continued through to the wet start of this year," Larke added.

Dan Larke made the sad announcement on social media © Life in Sale

The difficulties culminated at the end of 2023 when Larke had to make the painful decision to let go of all his staff and attempt to run the operation on his own. "After budgeting for 2024, it did not make sense to pursue a model which relied entirely on wholesale, and so I decided to look at selling more produce direct to customers in the local area," he said. However, the transition proved too challenging. "Unfortunately, it was too little too late as the amount of work needed to get box numbers up to a level that is sustainable, especially given my recent health issues, is just too much and so with a heavy heart I have decided it is time to let it go."

The closure of Glebelands Organic Produce marks the end of an era for the local community. Known for its commitment to organic farming and sustainability, the market garden has been a real hidden gem in Sale, providing residents with fresh vegetables.

We’re sorry to see the market garden close and wish Dan all the best for the future.