Shire Farm
Dreaming Big
Our story is one of great passion for working in harmony with nature and the beautiful unfolding of a vision. Instinctively driven to cultivate the most holistic farming methods known to man, Mike Booth, successor of Aura-Soma Founder Vicky Wall, first actualised his dream with 50 acres of land in 1995, in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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Determined to grow the purest, most potent botanical ingredients, Mike looked beyond organic and adopted biodynamic farming methods as the next natural step in the evolution of farming…and so our beloved Shire Farm was born.
Encouraging results
Right from the beginning we’ve worked in conscious harmony with the land. Respecting the natural growth cycles of our crops, being in tune with astronomical energies and letting the natural interdependence between all the diverse components and creatures of the farm regenerate and maintain the fertility of the earth, we were soon rewarded with abundant crop yields. Then, in just a few years, our first 50 acres were awarded a full Demeter certification – big biodynamic smiles all round!
The magic of biodynamics
In 2006 our farm flourished further, as we secured an additional 439 acres of land and – despite the soil having been depleted of nutrients and exhausted due to many years of conventional farming and chemical applications – we set ourselves an ambitious goal: to nourish the land and transform it into a fully-functioning, Demeter-certified biodynamic farm within three years. Our labour wasn’t wasted – we saw the land become fertile once again and the biodiversity return. The big smiles got bigger.
The future
of farming
From its humble beginnings Shire Farm has grown into one of the leading biodynamic farms in the UK. It’s the profound transformation of our land after cultivation with biodynamic methods that continues to convince us that we’re witnessing the future of farming – keeping the soil happy by constantly feeding nutrients back to it has led to a thriving farm ecosystem that rewards us with abundant, nutrient-rich crops that nurture and nourish us on every level, year after year.
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Looking at our farm today, comprising over 500 acres of fertile land and supplying plants and herbs for the multi-award winning skincare brand AEOS, Pegasus Parfum, Aura-Soma and our residential training centre Dev Aura, we’re proud of our pioneering work. From the beginning we’ve believed in giving back to the earth and seeing the astonishing results today, we wouldn’t do it any other way.
A sustainable, self-fulfilling life-cycle
We know the most energy-efficient systems in the world are those that replenish what is depleted. Reciprocal maintenance has been an integral practice of Mike’s – long before going green was on the agenda – caring for each other, being aware of our impact on the world and the wisdom that if we all act with mindful integrity, all shall inevitably thrive. From planting as many trees as possible and reducing packaging, to leading the way with off-the-grid solar power, sustainability is paramount to Shire Farm.
Demeter Certified
Our Demeter status is something that we are extremely proud of.
Our current certificates can be viewed here: