About Us
How We Started
The Quick family have farmed in Thurloxton for nearly a century rearing various arable crops, dairy cows, sheep, and of course fruit!
In 1973 the Pick Your Own was started with the help of neighbouring farmer John Case, with one acre of strawberries. Since then it has grown to meet increasing demand and we now produce a wide range of fruit and vegetables on our picturesque 25 acre field.
We have always strived to give our customers the best — that is why the fruit is grown solely for pick your own, giving you first choice and guaranteeing top quality produce in the fields.
Our Regenerative Farm
As well as fruit, we grow wheat, oilseeds, peas, maize and grass on the farm, and a flock of sheep for good measure.
The wheat and oilseed rape (the fields of yellow flowers) are planted in the autumn using zero-tillage regenerative methods, in our quest to improve our naturally shallow and free draining soils that rise into the Quantock hills above the fruit farm, and to minimise our impact on the environment. A 2020 carbon audit showed we were carbon negative, sequestering a net of 100 tonnes CO2e!
In the spring we plant the peas, maize, sunflowers, pumpkins and renew half of our strawberry patch.
The crops are harvested in the summer using our combine harvester, the seeds stored for use in the winter as animal feed, crushed into vegetable oil, or processed for human consumption. Immediately after harvest, we plant cover crops to capture sunlight, sequester carbon, cycle nutrients and provide winter fodder for the sheep.
Alongside the crops we keep approximately 200 sheep, which graze our steep valleys.
Our Team
A Family Owned Business Since 1937
Andrew Quick
A grumpy old man, usually found muttering in the farmyard. Responsible for paying the bills and mending things.
Charles Quick
Runs the arable side of the farm, occasionally escaping to Antarctica as a mechanic. He also owns a small electronic engineering firm, specialising in self-driving tractors.
Edwin Quick
Grew up and farmed in Thurloxton his whole life, building from a 70 acre mixed farm to the diversified 500 acres today. Edwin founded the Pick Your Own in 1972.
Sarah May
After growing up in Thurloxton and a career in banking, is now a freelance gardener and helps the family during the busy times — and prunes all the raspberries!
You?
We are always looking for cheerful, outgoing and trustworthy people to join our team. Please contact us if you would like to join our team!