A Week in the Life of Shillingford: Tuesdays

So I've already told you what my first Tuesday was like...sorting onions, learning about how some of the produce is graded for the boxes into mini, small, medium, large. The second Tuesday I was, can you guess? sorting onions again! This is a job I enjoy, as it's pretty simple and you can work at a table, rather than in a crate, like with the carrots! 

The rest of Tuesday was spent winding wire in one of the fields with Wolfie. When the crops had been initially planted out, an electric wire fence had been put up all around, to keep animals out and give the crops a chance to grow. Now they had grown and most had started to be harvested, there was no need for the wire anymore so it was up to us to wind it all back up again, ready for another time. 

I was handed a large spool/bobbin and shown where to make a start. (One thing about the people here, they won't ever give you a job that they wouldn't do themselves). There's not much to say about winding wire, it's pretty easy, fiddly when it's been attached to wooden posts and you're trying to unwind it from the bottom up, and the more you wind, the heavier it gets. I decided to solve this problem by threading my scarf through the centre of the bobbin. This meant that I now only had to use my hands to wind it up, rather than hold it as well. Much easier! (Even Wolfie was mildly impressed, and these farmer guys don't get impressed by much!)

This kind of job makes you very aware that you are on your own and there are no distractions. I did see a few deer gallop away at one point which was amazing, but apart from that, it's just you, your feet and the wire. I ended up singing a lot of songs in my head! But it's great to be outside in the sunshine and fresh air, away from computers and phones and noise and just be doing a simple job, walking up and down the field. However, I was glad when Wolfie said it was time for lunch. As simple and pleasing as the job was, there's only so much you can do at a time before you fancy a change!

The following Tuesday was a bit different. By now the weather had started to change, and so instead of reporting at the Pack House at 7am, we were asked to start at 8am, which then changed to 8:30am as everything was frozen and there was nothing to pick! This time again, I started by sorting onions, (you can never have too many onions sorted!) and then Wolfie took Hannah and me to collect 3 blue crates of brussels. Ugh, as mentioned before, picking brussels isn't a simple job. It's not bad at all, but I'd say fiddly. When we'd done this, we went over to one of the other fields to get leeks.

Now, there is a method to picking leeks. The idea is to keep one hand clean so that the leek can go in the crate clean. So you pull it out with one hand, cut the roots off, cut the top off, making sure that the edges are nice, (you're aiming for a 'V' shape) and then you use the clean hand, (cutting hand) to remove a few outer layers. You also should cut the roots away from the other plants, so no soil falls on them. Basic things, but not something you'd always think about. And if you come across a lot of slimy ones, then you need to fork them all out of the ground. Now, I found this rather tricky for a number of reasons. First of all, most of the outer layers appeared to be frozen on, which made life tricky. I also didn't get the cutting of the roots quite right, and the edges kept ripping. Every now and then, I'd get a good one, which was encouraging. But as Wolfie said, when you start, you'll be rubbish, but by the end, you'll have got it. It's all about practice. And I suppose he was right. 

Although the clean effect was slightly ruined when Tilly decided to jump into the pick up with us, scrapping her claws over two crates to do so! Bad dog Tilly!!

We then went to harvest parsnips. This needed the use of the tractor and what I'll call the wiggly attachment. (I didn't find out the proper terminology). Basically, the attachment drags under the ground by about a foot or so, wiggling as the tractor moves down the field, and making it easier to get the parsnips out. As the ground was wet, after we dug them out, sorted them and twisted the tops off, we threw them into a row alongside where we were working. This meant that they could air dry a little, and then we could simply walk back up the field, collecting them in bags as we went, and stacking them on the tractor. This job required a lot of kneeling in the dirt and scrabbling, but it was a nice change to bending over all the time. Plus, there were a lot of strange parsnips! Many with three + legs, which we sadly had to reject. I wish I'd been able to take photos, but phones+gloves+mud don't mix well.

After this, we carried onto beetroots. At this point, Sharon had to go and insisted that I wear her massive coat on top of my own. I thought I was fine, but golly, I was cold! Her coat was a great help, so thank you Sharon! Since we started later and we were already by the beetroots, we decided to continue through lunch and stop then. This was the only problem for the Wwoofers about the changing hours: it meant that we didn't finish at 1pm anymore! The beetroots were ok to harvest, you simply put them out of the ground, slice of some of the top, leaving a tuft, and bag them up. You have to leave the tuft otherwise they would start to bleed, and that would be sad, (and also not great for the consumer). 

