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Our Story
Jonty & Mel Brunyee - Farm Founders
Jonty grew up on the family farm in Nottinghamshire run by his grandfather, father and elder brother. He studied Rural Resource Management at Seale Hayne Agricultural College and Environmental Management in Sheffield before working as a farm adviser and consultant for 15 years. ​​He took the plunge as a 'new entrant' in 2004 taking on the tenancy at Conygree Farm vowing to do things a little differently.
He became a Nuffield Farming Scholar (studying sustainable business and regenerative farming) in 2015 and began lecturing at the Royal Agricultural University in nearby Cirencester. He left the RAU in 2019 to help launch FarmED, the Centre for Farm and Food education, in the Cotswolds. He led the team at FarmED until 2023, when he returned to Conygree to do more.
Mel managed Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s conservation grazing operation (sheep, cattle and ponies) for 12 years before marrying Jonty and moving to Conygree in 2012. She kept sheep and trained working border collies. Before this, she studied Environmental Science at UEA and worked for English Nature.
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​Mel is now enjoying working as assistant grower in the market garden, and helps to manage the conservation grazing on the farm and run the events business.​
The Brunyee family have worked the land in England since the 1600's. Their Dutch ancestors were originally drainage engineers and yeomen in Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire, before settling and becoming tenant farmers.
Jonty and Mel, and their 3 children, are proud to be another generation of food producers and land stewards. ​
