John Watson began farming at Riverford on the southern edge of Dartmoor in 1951 with his wife Gillian, a fantastic cook. Their enthusiasm for good food rubbed off on the next generation and has grown into a family enterprise committed to getting produce from farm to kitchen table by the most direct route.

The farm converted to organic status in 1987 when Guy Watson began growing three acres of organic vegetables in the fields behind his brothers farm shop. Since then the number of acres converted to be certificated by the Soil Association have risen to just over 800 acres and we have become one of the country’s largest independent growers.

All three businesses that are based at Riverford Farm are passionate about food and enjoy inspiring customers and sharing that passion with them. Vegetable varieties are selected for flavour and cookability and we are keen to keep you and your family interested in cooking and eating. Think of Riverford as your virtual allotment without any of the digging with over fifty years of experience that has taught us to select varieties carefully and grow them slowly without artificial fertilisers.