I lost count of how many bags we did, but there's a lot of judging size involved and we also pulled out the super big ones, as Godfrey suggested they could be sold for juicing, (an excellent idea!)

Now, with the weather getting worse, everything started to freeze up.....so when I went to take a shower...guess what? Yup, surprisingly, (or not), the water had frozen. Luckily, Martyn gave us the use of the shower in his house, which was more than adequate. (Hannah did make me laugh though...coming back from her shower she asked me, "Is it just Martyn, or do you all have carpet in your bathrooms?!" (She's from The Netherlands). I told her it was one of this country's little quirks, like having separate hot and cold water taps....no reason to it and not helpful at all!)

So there we are, Tuesdays covered! 

A Week in the Life of Shillingford: Mondays

Greetings!

So I feel like there is just so much to tell you about being here at Shillingford! I thought the best way is to take you through a week's routine here. Each day tends to have a particular role, and so, as the song goes, let's start at the very beginning...

So many carrots!

Monday: Mondays tend to be rather quiet, as there are only a few orders to do. Usually some of the more time-consuming jobs are done. I've had two Mondays here now. Both times, I've sorted carrots. These were picked earlier in the year and placed in large wooden crates in the 'fridge' in the barn. Both times, I and another Wwoofer, (Mel, then Hannah), have had to grade out the good carrots from the others. The reject list is as follows:

- too small or large

- twisted too much

- root fly has had a go

- mouldy or just not great!

cold!

The fridge room is pretty cold so it's important to have lots of layers, and a hat is always a good idea....here's me the first time: yeah, I'm pretty cold. Sometimes one of us will play music on our phones or chat, but it's a repetitive job. You do find yourself going into a bit of a trance as your hands and eyes work away, with your brain elsewhere! We fill up spare paper sacks and place them onto a fresh pallet, making sure that the bag openings are facing inwards, (this makes it much easier to transport). What is nice is that we will often get some of the birds hopping in to see what we're up to, either a cocky blackbird or a nosy robin. 

Other times, we will use the quiet time to wash crates with the pressure washer. As times like these, I am so glad I have decent waterproof trousers and jacket! And sorry to Mel for spraying in her face a few times! 

Basically, there are different sets of crates: blue, white, green, grey and black, (in order of size). Most of the picking is done in these measurements. I have no idea what each weighs, but the guys do, so no matter! Usually the order will be to go out and pick 5 crates of leeks, or about a green crate of brussels. Salads are usually picked using grey crates and the little black crates aren't used that much at the moment. During the week, these crates will get rather muddy and dirty, so when there's a chance, we clean them out. It's mainly the blue and white that get the most grubbiest, and there is a quiet satisfaction cleaning the red soil and mud from the white crates, ready to be stacked up for another week. (it's also a good way to clean your trousers too!)

The last Monday I was at Shillingford, We went to the top field to get kale, red cabbage, sprouts and cauliflowers. Caulies were few and far between as the frosts had been getting worse and so most veg stop growing or are spoilt. We were also picking black kale, which was fine, if a little sorry looking, but tastes just as great. The red cabbages are also doing well, all wrapped up for winter! 

Brussel sprout picking was memorable. First, you pull all the dead leaves from the stem, as high as possible. Then, because they grow in a spiral fashion, you have to get an "in", so find a weakly attached one, and go from there. Both hands are needed really for this job, so there's a grand sight of three of us, all bending over, hands working as quickly as possible. Now, being frozen means that you really have to snap these little guys off with force, and I was glad that I was wearing gardening gloves covered by my fingerless Thermalined wool pair. This made the job do-able! I asked Godfrey later why we don't sell them on the stalk, like a lot of other places do, (I think over the past few years, it has become rather fashionable) and got the answer I expected....the yield for us would be far smaller. Pretty obvious really. So, if your'e buying brussels this year, maybe don't get them on the stalk...as you'll be encouraging the farmer to use more land for the same crop and removing possible nutrients which could be put straight back into the soil in situ.

I found a chrysalis on one of the red cabbages so I
removed it carefully and placed it somewhere safe.

