ABOUT US
We need to rethink the way in which we produce food, recognise its ecological implications, and adopt a more earth-friendly approach. Climate change is almost universally accepted as being caused by the release, through human activities, of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. Stockfree Organic agriculture proves itself to use less land, water and fossil fuel resources, than livestock dependent systems.
The earth’s current period of development has been coined the ‘anthropocene’ – a time when virtually all planetary ecosystems are being affected by, and in many cases seriously degraded by human activity.
Food produced on stockfree organic farms is more resilient to the largest problems facing humanity, namely peak oil, availability of fertile land and climate instability.
Discover our services
Stockfree Organic Services aim to support certified and aspiring farmers and growers who want to follow the Stockfree Organic standard.
Here you can get your questions answered and benefit from professional support.
Years since the adoption of Stockfree Organic Standard
Times less land is required to produce 100 g of plant protein
Pounds sterling extra cost refunded to be certified Stockfree Organic
VON members waiting to discover you
Our mission and values
The Vegan Organic Network is a movement of farmers, growers, producers, consumers and supporters, which raises awareness, influences policy and educates people about the principles and benefits of stockfree organic agriculture.
Registered charity no. 1080847
Through Stockfree Organic Services, VON aims to
- Safeguard Stockfree Organic standards and enable growers to become certified using these standards;
- Support farmers and growers who are Stockfree Organic certified;
- Campaign for a stockfree organic label on food products
- Support Stockfree Organic demonstration, education and research centres;
- Encourage plantbased cultivation on a small scale for amateur gardeners and allotment holders;
- Network with growers locally and around the world
Myth Busting
Long-term organic soil health cannot be maintained without fertiliser from animal/livestock sources.
Soil fertility is not a function of the amount of fertilisers applied. Soil fertility is a function of soil biology. The right soil biology will ensure that the right amount of nutrients will reach the plants in the right place, at the right time. The biggest concerns of the growers should be about stopping nutrient leaching, accessing nutrients from the atmosphere and from the deep underground, and providing a perfect medium for soil bacteria to turn carbon into stable structures that offer air, water and nutrients to the plants.
Stockfree organic practices cannot be scaled up.
This “argument” is same as in organic arguments. But practice has proven that organic agriculture can be conducted at any scale imaginable. There is no agronomic reasons why stockfree organic systems cannot be scaled up. The fact that nobody has tried this, nor researched it, is not a reason not to promote and support it. We need more farmers and scientists to grow crops that could feed people without affecting critical ecosystems. We need radical new ways of producing food with minimal environmental impacts.
Stockfree organic agriculture cannot feed the growing population.
This “argument” is same as in organic agriculture versus conventional agriculture debates. Far less land is needed to feed the same number of people than with livestock production. To produce 100 grams of soy protein, consumed by humans in the form of tofu, requires just over two square meters of land. To pick up 100 grams of protein from eggs it takes just under six square meters. Milk requires an average of 27 square meters, beef – 163 square meters and lamb 185 square meters of land. Lamb protein, in other words, requires 84 times more ground to grow, than soy protein. If people switched to plant-based diets, the amount of land used for farming to feed all people on the planet would be reduced by 75 percent.
Our Team
Dan Graham
Dan is a Trustee at Vegan Organic Network and is responsible for events, publicity and communications. Dan issues regular e-Newsletters to the community of VON members and is actively pursuing fund-raising activities to support Stockfree Organic services and other related activities. events@veganorganic.net
Tamara Schiopu, MBA
Tamara is a specialist in food marketing practices Nutrition as a publicist and consultant. In addition to her studies in Nutrition, Tamara holds a Biology degree from the State University of Moldova (1987) and a Master’s degree in Business Administration MBA from the University of California (2002). Tamara’s recent activities are focused on Organic and Artisan Foods legislation in Moldova, Organic Group Certification in the EU and Stockfree Organic Standards in the UK Together with her husband, Iain Tolhurst, Tamara runs the stockfree Tolhurst Organic vegetable farm in Oxfordshire, focussing on business development, training events and HR. info@stockfreeorganic.net
Iain Tolhurst
Iain has been an organic producer since 1976, having previously worked for 4 years on a conventional dairy farm, and he grows a wide range of mixed veg on 17 acres of land at Tolhurst Organic, Hardwick Estate in south Oxfordshire. Aka Tolly, he is well known within the organic farming community and is considered to be a leading expert on stockfree organic horticulture. The farm Tolhurst Organic is a model of productivity centred on biodiversity and green manure systems, and was the first farm to attain the Stockfree Organic certification in 2007. tolhurstorganic@yahoo.co.uk
Sarah Taubman
Sarah is a VON active member and volunteer at various public events, such as consumer shows, conferences and festivals. Sarah’s expertise is in editing and copy writing and she is part of the Stockfree Organic Committee sarah_taubman@yahoo.com
Dan Graham
Dan is a Trustee at Vegan Organic Network and is responsible for events, publicity and communications. Dan issues regular e-Newsletters to the community of VON members and is actively pursuing fund-raising activities to support Stockfree Organic services and other related activities. events@veganorganic.net
Tamara Schiopu, MBA
Tamara is a specialist in food marketing practices Nutrition as a publicist and consultant. In addition to her studies in Nutrition, Tamara holds a Biology degree from the State University of Moldova (1987) and a Master’s degree in Business Administration MBA from the University of California (2002). Tamara’s recent activities are focused on Organic and Artisan Foods legislation in Moldova, Organic Group Certification in the EU and Stockfree Organic Standards in the UK Together with her husband, Iain Tolhurst, Tamara runs the stockfree Tolhurst Organic vegetable farm in Oxfordshire, focussing on business development, training events and HR. info@stockfreeorganic.net
Iain Tolhurst
Iain has been an organic producer since 1976, having previously worked for 4 years on a conventional dairy farm, and he grows a wide range of mixed veg on 17 acres of land at Tolhurst Organic, Hardwick Estate in south Oxfordshire. Aka Tolly, he is well known within the organic farming community and is considered to be a leading expert on stockfree organic horticulture. The farm Tolhurst Organic is a model of productivity centred on biodiversity and green manure systems, and was the first farm to attain the Stockfree Organic certification in 2007. tolhurstorganic@yahoo.co.uk
Sarah Taubman
Sarah is a VON active member and volunteer at various public events, such as consumer shows, conferences and festivals. Sarah’s expertise is in editing and copy writing and she is part of the Stockfree Organic Committee sarah_taubman@yahoo.com
The Stockfree Organic Standards committee
We have a panel of experienced professionals who will be pleased to answer questions and discuss any issues that you would like to raise.
Unless you find the answer in our FAQ section, please allow some time for the expert to address your query since most of this work is done on a volunteering basis at the moment.
Tamara Schiopu, MBA info@stockfreeorganic.net
• Application procedures
• Joining the community of stockfree organic farmers and growers
Iain Tolhurst tolhurstorganic@yahoo.co.uk
• Farming aspects of stockfree organic production
Sarah Taubman sarah_taubman@yahoo.com
• Editing suggestions
Our affiliations and memberships
Click on logos for links
