Operation Farm

Website Contact the business

Operation Farm is a community-based organisation aimed at linking up sustainable and local food growers and producers with consumers.

Our vision is to create a community farm for the benefit of people in Tameside and beyond, in order to grow food, promote health and wellbeing and provide an educational resource. To get in touch contact us here: operationfarm[at]gmail.com

04/11/2026

LOCAL FOODIE JOB!

Our friends over People First Tameside are hiring a Community Kitchen Co-ordinator to lead their community kitchen and inspire adults with learning disabilities to learn, cook, eat well and grow in confidence. This is the kitchen Ali from Op Farm used for the past 10+ years - it's a cracker!!
The role involves the day-to-day running of the kitchen, keeping everything organised, safe and well-stocked, whilst creating a welcoming space where people can learn, grow and thrive.
📍 People First Tameside
⏰ 23 hours per week over 4 days
💷 £13.45 - £14.08 per hour
Find out more and apply here: email [email protected] or visit https://www.peoplefirsttameside.org/vacancies or ring Ali on 0161 308 3699
Please share with your networks!
RidgeHill Big Local Hub Friends of Waterloo Park - Ashton The Kindling Trust Cracking Good Food

12/09/2026

Operation Farm might not be apple pressing anymore but our Friends of Waterloo Park are, and it’s their event today 12-2pm. You know the script - bring a clean, empty bottle for some take away juice 🍏

06/06/2026

Join our team! We're excited to be hiring a full time Grants Officer at the GMET.

We're seeking a Grants Officer to support the delivery of our Green Spaces Fund, helping us support the hardworking groups that are making Greater Manchester greener 🌿

So if you're a motivated, personable and organised individual, then this could be the role for you!

For more information and to apply, visit https://www.lancswt.org.uk/jobs/gmet-grants-officer-1

Deadline 28th June 2026. Please pass this opportunity on to contacts in your network.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Groundwork Greater Manchester
Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside.
Sow the City
City of Trees
RHS - Royal Horticultural Society

09/11/2025

We are looking for up to 5 people to join us next growing season, either at Kindling Farm on Merseyside or at Kindling Market Garden in Gtr Manchester. We have full-time, part-time and seasonal Grower opportunities with both temporary and permanent posts. For more information visit: https://kindling.org.uk/news/join-our-growing-teams

13/09/2025

Today 👇 🍎 👇

03/09/2025

Apple pressing season is here and we’ve got everything you need to get started in our handy toolkit 🍎
The 12 page document includes:
• ✅ Box of Tricks Checklist – Make sure you’ve got all the essentials: press, scratter, buckets, muslin cloths, bottles, and more.
• 🧼 Fruit Washing & Sterilising Guide – Learn the best ways to clean and prep your apples to ensure a safe and tasty final product. From rinsing to sterilising techniques, we’ve got you covered.
Grab your kit, gather your apples, and let the magic begin!
Tag us into your event flyer and we’ll share for you.
Toolkit 👇
https://operationfarm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/community-apple-pressing-toolkit-1-web.pdf

15/08/2025

What happened to some of our Young Op Farmers?
Well here’s a special update…….

We’ll start with Rosie, (2nd from left) A levels in the bag, she confirmed her Technical Theatre degree at Lincoln Uni yesterday 👏
We all remember Eric, right? Second from right if you don’t know, well he’s just secured a place at Oxford no less, studying Law. Bravo 🙌
There’s Sara going into the 2nd year of her Graphic Design degree at Birmingham Uni 👏
And on the right there’s George, a 3rd year Environmental Science student at Stirling Uni 🙌

We once showed them how to bake buns and pick apples, now they’re carving out their own paths in the world. Watching them grow into who they are today fills us with pride🥹

Pic from Aug ‘23

14/08/2025

🍎 It’s a Cracking Year for Apples! 🍏
The trees are bursting with fruit and it’s shaping up to be one of the best apple harvests in years! Whether you’ve got a few trees in your garden or access to a local orchard, now’s the perfect time to get your community group ready for some good old-fashioned apple pressing.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a handy guide covering everything from gathering apples to pressing, bottling, and celebrating the season together.
Click the link below, we also have a limited number of paper copies too 👇
https://operationfarm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/community-apple-pressing-toolkit-1-web.pdf

21/06/2025

Plant sale over at Friends of Waterloo Park - Ashton today folks

05/06/2025

We're bundling up & sending out copies of Issue two of our 'Earth Up' zine, covering earth-friendly food growing practices for small scale growers. Over the next few weeks these should find their way to community growing groups and allotment sites in Tameside and a few further afield too :) There’s loads of great info inside from some brilliant contributors, all of who are involved in nature friendly community food growing around Greater Manchester.

Read about:
*Insights into the wider benefits of using a food waste composting system, by Raddon Stephenson from The Caritas Lalley Centre Allotment ;
*An inspiring account of sustainable resource use to develop the Our Space Garden at The Vale in Mossley by Jayne McLean Kremer;
*The whys and hows of seed swapping by Jo Payne from Platt Fields Market Garden
*Dan’s 10 Ds - top tips for apple tree pruning from Dan Hasler Manchester Fruit Tree Coop ,
*The benefits of growing annual veg in polycultures and one approach to doing it, based on a workshop by Teresa Pereira from The Northern School of Permaculture | Better by Design.

Huge thanks to all these amazing people who generously shared their knowledge and experience to help and inspire other small scale and community growers in using sustainable, earth friendly and often budget friendly practices, and to The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting the development and printing of this zine.

Printed copies will be limited once they've gone out to the various groups, but fear not ;) it's available to view online and to download to print at home via the Operation Farm website as well! Happy reading!📖🪱🦋🍎🌳🌿🥕🥬

Address

Ashton-under-Lyne

Website

http://operationfarm.wordpress.com/

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