If you’ve been driving the road between Robertsbridge and Brightling lately, you may have noticed something new and rather magical taking shape. Tucked into the landscape of the High Weald, the farm shop on Brightling Road has finally arrived and it was very much worth the wait.
From Derelict Farmhouse to Biodynamic Dream
Four years ago, Joanna and Paul bought the neglected land and crumbling farmhouse of Green Oak Farm on Brightling Road a smallholding that had been left to nature. They lived in a caravan on site for the first 18 months while they rebuilt and rewilded, pouring their skills, their savings and their hearts into the land.
Joanna is a Shamanic practitioner and a certified Biodynamic and Organic farm inspector. Paul is a carpenter and joiner by trade, and his craftsmanship is evident in every corner of the farm. Together, they have transformed a forgotten piece of East Sussex into a thriving, breathing, biodiverse smallholding and now they want to share it with you.
The farm shop itself is a beautiful thing: two wooden-clad shipping containers set at the end of the farm track, surrounded by a healing herb garden where the old pig paddock used to be. It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down and breathe out.
What’s in Store
The farm shop on Brightling Road stocks a range of produce that most supermarkets can only dream about. Everything Roots to the Moon grows and rears is certified Organic and Biodynamic by the Biodynamic Association, independently inspected every year to the highest standards.
From the farm itself:
Joanna and Paul raise Saddleback pigs, Traditional Hereford cattle, free-range chickens and mixed breed sheep on species-rich pastures and abundant hedgerows. Their animals are treated only with herbs and homeopathy no antibiotics, no shortcuts. The result is meat with genuine depth of flavour and provenance you can trace to the field it grazed in.
Paul also shoots wild venison from the neighbouring woodland, so look out for seasonal wild venison when it’s available a real treat and increasingly hard to find.
Alongside the meat and poultry, the shop stocks the farm’s own eggs, seasonal vegetables, herbs, apple cider vinegar (made from their 18 Sussex Variety apple trees), and Biodynamic composts and herbal treatments for gardeners.
From neighbouring producers:
Roots to the Moon believe in community as much as they believe in the soil, so they’ve brought in the best of the local larder too. You’ll find bread from Sussex Bakery, craft beers and local wines, organic milk, ice cream and more besides a proper one-stop shop for conscious, flavourful eating.
And for the love of a good coffee:
Yes, you can stop in for a coffee and a pastry. Quite honestly, sitting on Brightling Road with a cup in hand and a view of the High Weald might be one of the better ways to spend a morning in East Sussex.
Why Biodynamic Matters
You’ll see the word biodynamic used a lot at Roots to the Moon, and it deserves a little explanation. All biodynamic farms must first be certified organic so no chemical pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilisers. But biodynamics goes further, treating the farm as a living organism: soil, animals, plants, people, wildlife and even the rhythms of the moon working together in balance.
In a world where the word “sustainable” has been stretched to near meaninglessness, biodynamic certification is the real deal. It means the food from this farm shop on Brightling Road is produced with an integrity that goes all the way down to the microbiome of the soil.
A Place Rooted in Community
What makes Roots to the Moon particularly special is what it represents beyond the shelves. Joanna and Paul run farm tours, workshops on veg growing, fermentation, herbal treatments and biodynamic principles. They welcome school visits and volunteers, run a Community Interest Company focused on growing, and host shamanic events including Full Moon Fire Ceremonies and drum-making workshops.
The farm shop is the heartbeat of all of this a place where the local community can connect with the land and the people who tend it, and take home something truly nourishing.
How to Find the Farm Shop on Brightling Road
Roots to the Moon Farm Shop Brightling Road, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5HB
The shop sits roughly halfway between Robertsbridge village and the hilltop hamlet of Brightling look out for the farm track on the left heading west out of Robertsbridge. If you’re combining a visit with a walk through the High Weald AONB, you couldn’t pick a better spot: Brightling itself is just up the road, famous for the extraordinary follies of the eccentric squire Mad Jack Fuller.
Follow Roots to the Moon on Facebook and Instagram for opening times, seasonal produce updates and upcoming events.
Life in the Weald champions the brilliant independent businesses, growers and makers of the High Weald and beyond. If you’ve visited Roots to the Moon, we’d love to hear what you think. Contact us!
