Sutton Community Farm and their work as a market garden

Here is a great blog on Sutton Community Farm and their work as a market garden.

http://www.localgreens.org.uk/posts/visit-sutton-community-farm-and-calabaza-may-1st

"They've been funded by Bioregional and other charities since the beginning, and their funding finishes September this year. So they've been working hard to increase their numbers and to make sure their expenditures are in line with their income."

And here are coldframes they built, largely from recycled timber.

Planning the future for East Malling CSA (Communigrow)

June will be the deciding time for the future of the plot and all things related to the co-operative. Having researched for 5 months and established the basis for the market garden with the support Joining Hands and the land allocated by East Malling Research it is now time to make a few decisive moves on the formation of the group that will run the project in the future.

Our timetable sets September for the registration of the Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, with the basis that it will have something to work with over the winter and into next season.

It will be known as the Communigrow Garden with an official title of East Malling CSA.

Produce will be sold direct to the residents of Ditton, the Mallings and surplus to local food distributors in Kent and beyond that via Food Access co-ops stalls in Greenwich. the intention is that as many people as possible may access the good food and produce we shall grow at the Park Farm site and perhaps more plots in future.

Membership is open to all. for a modest annual fee of £25 anyone can join to support our aims.

We would hope that subscription to our seasonal veg box will start later this year ready for the 2014 season. It will take this time to organise and create the foundations for growing enough to supply the demand.

For now we will be a Voluntary Unincorporated Association, and later register as either a 'Bona fide Co-operative' or 'Society for the Benefit of the Community' as a Industrial & Provident Society or 'IPS'. The difference between the two is who actually controls the workings of the co-op, the members or the community. The jury is still out on that one.

We need more for the core group so if you may be interested send me an email for a pack of information. There is no cost other than time right now, a meeting once in awhile, though we would hope all would become members.
Email me at:
communigrow@eggsfromscratch.com

a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of raised bed gardens

standard hugelkultur raised garden beds

narrower hugelkultur raised garden beds

peaked hugelkultur raised garden beds

hugelkultur raised garden beds with a stone border

hugelkultur raised garden beds with a log border

http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

A great idea that works........................ by paul wheaton

I have discovered that a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of raised bed gardens. They have seen the large flat gardens for years and are sure this is the way to do it. Some people are okay with raised beds that are three to six inches tall - they consider anything taller than that unsightly.
So this is gonna sound crazy, but I hope to convince you that the crazy-sounding stuff is worth it.
If you build your hugelkultur raised garden beds tall enough, you won't have to irrigate. At all (after the second year). No hoses. No drip system. Anything shorter won't require as much irrigation - so there is still some benefit. Imagine going on vacation in the summer without having to hire somebody to kill water your garden! As a further bonus, the flavor of everything you grow will be far better!
To go all summer long without a drop of rain, you need to build your hugelkultur raised bed gardens .... six feet tall. But they'll shrink! Mostly in the first month. Which is why I suggest you actually build them seven feet tall.
Hugelkultur raised garden beds can be built just two feet tall and will hold moisture for about three weeks. Not quite as good, but more within the comfort zone of many people - including urban neighbors.
Some people will start out with hugelkultur raised garden beds that are two and a half feet tall and plant only annuals. And each year they will build the size of the bed a foot. So that after a few years, they will have the bigger beds and the neighbors never really noticed. And if they've tasted what comes from it - they might be all for it without caring about the big mounds.

Thanks to Betsy we have enough leaky pipe for 5 beds

An essential tool, leaky pipe.

Thanks to Betsy we have enough for the first five beds so can irrigate without watering too many weeds and the piles of stones at the same time. Watering along the ridge makes a lot of sense.

Now I need some mulch, or manure, or both ideally. I've got some sheet mulch but need to bag up some stones to weigh it down as the wind wipes across the wield.

Good day yesterday though I spent most of the day messing about with carbs on the rotavators but at least it was successful. There is a therapy with mechanics but alas I am not sure that Zen and the art of rotavator maintenance would make a best seller.

Must listen to this weeks Gardeners Question time as it came from the conference centre at East Malling Research. Wonder if they have solutions to stones?

Latest idea is for a 'voluntary unincorporated association' to run things but as that may not provide the structure we need for the CSA I can't get excited about a short term fix for any reason other than to form a core group.

sodalite rock, not sure that would be found there & the raking is extreme

Good day yesterday will runner beans and peas now in. Desperate to get some salad and herbs and rocket as I realise they could make a return quite fast. I will need to devote the next sowing to those along with more carrots, beetroot and radish.

Finally got my replacement coil for the rotavator so can go back to building up beds but want to make a wire mesh rake for my draw plough and see if I can draw some of the stones to the end of the rows, the raking is extreme, there are so many stones and it is not an easy patch to work because of that. I calculated that the bed I raked yesterday has 1/3rd stone content, the heaps are huge and in total it will be tons of stones.

Mainly flint but i did find a bit of sodalite rock, not sure that would be found there.

 
pretty  stuff isn't it

Thanks for help with the porous pipe to lay on the ridges of the raised beds. I do still need more so if anyone can help with this or simple water timers please let me know................

if anyone can help with the cost of irrigation please let me know, we need about 5 of these urgently for the plot. I've checked and it is about the cheapest available. You can order direct and have it sent to me. Thanks

30m Metre POROUS SOAKER HOSE GARDEN IRRIGATION LAWN WATERING HIGH QUALITY

www.ebay.co.uk

30m Metre POROUS SOAKER HOSE GARDEN IRRIGATION LAWN WATERING HIGH QUALITY in Garden & Patio, Hand Tools & Equipment,