School was never a very welcoming place. Being dyslexic, I found it very hard to meet the levels expected and I constantly felt that I was failing in education. One of the hardest things for me was knowing what I wanted to do, but never given the opportunity at school to achieve my potential.
‘‘Both companies are a combination of my dreams and a need to be closer to nature.’’
The Garden Army is a Community interest Company set up to support people of all ages who are living with health and wellbeing needs. We are supported by a group of volunteers drawn from the local community to help us create and maintain our vision. Which will ultimately be a beautiful therapeutic farm and kitchen garden for all.
Full Circle Farms are truly unique farm based in West Sussex , we produce amazing full flavour vegetables on small scale whilst never using a single drop of pesticide or herbicide. We also use these farms to educate people on where there food comes from and help people through horticultural therapy.
We grow people
I became self-employed early in my career, and from the very beginning I learnt a simple but powerful lesson do the best you can with whatever responsibility you’re given. I’ve never shied away from the less desirable jobs either the ones others might avoid. Those roles, often overlooked, gave me the widest exposure, the fastest learning curve, and ultimately shaped who I am today.
Commitment to a chosen path matters. For me, that’s always meant broadening my skills continuing to learn, staying flexible, and being willing to adapt when the work or the world changes. Flexibility isn’t a weakness it’s what keeps you relevant, employable, and able to build something that lasts.
I’ve spent the last 27 years working in farming and large-scale landscaping / Horticulture both as a tradesman and in management roles. I started my first business at 18 and spent the next four years building a successful garden maintenance company, The Naked Gardener. What began with mowing lawns quickly evolved into major landscaping projects, park builds, and bespoke treehouse construction. I found myself operating large 360-degree diggers, shaping land, building structures, and learning hands-on how spaces affect the people who use them.
That relationship between land and people has stayed with me ever since.
In recent years, my focus has shifted toward building something bigger than myself: Full Circle Farms and the not-for-profit The Garden Army CIC. Together, they form a closed-loop, regenerative system that turns food waste into compost, compost into food, and farms into places of opportunity, healing, and purpose.
But this work isn’t just about soil, crops, or infrastructure. It’s about people.
Through The Garden Army, we support young people who don’t thrive in traditional education, adults facing mental health challenges, and individuals who need a safe, meaningful space to rebuild confidence and skills. I’ve seen firsthand how “simple” farm jobs can be life-changing when someone finally realises they are capable, dependable, and trusted.
Online, you’ll find me described as a regenerative farmer, social entrepreneur, TED speaker, and founder. All of that is true but at heart, I’m still a tradesman who believes in hard work, practical skills, and doing right by the land and the people who depend on it.
I believe farming can restore ecosystems and communities. That businesses can be profitable and compassionate. And that when you give people responsibility, purpose, and trust, incredible things grow.
This is the work I’ve committed my life to and we’re only just getting started.
I’m proud (and a bit overwhelmed) to share that I’ve been named a South East Finalist in the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2025 for Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year.
School was never easy for me. Being dyslexic made it feel like I was always two steps behind, and for a long time I thought it was something that would hold me back. I left school believing I wasn’t “academic enough” to do anything big.
Tom Morphew | TED & TEDxBrighton
Farming is about a lot more than just making food. It’s about how we relate to the earth, to the environment and to each other. Through innovative farming practices and a focus on the life-improving benefits of farming, we can be better stewards of both natural and human resources.
Tom Morphew, founder of Full Circle Farms Sussex Ltd and The Garden Army CIC, has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year category for the South East.