The first Monday also came with a surprise at the end of the day....Wolfie had caught a rabbit in one of the boxes and offered it to Mel and me for supper. So of course I said yes! (Follow the link for a picture of Wolfie skinning it) Now, time for the vegetarians to tune out....

Although I've eaten rabbit before, in Northern Italy, this was the first time I'd had to deal with one from scratch, so I headed straight to google. Wolfie had kindly left the kidneys and liver in, so I removed them, and then soaked the rabbit in some salt water for a few hours as I'd read this removes any "game-i-ness" from the animal. Then I roasted it in the oven, having slathered it in olive oil, garlic and dried herbs. Being unsure as to how long to cook it for, I did set the heat rather high, (I didn't want to poison Mel!) and so it did really rather quickly. If I were to cook it again, I wouldn't be afraid to cook it at a much lower heat, (around 170) for a bit longer, (hour and a half?). We grabbed a load of veg to go with it, my favourite being the carrots with honey, yum! I then fried up the liver and kidneys in a little oil and butter and had them seperately, while Mel winced in the corner. (I also saved a little of the liver for Tilly, which she was most happy about!) 

Rabbit is really tasty, a bit like chicken, but obviously more meaty. We also had it with salad, and about halfway through I noticed the irony of this....(salad...what rabbits eat?!)

What made me happiest about this meal was knowing that I was eating something that had been caught and killed that day, prepared and eaten all within a 10 metre zone. That's what it should be about in my book. It's local, it's fresh and it's (probably) organic. Oh, and it's humane. 

So, that's all for a Monday....next, Tuesday!

Wwoof and Twitter

Hello! I'm home (early) due to Wales being rather icy and snowy! I made the decision to just head straight home from Shillingford on Sunday, as it was starting to look as if I might not be able to get home at all!

Since returning home, there's been a large pile of post waiting for me. The first one I chose turned out to be the Winter newsletter of Wwoof UK. Yay! Imagine my surprise when I turned to  page 10, (an explanation about Twitter) and saw that my blog address has been tweeted about! Sadly, the address was wrong, so I"m making this post so if people follow the link from twitter they should get this post! Hello! Subscribe! I will add more posts soon!

This has got me thinking, maybe....well, maybe it's time to join Twitter....(gasp!) I know I've always said that it's a step too far, but like all things with power, it can be used for good. So, I've done it....and here is my profile....http://twitter.com/lizthelandgirl

I'm hoping this will help more people see what I'm up to and also for me to get in contact with more people. I'm going to keep it purely related to Wwoof and it also means I can update little bits and bobs more regularly. The slight trouble with blogging is that I want to have enough for a decent post, so I write it all down but never get around to writing it up! I'm hoping with my Twitter account I can get all the little things out there straight away!

We'll see how it goes!

Updates

Hey guys, I would love to update you but the Internet today is being slower than a very slow thing. Right now, I'm writing this via my phone which is fine, but not ideal! I still have so much to tell you but I'm going to let the Internet dictate that I have a nice relaxing night!
One thing before I go: we finally had SNOW! yay!

Weekend Fun

Hi everyone! I'm painfully aware that I have been a bad girl and not updated as I have been promising. The trouble is, I'm just having too much fun and so when I get some free time I don't want to be sitting tapping away at the laptop! I am making lots of notes as to what I've been doing, and I have loads of posts all written up to do, so they are there, waiting for me. But right now I'm focusing on being in the here and now, and so there's nothing to update as yet. I'm also taking loads of photos and they are something I can upload quickly and painlessly! So, keep checking the Picasa albums for new stuff. I'll try and comment on each photo as well to give you some info. 

A quick update though: the weather here is COLD but no snow! I did go to Dartmoor this weekend and it was beautiful!! I'll put the photos up for you to see. There were loads of families sledging and walkers walking! I did think the moors were rather similar to the Yorkshire moors.....but obviously with the added bonus of ponies!

So, I'm leaving Shillingford on Wednesday, (so soon!) and am, weather permitting, moving onto Wales. Yes, that place with all the snow at the moment! I shall try keep you updated and I will be going back over posts and updating them and adding more!

Enjoy the snow, if you have any!

My time so far at Shillingford

Hi everyone! Finally have got around to sitting down for more than five minutes in order to write something. I've been making loads of notes, so I'm not forgetting anything!

