Meet Marcus Link, Co-founder and CEO of New Foundation farms.
New Foundation Farms is raising £20M (they just raised their first £1 Million) to invest in regenerative farm enterprises across the UK. Here’s a pod cast by one of NFF’s co-founders, Marcus Link:
Marcus Link, Regen farming isn’t enough, we need regenerative enterprises
New Foundation Farms operates on a vision that marries the biodiverse richness of rewilded landscapes with the affordability of supermarket pricing. They’re pioneering a regenerative agrifood enterprise that not only produces food that is nutrient-rich, seasonal, and locally grown but also delivers these products directly to consumers, bypassing traditional channels to market. This model promises a revolution in how restaurants source and serve food, emphasising a direct farm-to-table approach at competitive prices that don’t compromise on health or quality.
Restaurants partnering with ecological farm enterprises can offer menus crafted from ingredients that are not only fresh but also imbued with the principles of “deep regeneration”—a system that rejuvenates nature and its ecosystems without relying on synthetic chemicals that degrade the soil and biodiversity.
By sourcing responsibly restaurants help develop a local and regional food system that improves soil health, enhances biodiversity, and repairs damage inflicted by conventional farming methods over the past century. Additionally, this approach contributes to carbon sequestration, addressing urgent climate concerns.
Marcus, a deep systems thinker with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, had successfully developed and expanded an organic meat box scheme for Riverford Organic. Marcus is now investing in NFF’s first regenerative farm enterprise in the UK, having raised their first £1Million from ethical impact investors. This is growing movement of people who believe it is possible to bring produce from farm to markets in a way that is both affordable and competitive. What it takes is an eco-system of innovative and conscious entrepreneurs, investors and people.
People play a crucial role in this emerging and growing sustainable ecosystem (yes the organic market is growing year on year and out-pacing the conventional food and Bev sector). Every decision to dine at restaurants that prioritise organic/ecological practices serves as a powerful endorsement and boosts demand for a healthier, more sustainable regional food system. It encourages more establishments to adopt sustainable practices and, importantly, supports the growth of natural (free from chemicals) farming across the country.
Our purpose at Circular Kitchens is to offer people a sign-post (see certification below) for aligning their dining-out experience with their values; and to help restaurants/food trucks/cafes/pubs align their operations and brands with our shared values: Plastic-free, Organic/Ecological, Regional/Ethical and Zero Waste. In other words, a circular economy.
