Farm to Furniture was a free, four-day furniture design workshop at the Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve. This brand new summer school was organised in collaboration with London-based art school STORE. Designer and material scientist Georgemma Hunt, and designer-builders, Flimsy, joined the students to experiment with materials made from wetland plants, and to design and prototype functional, playful furniture.

"In the Cambridgeshire Fens, where wild wetlands once supported rich biodiversity and stored carbon, the land has now been altered into a dry arable farm-scape." explains Georgemma.  "Draining the Fens causes the decomposition of 1-2cm of peat every year. This incredible carbon sink is being lost 10-20 times faster than it has historically been built up.

"Paludiculture (farming on wetter peaty soils) promises new hope. It balances the demands of modern agriculture with the need to reduce carbon emissions. Researchers are investigating several wetland crops that can be farmed on wet peat soils and used in novel applications across industries including textiles, construction and design.

We introduced the students to materials constructed from crops harvested at European paludiculture farms. These are plants that grow in wet peat, meaning the peat is protected from drying out, oxidising and contributing to climate change."

The students, aged 14-18, worked together to develop their concepts. They learned to use new tools, machinery, and how bio-based materials are driving landscape regeneration across farms in the Fens. 

“Before working with pre-made particle boards, we got hands-on with the production of our own,” explained Amy Grounsell, Architect, Flimsy Works. “Using fibres derived from locally grown sedge and reed, they learned to mix, pour and heat-compress the material into fibreboard, without the use of any glues as binders.  We experimented with different colours and configurations of wetland fibres. 

“The finished designs also featured coppiced willow which the students learned to debark. This was used as legs, footrests and backrests – both to protect the stools from the damp ground and to give each piece a distinctive character.”  

"It was such a pleasure to work on the 'Farm to Furniture' Summer School," said Georgemma. " Our young students were brilliant — so engaged, creative, and eager to get stuck in with material experimentation and furniture assembling! We loved seeing their ideas come to life, in the first furniture application of binderless wetland grass particleboard. Their impressive final pieces were exhibited at London Design Festival 2025!"

The stools will now tour with the Great Fen's Mobile Inspiration Hub. This tiny-house is made with paludiculture materials too, bringing the real-world application of paludi-products to you at agricultural shows.

"This event will forever be one of the highlights of Peatland Progress for me," said Lorna Parker, Great Fen Project Manager. "Watching the young people learn and thrive on the workshop and then share their achievement and sense of pride with an audience at the end was uplifting."

The summer school was delivered as part of Peatland Progress. Our thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support that enabled us to offer this incredible opportunity for free. 

We're currently in the planning stages for the 2026 summer school. Watch this space for more information coming soon!