First, a bit of background information about Shillingford Organics:

"Shillingford Organic Vegetable Boxes began life in 1990 when Tim Deane set up Northwood Boxes, credited as the first box scheme in the country, supplying locally grown organic vegetables to friends and neighbours in the village of Christow. In 2000, Tim joined forces with Martyn, Northwood Barton Boxes was born and the business expanded into Exeter.

In 2004 Tim took on a role as part-time technical advisor for the Soil Association thus had less time for growing. At this point the business rebranded as Shillingford Organics. Tim still supplies many crops to the box scheme and the ethics and ideals behind Shillingford Organics are still based on those developed by Tim more than 15 years ago.

Vegetable Boxes - A vegetable box creates a direct relationship between us as growers and you as customers and encompasses more than just the aspect of trade. It gives us a predictable income, but also allows us to grow and sell our produce in a way that does not compromise organic principles and gives us the satisfaction of a sense of community and knowing that the crops we have cared for are going to good homes.

For you it means good fresh produce of a flavour which has been proved to encourage even children to eat vegetables. It also allows you some sense of connection with the source of your food, and the knowledge that you are not underwriting a wasteful and destructive system of transportation.

Once a week we deliver boxes of organics vegetables to designated collection points points in Exeter and the Teign Valley. Each box contains a selection of fresh vegetables, many picked that same day and which vary according to the season. There are a few staple vegetables that appear on a regular basis throughout the year, like potatoes, carrots and onions, but otherwise we try to offer a range and variety of produce to make cooking and eating a pleasurable experience."

There are many benefits to eating organic, and if you go here you can read Martyn Bragg's philosophy on organics, health, ecology, soil, sustainability, and lots more. 

Shillingford have only had Wwoofers since April this year, but so far they seem pleased with how it is going. Before arriving here, Martyn emailed me pictures of the pod I would be staying in....so so nice!

Here is the view from my pod, (Cedar) from when I arrived on the Monday:

View from my pod

My little wood burner
keeps me cosy on a night!

Isn't it amazing?! There is a compost toilet and shower room just a few metres down from the pods and it's really nice. The shower is very hot and it's great to be outside yet sheltered! The pods inside are beautiful too, and I'm a little in love with my wood burner! Wolfie dropped off a massive crate of old scrap wood near the pods so I have a ready supply! 

The first day I was here I was taken right up to the top field with Martyn Godfrey to get some cauliflowers. It was about 7:30am, it was very frosty, and I was so glad to be there as the views were stunning. (See here for the rest of my Shillingford photos!)

The rest of the day was spent sorting onions and unloading a trailer full of crates of squashes and pumpkins...oh, how my back hurt the next day!

I was then put on the job of grading butternut squashes into mini, small, medium and large. They all came with a weight guideline, though the pros tend to do it purely by sight and feel. Some are too small and some too large, and these get put aside either for composting or the staff! We also are checking all the time for signs of rotting or softening...usually at the top of the squash the stalk will show signs of softness. Sometimes it will be marked as well from where it has been laid on the ground, but it's checking whether that will affect the flesh inside. A lot of judgement goes into grading I tell you!

Tea break is at 10am so we all headed to the staff room for tea and loads of toast and chocolate spread! Everyone was really friendly to me, asking me lots of questions and making me feel very much at home.

Tea break over, I then went up to the other field on the back of the tractor with Godfrey and Wolfie to get some swedes. This meant a sharp knife! Basically, the idea is to work down the rows and put out the ones that look good: lob off the bottom part of the root and then the top stalk. Place it down betwen the rows and when enough have been done, get sacks and each gather a particular size, os, mini, small, medium or large. Then it's back to loading up the tractor and heading back. (This was a muddy job and I was glad of my waterproofs!)

That was my first day as Wwoofers only work til 1pm, but I can tell you, I was pretty tired having been on the go since 7am. It's already really interesting being part of a team and a larger scale operation that has to work to deadlines, yet the atmosphere and pace is great. 

There's already so much more to tell you, but that's all for now!

Hello from Shillingford!

Hi everyone, just a quick update tonight. Life here at Shillingford is great and I'm having a whale of a time. I still haven't found time to sit down and tap away at the laptop yet but I have planned to put aside most of Saturday to get everything written up and posted on here!

