Terms & Conditions

The Agroforestry Research Trust

We aim to be polite and respectful in all our communications and we ask others to be the same when they contact us: any aggressive, rude  or otherwise unacceptable emails will not be answered.

The Trust was set up in 1992 as a registered charity, to conduct research into all aspects of temperate agroforestry. We undertake various research projects based on our land in South Devon.

We also:

  • Sell a variety of interesting, mostly edible plants including fruit trees and bushes, nut trees and edible perennials.
  • Sell a large range of seeds of useful plants.
  • Sell publications on aspects of agroforestry, forest gardening, fruits, nuts etc.
  • Run courses on agroforestry-based topics.
  • Undertake consultancy.

Privacy policy:

We may collect the following information about you:

  • name
  • contact information including physical address, telephone numbers, email address

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

  • Internal record keeping.
  • We may use the information to improve our products and services.
  • We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.
  • Share information with 3rd party delivery companies which could include Tuffnels, Parcel Force and Royal Mail to help ensure a timely and effective delivery.
  • Share email and name information with Mailchimp who process our email communications, in line with the Mailchimp privacy policy.

If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by letting us know using our Contact Us information, or by unsubscribing using the links at the bottom of our emails.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless required by law to do so.

We do not store credit card details nor do we share customer details with any 3rd parties.

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Delivery policy:

Delivery to your address is covered by our Delivery terms (see plants, seed and publications order forms for rates and details of where we deliver), despatch normally being by overnight carrier or or by post for smaller parcels. In all cases, carriage is at the Purchaser’s risk. The delivery amount is normally specified before you complete the order (except for overseas plant orders for which we will quote a price).
For most orders we aim to despatch within 5 working days. We will let you know immediately if delivery is likely to be beyond this timescale and you have the right to cancel the order for a full refund at this point.

Returns, refunds and cancellation policy

We believe that all goods are supplied in good conditions and of reliable quality. We will not be responsible for the health and welfare of plants after acceptance of delivery nor will we be responsible for the replacement of any plant which fails to grow due to unsuitable soil conditions, adverse weather, damage, neglect or any other cause beyond our control. Any failures of plants supplied dornmant in winter must be notified by the following 1st July at the very latest. Seeds despatched out of the UK are not guaranteed or refundable: although safe, many seeds are now treated as suspicious biological entities that can cause harm with a bare minimum of scientific evidence. Seeds are not listed as prohibited items in most cases but may require additional permission to enter other countries. The buyer is reponsible for checking seeds can be imported legally.

In the event of any error of ours in making up a consignment, please notify us immediately and confirm in writing within 7 days, when the matter will be put right either by a further despatch or by a refund of your payment. If you have any query or complaint about goods, let us know promptly, for we cannot be responsible for failures occurring weeks or months later, by which time so many circumstances beyond our control or knowledge are likely to have had a bearing on the matter.

Digital products: Once purchased, a refund cannot be made for digital publications or online courses.

Hybrid coursesOnce you have booked, you will have immediate access to the online parts of the course and this is non-refundable. The remainder of the course fee (£50) is covered by the returns policy below.

In the event of the Devon-based part of the course being cancelled by us (including because of Government covid restrictions) you will be completely refunded £50. We cannot be held responsible for any other fees or costs.

In the event of you cancelling your place on the Devon weekend part of the course:

  • prior to 8 weeks before the course you will get a £50 refund*;
  • 4-8 weeks before the course you will get a £25 refund*
  • less than 4 weeks before the course and you will not be due a refund .

*  refunds to non-UK bank accounts will incur a fee of £15.00 which we have to deduct from your refund.

If you wish to change your booking  dates for the Devon-based part of the course more than 8 weeks before the course dates, we will do our best to accommodate you but cannot guarantee availability for future dates. For less than 8 weeks before the dates, the refund policy above applies.

General Terms and Conditions

The placing of an order implies acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of trading explained below. All orders will be acknowledged – plant orders in detail on our plant order acknowledgement form which will confirm total cost and gives an estimate of delivery time (but please allow for weather and other happening beyond our control).

By placing an order you agree to receive occasional email communications. You can unsubscribe at any time to these by clicking here or via the ‘unsubscribe’ link in a campaign email.

Plants and other items will be packed carefully before despatch but customers are requested to note that our responsibility actually ends when parcels are handed to the carrier. This is because items are considered as sold when they leave our premises, even though we arrange carriage on customers’ behalf. Consequently, any claims arising from loss, delay or damage in transit must be made against the Carrier – but we can attend to this on customers’ behalf, though it is essential that any damage to or loss from a parcel must be notified within 3 days of arrival. Please note that while risk in the goods passes to the customer at the moment of despatch, title to the goods remains with the Agroforestry Research Trust (“The Trust”) until full payment has been received.

For the purpose of Section 12 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, The Trust shall transfer only such title or rights in respect of the goods as the Trust has and if the goods are purchased from a third party shall transfer only such title or rights as that party had and has transferred to the Trust.

All the plants and seeds in this catalogue/web site are offered subject to remaining unsold. If an item is sold out, we will not substitute another species or variety without customers’ instructions. The prices quoted are correct at the time of going to press / latest update, but we reserve the right to make adjustments as necessary. All prices quoted include VAT where applicable.

All customers are requested to enclose payment with order. Otherwise we will send an invoice and require payment before goods are despatched.

We intend and believe our Terms and Conditions of trading to be fair and reasonable, and nothing in the above purports to detract from the statutory rights or obligations of either buyer or seller.

Biosecurity policy

  • Plant inspections: we regularly inspect trees for pests and diseases 
  • Plant passports: We are certified to issue UK plant passports to certify that trees come from a disease-free area. We are inspected by Government plants inspectors twice yearly to maintain certification.
  • Comply with regulations: We comply with all government plant health regulations 
  • Pest risk analysis: Conduct a pest risk analysis to assess the level of risk and apply controls to mitigate them 
  • Minimise plant import risk: We do not import plants from outside of the UK to minimise any risk of introducing a new pest or disease.
  • Check plants on arrival: We check all plants that enter the nursery for pests before allowing them to move to other areas 
  • Monitor plants: We monitor plants regularly while they are in the nursery 
  • Check plants before dispatch: We check plants again before dispatching them to customers 
  • Staff training: we train staff to identify and be aware of pests and diseases


Contact information

Agroforestry Research Trust, 46 Hunters Moon, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6JT, U.K.
Phone/Fax: (++44) (0)1803 840776.
Email: please use contact form at https://www.agroforestry.co.uk/about_us/contact/Bio

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