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effect, there has been no change in the ambitions for the scale of this intensive dairy since the original proposal was withdrawn in April.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)