For now, you can look at the photos I've taken so far here. Some mornings have been truly beautiful and breathtaking. Exeter is a great place to be as it's near the coast, near the M5, access to most places and here at Shillingford, it's far away from the city enough to walk at night by the light of the moon alone. And the stars.....I've already seen a few shooting stars! It's really too hard to put into words just how amazing it is here, and I'm not going to try now because I won't do it justice!

In the last few days, I've been getting some email updates that I think might interest you. First of all, are you ready to join the Fish Fight with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall?

 HALF OF ALL FISH CAUGHT 

IN THE NORTH SEA ARE THROWN BACK OVERBOARD DEAD.

 TO HELP US STOP THIS INSANE WASTE SIGN UP

Join up on Facebook here, and read the Independent article here.

You can find out all about his experience, and how it has changed the way he thinks about fish, in the Channel 4 series, Hugh’s Fish Fight, to be broadcast in January 2011.The first element of the campaign – and the first area where we are looking for public support – is the issue of discards at sea. I would recommend signing up straight away and also to check out the website, as it is an issue that is rightly getting some attention.

The second email was to do with Nocton Dairies. Today, Nocton Dairies Ltd resubmitted a planning application for Western Europe’s first US-style ‘mega-dairy’. The new plans for this giant farm in Lincolnshire have yet to be officially released – but information Compassion in World Farming have obtained so far indicates that:

• Thousands of cows will still be kept in giant sheds, pushed to produce milk yields far beyond natural limits, and with little or no chance to graze on pasture.
• The farm’s backers have been keen to publicise a reduction in the number of cows to 3,700. But this is only half the story. Nocton Dairies still intends to build the farm up to over 8,000 cows. In effect, there has been no change in the ambitions for the scale of this intensive dairy since the original proposal was withdrawn in April.

Here is the website, Compassion in World Farming, who are a registered charity. This how they describe themselves:

"Compassion in World Farming was founded over 40 years ago in 1967 by a British farmer who became horrified by the development of modern, intensive factory farming.

Today we campaign peacefully to end all cruel factory farming practices. We believe that the biggest cause of cruelty on the planet deserves a focused, specialised approach – so we only work on farm animal welfare."

Again, follow the link above to see the website as there are a number of campaigns that all need your support. The customer is always right, and if enough people make a stand, change really is possible.

On a more positive note, my attention was directed to this article today, (with thanks to Mary!) Many of you will know of Lush, (usually because it smells so good as you walk by!) but some of you might not. This article is a pretty balanced one, (from what I can tell). It doesn't paint Lush as perfect, (they do use some preservatives in their products, though Constantine,  the founder, argues that this is far better than using a plastic bottle, which uses petroleum, more energy, byproducts, landfill) but is does show how a large and successful company doesn't have to be a bad one. Let's face it, Lush tries. And it tries hard. 

What was scary was this fact: "Not all green business are fortunate enough to control their own affairs. Among the many that have fallen prey to larger corporations, Bodyshop was bought for £652 million by French cosmetics giant L’Oreal in 2006, itself a third-owned by the world’s largest food group Nestlé."

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that Nestlé was a bit of a baddie. I know that at Edinburgh University, Nestlé products are not stocked. (A quick google search shows up some interesting things that company have done, baby milk formula anyone?) So, does this make shopping at Bodyshop still ok? I mean, it's not like the Bodyshop have changed what they believe in, but it's a scary thought that someone else now has power over them. 

This leads me back to one of my usual opinions: LOCAL IS GOOD. In anything: food, produce, education, community. If there's someone who makes gorgeous soaps nearby, then buy that. Yes, this might mean you have less stuff, (gasp! can you cope?!) but satisfaction levels will increase. And trust me, money can't buy that. However much you try.

Right, before I start to go off on one, I'm going to sign off. I hope that you follow some of the links here, and learn something new today! :)

Polytunnels

Friday was a wet wet day, so mainly did some planting out in the greenhouse, giving all of the veg a thorough water . I also tweaked the signs for the trees and later helped Barry fit his woodstove flue in his van. Hopefully this will take the bitterness out of winter! It's been made for him out of a empty gas canister turned upside down. It then has a opening and door and a space at the back to attach the flue. This then leads out of the van. It's been named Bender as the opening makes it look like the face of Bender from Futurama...(maybe). 

