Marina O'Connell

Marina is a director of the Apricot Centre CIC. In 2015 she took on the tenancy for Huxhams Cross Farm in Dartington, South Devon, with a small team. The farm, which has been regenerated by weaving together Biodynamic farming, agroforestry and permaculture design techniques. It produces fruit, vegetables, eggs and small scale grain and is home to a wellbeing service for children and families. In recent years it has also pioneered a new school for level three regenerative land based systems which started in 2022 and is the first of its kind in England and a series of nature-based projects with refugees and displaced people in Plymouth. 

Marina studied Horticulture at Bath University and a Masters in Environment and Society under Jules Pretty.  She has worked at the Horticultural Training workshop at Dartington Hall, Otley Agricultural College, run a small market garden in Essex which sold her produce at Growing Communities in London before taking on a larger farm in Devon. 

The Apricot Centre completed an impact assessment of Huxhams Cross Farm after 5 years and found that it is carbon negative, sequestering more carbon than it uses, supports more biodiversity, produces a wide range of local food and is economically viable. 

Marina also works as an adviser, designing and creating business plans for regenerative farms, small and large scale. 

Marina’s new book “Designing Regenerative Food Systems’ was published by the Hawthorn press in January 2022. 

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