Guy Singh-Watson will share his expertise on organic farming and ethical business at the Garden Centre Association’s annual conference in Blackburn this month (January 22-25).

The founder and creator of Riverford, an organic farm and UK-wide organic vegetable box delivery company, will discuss topics covering business, entrepreneurship and sustainability on Tuesday, January 24. 

Tammy Woodhouse, GCA Chairman, explains: “We’re delighted that Guy Singh-Watson will be joining us on the Tuesday, which is always our day for strategy. He champions a more human and imaginative approach to business and will be sharing why he believes this to be the winning formula for companies today.

“During the past 30 years, Guy has taken Riverford from one man and a wheelbarrow delivering homegrown organic veg to friends, to a national veg box scheme delivering to around 80,000 customers a week.

“We hope that it will be really inspiring for our attendees to hear how he combined elements of business, sustainability and the environment, to create a positive and ethical company, and how that works with our members’ long-term goals, while being commercially viable too.”

Tired of meetings, brands and the assumption that greed is our predominant motivation, Guy converted Riverford to employee ownership in 2018. He used the proceeds to buy a small farm and return to growing organic vegetables.

Tammy adds: “Guy is an advocate of using business to shape a part of the world, however small, to be kinder, more considerate and sustainable; more like the world most of us want to live in.

“His weekly newsletters connect people to the farm with refreshingly honest accounts of the trials and tribulations of producing organic food, and the occasional rant about farming, ethics and business issues he feels strongly about.

“Guy will be joining our other keynote speakers on the Tuesday to discuss business, the economy and challenges faced by companies in the future. Over the years garden centres have become real community hubs, so we’re delighted that Guy will be sharing his ideas about how firms can become even more personal to the areas they serve.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The GCA’s annual conference will be held at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa in Blackburn, Lancashire from January 22 until 25, 2023 and places can be booked viawww.gca.org.uk.

The conference pages on the website will be updated with speaker announcements and full listings as the programme develops and exact timings are confirmed. There is also a dedicated email for any queries members, and those wishing to book for the event, may have: conference@gca.org.uk.

Guy Singh-Watson will be speaking to attendees on Tuesday, January 24.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.