Anyway, recently the weather has been pretty blustery, and a large section has ripped in the polytunnel. Saturday remained dry so we headed up with rags and special adhesive tape to see what we could do. The rip was horizontal and between two supports. WIth Barry outside high up on a ladder and myself on the inside, we did a pretty nifty job. First was drying off the edges with rag number one, (semi-damp) followed by rag two, (much dryer). We then cut strips to stick on, using a section of carpet to use as a support on which to press the tape down onto, (on the other side). We managed to reach practically to the middle, and then the outside was reached with the use of a "jabby stick" with some tape attached to that. We have some skills I tell you! Sometimes it really is about being inventive and resourceful with what you have to hand.

After we had that, we started noticing more and more rips and tears so we continued to patch bits up. The south-end doors were also showing some gaps above the frame, so we cut some old carpet strips and I practised refining my hammer and nail skills, (to be improved, sadly!)

Now, I'm still not sure if I like polytunnels. For one thing, I just don't like large amounts of plastic, and I have an already existing love for glass of any type. So greenhouses are initially a winner for me. However, I have done some reading and I have come to a conclusion:

I have no conclusion! Basically, polytunnels are good. Here's a summary that seems to cover it from Self Sufficient:

Basically speaking a polytunnel is constructed from a metal framed semi-circular tunnel covered in hard wearing polythene with UV inhibitors to maximise its lifetime. Over 90% of light is transmitted through the polythene, and the light is diffused which prevents plants from shading one another. An enormous quantity of air is enclosed by a polytunnel and so it stays warm much longer than a greenhouse and also does not suffer from wild fluctuations in temperature in the summer. Inside a polytunnel it is possible to recreate amediterranean climate and therefore grow exotic fruits and vegetables in your own garden. If bubble insulation is used (i.e. recycled bubble wrap), it is possible to ensure a frost free winter and an even longer growing season. The bubble wrap and be removed in the spring and then reused the following winter.

Advantages of Polytunnels

One of the major advantages of the polytunnel is cost. For the price of very small good quality greenhouse, it is possible to buy a polytunnel of four or five times the size and therefore cultivate many more crops. Polytunnels are not as permanent as greenhouses and therefore can quite easily be moved around the garden as required. It is for example much easier to move the polytunnel than it is to remove and replace the soil within a greenhouse: essential if you do not want disease to build up when you grow the same crop for a few years in the same place.

There are of course disadvantages of polytunnels over greenhouses. Firstly a greenhouse is much more attractive than a giant tube of polythene. Secondly, a polytunnel really needs to be located in a sheltered spot out of the wind or you risk losing it and all of your crops in the event of a strong storm. Thirdly, a polytunnel is much more difficult (or expensive) to ventilate than a greenhouse, and so the levels of humidity inside can promote the proliferation of fungal diseases amongst your crops. Finally, a polytunnel is vulnerable to playing children, excited cats, and stray lawnmowers/strimmers. Once you have torn the polythene of a polytunnel, no amount of taping and fixing will hold the damaged area together for long.

Here is an article from The Independent discussing in 2006 the polytunnel debate, and here is a link to The Soil Association's green paper of 2010, discussing protected  cropping, (in a polytunnel or greenhouse). Here is a link to First Tunnels list of pros and cons for small scale constructions, more appropriate for back garden-ers. This website was set up to 'defend' polytunnels and their use by farmers. (Sorry, there's a lot of links today!) 

Basically, to summarise all of the above: 

• There have been objections in the recent years as to the unsightly problem of large commercial polytunnels being constructed near residential areas
• They are cheap and (mostly) easy to construct, recyclable but also can be delicate to tears and strong winds, and also the plastic does eventually break down
• They extend growing seasons and you can produce a wider varieties of crops

I initially started this post to talk about polytunnels vs. greenhouses, but really, at a small scale there isn't much in it, bar cost. On a larger production scale, I'd recommend reading the Soil Association green paper as it is recent and relevant, (sorry I can't summarise it here but I literally don't have time right now!)

I think that if you had to choose, think about what you want to produce, how much energy will be used in maintaining it, how can it be reused or recycled afterwards, and think organic and long term. Other than that, it's really your choice: let me know what you think!

Forest Gardens

Dear readers, there's just so so much to tell you all!

