Sunday, September 20, 2015

field kitchens through September and October - For dates 'accept' and request a calendar.



Field kitchens through September and October - For dates 'accept' and request a calendar.



A chance to discover more of our fresh sustainably grown veg and our session work with schools and groups.

For dates and times 'accept' and request a calendar. Theses are not events for the general public and  we work on an invite basis for this development work.


email Richenda at kitchen@communigrow.org

Wed 23rd September      16.00
Thurs 1st October             16.00
Tues 6th October               16.00
Friday 9th October            10.30 – 14.00 
Saturday 10th October    15.00 
Tuesday 13th October     14.00 – 16.00

We have our key field workers to talk to along with charity secretary to discuss support and donations
As for the food, it entirely speaks for itself. Seasonal, Fresh & grown/distributed with both environment and social care in mind throughout. 

These include the new Bradbourne Low Carbon, Wildlife habitat and study, our all weather classroom and inspiring social enterprise and development ….. and more that our field of 5 acre may provide such as craft and creative arts.

A reminder that we provide all our developing sessions for schools and groups entirely FREE OF CHARGE - it is our charitable purpose to provide such and all support for our essential funds is most welcome. see below.


As a charity you may help us via 


We desperately need your old seeds, pots and trays to plant up for this season. As you can imagine with that much ground to cover we need a lot!

You Donate direct via our Charities Aid Foundation page at: Communigrow donate HERE

Do not forget to complete the Gift Aid as this makes a huge difference.

Registered Charity Number 1159534 COMMUNIGROW

We aim to introduce 'themes' for events such as............
  • instant kitchen recipes - recipes to test and trial at our kitchens at the field to showcase our fab quality veg
  • Seasonality of vegetables production and how it creates natural opportunities for variation of diet and awareness of natural systems that may be taken away by imported goods. This naturally drifts into food miles and use of large volume - high carbon heated growing.
  • Mario's 'Language of Food'
  • Demonstrations in food and craft
  • social enterprise
  • Flowform water sculptures
  • appropriate technology
  • Bee and bee care
  • Wildlife habitat creation and study
  • our education strategy
  • development of our market garden and 'Larkfield and Ditton Local Food'








A few ideas for field kitchen menus, all using Communigrow produce:
Warm Salad of Squash and Mushrooms
Squash, Sweetcorn and Bean Soup
Carrot burgers
Tomato and tarragon soup
Spinach and feta wraps
Kale and gorgonzola with pasta
Courgette fritters
Squash/courgette curry
Rhubarb Drop scones
Squash and celery risotto

Panzanella – tomato and bread salad

Thursday, August 20, 2015

help plan a low carbon event for this autumn? I was thinking of something as a roadshow around the area on different dates using our barrow of veg



would anyone like to help plan a low carbon event for this autumn? I was thinking of something as a roadshow around the area on different dates using our barrow of veg as the theme for attention and our mass of pumpkin as food and recipes etc etc.
message if you may be interested.
sustainable living, community, etc
We are encouraging local, social enterprise
via our charity at Bradbourne Lane
which is a Kent Shed Project for Wellbeing.
We grow organic or better vegetables and craft
Lots of scope for Reducing carbon,
We are currently needing a part time grower for our field, voluntary and also welcome any educators who may like to hep us develop our free sessions for schools and group.
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Monday, July 13, 2015

News on our veg box, 'Barrows', stalls and also special events at the field for this week 13th July


News on our veg box, 'Barrows', stalls and also special events at the field for this week 13th July
View this email in your browser

Our start through food


From the start we've tried to explore new solutions to the lack of learning resources about food

With very little in the way of funds we've created a garden that may help feed 30 families for a good part of the year. With a little more support we can invest in new growing beds, fertility improvements like 'Green Manure' and a host of on the field resources such as hens and teaching beds. It is not as if we are short of space - with over 5 acres the field provides an excellent base for work experience in growing and in time a range of study and learning opportunities.

We are a dedicated and completely voluntary group of gardeners who share the desire to run a charity based on the growing of food, good fresh 'local' food all with the aim of learning, teaching and sharing. That is we wish to help people understand food and the entire system behind it from farm to supermarket shelf.

Part of our work will be to develop cookery skills in our field kitchen and offer a unique way to discover more about the food we grow through taste and nutrition.

We provide our Kent Shed project for Wellbing and sessions for schools and groups free of charge. We are currently only able to do this through the hard work and a few donations from a dedicated crew of local amateur gardeners who wish to share the joy of growing and good food.
Get in touch for more info.

This week we supply fresh from our field...