First of all, I shall get on with the last few days at Orcheton Quay. On Thursday, I was given the job of preparing the signs for the trees that will be going into the Forest Garden. John gave me the guideline of:

Name: - English

Latin

Type: Canopy/ Shrub layer/ Perennials/ Ground cover

Size: high and width

Sun preference (scale of 1-4)

Shade tolerance (scale of 1-4)

Ease of Management (1-4)

Fruiting: years until fruiting and annual yield

Uses

Secondary Uses

Any other information, (such as nitrogen fixers, used for dyeing, canes, coppicing etc)

I typed up about 70 of these perhaps, but it was just so interesting, (using Crawford's Forest Garden as a reference).

As it was preselected, all the trees and shrubs were varied and all had their own uses, some obvious, such as apples, walnuts, and others such as New Zealand Flax, (leaves used for ties) and coppiced Limes, (leaves for salad). These signs will be laminated, (they are about a B6) and they will be placed on wooden signposts in front of each tree as a guide.

The Forest Garden project is really interesting. I have mentioned it previously, and John has planned his following Crawford's book. I've been trying to explain the concept of a 'forest garden' to a few people, and the first chapter of 'Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops' sums it up perfectly:

"A forest garden is a garden modelled on the structure of young natural woodland, utilising plants of direct and indirect benefit to people- often edible plants. it may contain large trees, small trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, herbs, annuals, root crops and climbers, all planted in such a way as to maximise positive interactions and minimise negative interactions, with fertility maintained largely or wholly by the plants themselves.

The plants in a forest garden are mainly perennial, which gives the system its long-term nature, many of the plants used are multipurpose; they may have a main function or crop but will very often also have a number of other uses. Plants are also mixed to a large degree, so there are few large blocks or areas of a single species, and each species is grown close to many others in ways that are mutually beneficial.

A forest garden is in fact a carefully designed and maintained ecosystem of useful plants (and perhaps animals too). The self-fertilising nature comes from the use of nitrogen-fixing plants and other plants that are particularly good at raising nutrients from the subsoil, and from the very efficient nutrient cycling that develops in a forest-like system. the coil is maintained in peak condition by being covered by plants at most times, and garden health is boosted by the use of plants that attract predators of likely pests, and plants that reduce disease problems. Diversity is important too; high diversity almost always increases ecosystem health.

The term 'forest garden' may imply something large and extensive, which is not necessarily the case- forest gardens can be cultivated on any scale, from a small back garden to a field, or several fields. 'Woodland gardens' can be sometimes the same thing. Unfortunately, in our culture, 'forest' or 'woodland' implies a denser, darker collection of trees, which is not the case in a forest garden, as you'll see.

Although the history of forest gardens in the UK and North America is short- forest gardening in the UK has developed only in the last 25 years- there is a much longer history of two-storey systems of food productions: for example, plum orchards with rows of soft fruit between; hazelnut orchards with alleys of vegetables between; and undergrazed orchards using large fruit trees.

In many parts of the world, forest gardens are called home gardens, for they adjoin or surround people's homes. Scientists call these gardens 'multistrata systems'. there are thousands of square miles of such gardens, particularly in tropical Asia and Africa, Central America and temperate and subtropical China.

In Chinese forest gardens, high timber trees such as poplar and elm are usually intergrated with other crops- something that is less likely to be seen in the UK and North America, where the growing of timber has been 'professionalised' by foresters. Chickens and ducks are also often included in forest gardens in China, where these gardens have been found to have significant economic, social and ecological benefits."

M. Crawford,, (2010), Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops, Green Books, Devon, (Bulter, Tanner and Dennis)

ISBN: 97819000322621

(p.17-22)

Hope that helps?

Crawford then goes on to summarise the benefits of a Forest Garden: 

• "Working with the Land instead of against it: the further your agricultural or horticultural system is from woodland, the more energy it takes to maintain and the more disturbed and distant the system is from a long-term sustainable biological state. So arable fields or annually cultivated ground take the most energy; pasture less; orchard systems still less. Natural woodland takes no human energy to maintain- it looks after itself. Forest gardens lie between orchard systems and natural woodland, and form some of the lowest-energy-input systems from producing useful products.
• Low Maintenance and High Efficiency: The biological efficiency of any agricultural system is defined as the ratio of energy outputs over energy inputs; it is not the same as output or yield. Because forest gardens are low-input systems this makes them highly efficient. In terms of outputs, they range from low to high, depending on the design. Tree-based systems can certainly yield as much as arable fields- just look at an apple orchard.
• Wide Range of Products: e.g. "fruits, buts, seeds, vegetables, salad crops, herbs, spices, firewood, mushrooms grown on logs, poles and canes, tying materials, basketry materials, medicinal herbs, dye plants, soap plants, honey from bees, sap products, etc."
• High Nutritional Value: The more extensive and perennial nature of the root system of perennial plants must account for much of the benefit, for these plants can exploit the soil space more efficiently than annual plants and thus accumulate higher quantities of minerals.
• Resistance to Climate Extremes: ...The structure and diversity of a forest garden ensures good resilience, for example to the impacts of climate change- some of which will be more extreme weather conditions.
• Biologically Sustainable: The sustainability of forest gardens comes from their diversity and complex web of below- and above-ground interactions between species.
• Aesthetically Beautiful:...When you are in a forest garden it does not feel like a 'normal' cultivated garden- it feels somehow wilder, more jungle-like in places, less managed, less interfered with. In an age where so many people do not perceive themselves as living close to nature, forest gardens can reconnect them to an abundant nature in a way that visits to nature reserves cannot- for we are all participants in nature and consumers of the food and other materials that nature provides. 
• Environmentally Beneficial: ....They sequester carbon dioxide in the soil and in the woody biomass of the trees and shrubs. greenhouse gases are negligible. by keeping the soil covered and the soil structure in good condition, forest gardens are excellent at storing water after heavy rains and preventing flooding and erosion. They can shelter buildings, reducing energy use for heating. They are also excellent for wildlife...; the complex three dimensional structure and the diversity of plants, (whether native or non-native) provides many niches for insects and small animals.
• Commercial Potential: Most forest gardens in the world have a commercial element to them, even if it is just one or two crops from fruit trees."

Looking at this information, it does make sense if you have a back garden going spare, to try this approach. Less energy is required, and I think that simply makes sense when you work as closely to Nature as possible. Nature has an inexplicable urge to survive and continue despite what humans manage to do to it. If we want to grow things for ourselves from Nature, surely creating a setting that is as close to natural woodland is sensible and logical? 

Crawford goes on to point out some obvious things, such as this: 

The higher the diversity, the more resilient and productive the forest garden system usually is. The is because different species rarely share the same pests and diseases, and different species utilise different ecological niches, (e.g.g root and aerial space) to maximise the effective use of available resources.(p.27)

Now, as soon as you read that you think, well, duh! But it's one of those things that you realise you know but only after you've read it. Diversity, again, just makes sense!

Well, there you are: an introduction to Forest Gardens! Please follow this link to learn more about Robert Hart, the original UK forest gardener, now sadly passed away.

(Special thanks to Martin Crawford for permission to reproduce material from his book here)

Arrivals and Departures

Hi everyone! Though  I was sad to leave Orcheton Quay, (again) I was looking forward to moving on my journey to head to Exeter.I'm now here at Shillingford Organics. I arrived at lunchtime and have settled into my new accommodation and met some lovely people already, including Mel, the other Wwoofer here at the moment. I've already been shown the 5 polytunnels by Martyn and been told that it's possible I may become the new salad bag girl, (after Mel goes) which is interesting! I've also briefly discussed some Steiner with Iain, and bio-diversity, both of which I think are fascinating subjects. I've met Tilly the dog,  who is so adorable, and seen where the grading and sorting happens. 

I have both signal for my phone and wifi in the staff room so I'm all set to be updating my blog far more regularly for the rest of this month!

The hours here are 7am- 1pm, (gulp!) but it means I'll have plenty of free time to a) write the blog and b) go and do things and explore the area so I can have things to write about in said blog!

I'd love to write more now, but the potatoes are on the boil, the organic sausages need to be cooked and more chatting with Mel needs to be had so you'll have to wait til later for more info I'm afraid!

(Oh and by the way, my accommodation is TO DIE FOR! I've already got my little wood burner on the go, it is toasty warmies!- photos to follow!)

I shall be backtracking in the next few blogs so I include the last week of activities, which include polytunnels, forest gardens and I also want to write up on some articles I've been reading. Hope this sounds appealing! 

Oh, one more thing, please feel free to comment on each post, as I'd love to know what you all think of my escapades!