Spinach
Courgettes - round
Courgettes - long
Courgettes - Yellow

Red new potato - 'Belle de Fontenay' tasty - good all round use, boil, mash or fry
White new potato - 'Amandine' - good all round use, boil, mash or fry

Jerusalem Artichokes
Horseradish

Cucumber
Radish
salad leaf mixed
Green salad leaf

Green leaf Chicory

Kohlrabi

Dill in pots
Parsley in pots
Coriander bunch
Mint bunch
Rosemary bunch

Sunflowers - plants and flower heads
Tomato plants

Raspberries
Blackcurrants
Rhubarb

and more including
Jams ask for a full list of over 50 varieties
Chutneys
Honey from Yalding
Bees Wax candles

bread to order (saturdays only)

Coming soon, Tomatoes, eggs are back and Charlotte potatoes, onions and more

 

Improving health through fresh food

 

We have an invite for you


We welcome all our supporters to join us at some time for one of our 'kitchens' in the field, part of our work as a 'Kent Shed' for wellbeing.

In brief this is all about improving health through the experience of fresh food. It includes the delights of eating locally grown food along with learning and activity of growing.

All at the field with talks and discussion related to food and Low Carbon living.

The idea is to 'pick it - cook it - eat it' and was well received when we piloted the concept last year with pumpkin and courgette dishes to match the invention. We may only provide these sort of events to our supporters so they are by invitation only. For an invite simply express your interest by emailing 'events@communigrow.org' or call us on 07806 708 386
We welcome all our supporters to any of our events but please express your interest and we will let you know details in advance.
Our 'Barrow on the Green' every saturday from 12noon until 2pm and at the Brassey Centre from 10am until 12noon. Our veg is purely seasonal and we've now the start of the summer harvest and do have a few tasty veg like beans and spinach along with staple like our new potatoes, red or white, courgettes round or long, cucumber, salad, herbs and sunflowers. Raspberries are also producing. Order your delivery (suggested donation of £1 per item plus £1 for packing and dropping off - minimum £10) or pop round to the barrow for what you want.

Each week should bring something different from now until November - see below.

Part of our crew now includes an expert Jam and Chutney maker. Richenda has been making locally on Bradbourne Lane for many years. We also have honey from Yalding and beeswax products too.

Coming soon will be sourdough bread. If you would be interested in this please do get in touch by emailing bread@communigrow.org

Note that if you can't make it at 12noon to the green we do also go to the Brassey Centre in Alyesford at 10am and may add more venues through the summer as well as our barrow rounds through the neighbourhood.

Both our stall and barrow offer surplus plants. Get in touch if there may be something you need as our list this year is endless.


Thanks

We also have.....


60 metres blackcurrants
150 metres onions
90 metres leeks
60 metres parsnips
30 metres garlic
360 metres broad beans
60 metres spinach
60 metres salad
150metres carrots

4 patches of rhubarb
10 metres of globe artichoke and a few Jerusalem

We currently have cauliflower, kale and cabbage and horseradish along with more rhubarb for transplant

Also coming along are tomatoes, kale, peppers, herbs, cabbage and sweetcorn. Aubergine and much more.

This currently uses approximately 1/10th of our field. This year we had hoped for more but ill health and lack of funds makes it very hard for us to progress at the rate we would like.

However next year we'll be producing much more and much earlier. We'll also have even more variety along with craft areas producing cut flowers, hops, essences etc etc.

The addition of new wildlife habitat will also be a major boost to the area and to our resources for education.

To help us with our work biy our veg, it is a bargain. Donate at https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/communigrow or come along and lend a hand, we are all novices.


 
We also need your help as our funds are short for some pretty fundamental things like seeds.
 
For some time we've been growing and not replacing nutrients other than our famous nettle juice fertiliser for tomatoes. We now need to keep ground covered with 'Green Manures' - plants that give benefit to the soil structure and nutrients for future crops - and develop our sustainable methods. We need enough to cover the entire field in rotation over the coming year.
However we're short of funds that make any large order impossible and this is a serious problem for us. If you can help us raise £500 for this order you will directly ensure some of the most basic items for this coming year.
 
We ask all our supporters to give generously. £100 will boost the entire field, £50 will buy enough to sow several beds, £20 will contribute to one.
 
There are many ways to do this but the best is to do a bank transfer, ask Helen for details.
 
 
We may collect gift aid on all donations. Simply fill out a form for a bank transfer or click on gift aid at my donate.
 
Please let us know what you may pledge specifically to this campaign and we shall ensure the funds go directly to that.
 
Thanks in advance and we look forward to seeing all who can come to our events
 
Laurence


 

 

Our location


Access is onto the private estate so please do not enter uninvited or without appointment as you may be challenged - we cannot provide an 'open door' to the general public even though we may like to. We welcome all to join as a 'Friend' of the charity Communigrow to avoid all potential problems.

We prefer if you can walk or cycle to the plot

Exit A20 next to the KIA garage turning into Bradbourne Lane. Pass the Tandoori Palace on your right.
As you come down the hill there is a right hand turning into the East Malling Research Institute Grounds. Turn in here and follow the road (Red Line), over the small stream. Pass the cluster of offices on your left until you reach a small white house on your left and the entrance to the Communigrow field (Green triangle) is just past it on the left through the wide gate. 

Registered Charity Number 1159534 COMMUNIGROW