help needed for our membership drive from January

An open invitation for anyone with time and energy to get involved in our membership scheme.

Costs may be covered for the right skills and ideas.

It would be building up a small team to work on local awareness.

Please get in touch if you have any ideas and energy to contribute, it is very important and usually really rewarding.

email emcsa@communigrow.org if you live in the area.

thanks

Laurence

Tuesday 3rd December - Stroud - Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) National Conference and Network Launch - Evening social at Stroud Brewery followed by 4th Dec Stroud Community Agriculture farm walk

• Celebrate the growth of CSA
• Learn from innovative on-the-ground solutions
• Be part of the launch of the new CSA Network
• Develop new regional support networks
• Workshops on governance, market collaboration, managing volunteers and setting up a CSA

CSA National Conference and Network Launch

03 December 2013 09:30 - 04 December 2013 14:00

The Subscription Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE

Evening social at Stroud Brewery with organic sourdough pizza

Wednesday 4 December 2013 9.30am - 2.00pm

Stroud Community Agriculture farm walk and lunch.

This national conference will bring together community supported agriculture (CSA) enterprises and practitioners from across the UK.

• Celebrate the growth of CSA
• Learn from innovative on-the-ground solutions
• Be part of the launch of the new CSA Network
• Develop new regional support networks
• Workshops on governance, market collaboration, managing volunteers and setting up a CSA

Please stay for the Tuesday evening when we will have a chance to relax and network over a beer and pizza at Stroud Brewery.
On Wednesday morning we will visit Stroud Community Agriculture with a farm walk led by Mark Harrison and a chance to ask more questions over lunch before we all head home.
Booking details to follow shortly.
Please contact Rachel Harries to hear news about the conference:

0117 987 4601

rharries@soilassociation.org

http://www.soilassociation.org/farmersgrowers/newsandevents/articleid/5621/csa-national-conference-and-network-launch

CSA National Conference and Network Launch

03 December 2013

The Subscription Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE

Evening social at Stroud Brewery with organic sourdough pizza

Wednesday 4 December 2013 9.30am - 2.00pm

Stroud Community Agriculture farm walk and lunch.

This national conference will bring together community supported agriculture (CSA) enterprises and practitioners from across the UK. Celebrate the growth of CSA Learn from innovative on-the-ground so..






http://www.stroudcommunityagriculture.org/about-sca

the Lost Science of Organic Cultivation, Lowimpact.org blog - revolutionary super-fast composting technique

Lowimpact.org blog - revolutionary super-fast composting technique

the Lost Science of Organic Cultivation, a book by
Albert Howard - a biologist who studied and taught at Wye College in Kent, and studied organics in India for 30 years

LILI: How does it work?

RH: There are two boxes - 'hot boxes' - sealed units, one of which is in use at any given time, and the other is closed and decomposing. You use box one for a week, then seal it and start using box two. When it's half full, you 'inoculate' it with a fork full of material from the first box. If you're starting the system from scratch, you go through the process twice before the really fast decomposition starts to kick in.

LILI: What's the secret?

RH: You select the right starting ingredients - which includes a little cow dung if available, although there are alternatives; you add the right amount of water, and monitor temperature and moisture content during the process. Then it's just a case of doing the right thing at the right time.

LILI: And what causes the fast decomposition?

RH: The real work is done by fungi. Fungi drink a lot of water, so you have to make sure the material is wet enough. If you get the ingredients, temperature and moisture content right, the fungi fructify on a massive scale.

......................................

LILI: What are the applications?

RH: Well it can be used to rapidly break down all human waste, garden, kitchen and animal wastes. It works well in the UK, and meets environmental and health regulations. There's a huge potential in developing countries, where often there is no sewage infrastructure in place.

sunflowers, soya and squids

News for September

Soya are looking good, edamame filling but long way off from picking.

To effectively harvest edamame the pods should be picked by hand and not by machine to avoid stems and leaves. Green soybeans in the pod are picked before they ripen in order to prepare edamame. The ends of the pod may be cut before boiling or steaming.
Then the pods are boiled in water, steamed or microwaved. The most common preparation uses salt for taste. The salt may either be dissolved in the boiling water before introducing the soybean pods, or it may be added after the pods have been cooked. Fresh edamame should be blanched first before being frozen



New beds for winter veg and green manures............. outside Emmas door

and a few sunflowers

Success. Finally found out we have some funds. Bit late for this autumn which is a real shame as we could have really got off the ground! Very sad for all involved.


Never mind, must move on from the let down and keep focused on the job in hand. After months of work and research into setting out a new structure without any funds to do anything I find my efforts in raising a few pounds were rewarded after all!

I wonder it they plan a woodland burial as an added extra for lifetime sales? - 'igrow', There is no limit to the number of allotments that you can rent

"Our allotments really exist and are available in the real and virtual worlds". One 6m² allotment - £125,

They are still 'at it', funny, that size is about the same as a grave, I wonder it they plan a woodland burial as an added extra for lifetime sales?

 

 the idea says ..................

"Our allotments really exist and are available in the real and virtual worlds. You decide on your plot, what you would like to grow and we will do all of the hard work for you."

Alas the virtual and their 'real' world is a bit limited for a 'social' project. I guess you could have rows of web cams installed on each plot so people can talk to each other over the web...... oh, that is the web................................................

"Each plot consists of eight allotments measuring 3mX2m. Each allotment will give you 8 rows of vegetables.

"Please hover the mouse over the plot where you would like your allotment to be planted. There is no limit to the number of allotments that you can rent. "

What do I get when I purchase an allotment?
We will provide you with an allotment for one year. During that year, we will:

♦ Prepare the land
♦ Install protective fencing
♦ Rotovate the soil
♦ Drill & Plant seeds
♦ Water & Weed
♦ Harvest when ready
♦ Upload photos to the online member' forum
♦ Deliver free to your door in the UK
♦ Offer an optional replant after harvest


Allotment Rental & Maintenance Prices
Rental & Maintenance
One 6m² allotment - £104.00 per year
Eight 6m² allotments - £811.00 per year

Seeds & Planting
One 6m² allotment - £21.00
Eight 6m² allotments - £168.00


We will harvest and deliver your produce free of charge in the UK

After harvest, you have the option to replant empty rows with other vegetables from the supplied list at a cost of
£3.00 per row.

He was on the Richard Read's (Innocent smoothie fame) show on the bbc

I think the term 'buy' is a touch misleading. But then so is the idea you may have much veg from a tiny plot.

 

http://www.abbeyparks.co.uk/allotments/

The Lexicon of Sustainability

The Lexicon of Sustainability™ is a crowd-sourced project, which means we rely on people like you, not only across the USA but around the world, to gather the sustainable ideas we’ll all need to build a more responsible future.

How can you help?

SUGGEST NEW TERMS FOR THE LEXICON

ADVISE US ON NEW PEOPLE AND PLACES TO INCLUDE

BRAINSTORM WITH US ON NEW WAYS TO DISPLAY OUR WORK

SPREAD THE WORD ONLINE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

We need your passion, energy, and inspiration.  Join us!

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.

Or write us at WORDS@LEXICONOFSUSTAINABILITY.COM.

- See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/join-us/#sthash.Cj73H8Eo.dpuf

WORDS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NEW IDEAS. THEY HAVE THE POWER TO ACTIVATE CHANGE AND TRANSFORM SOCIETIES. - See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/#sthash.rntqPXjF.dpuf

WORDS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NEW IDEAS. THEY HAVE THE POWER TO ACTIVATE CHANGE AND TRANSFORM SOCIETIES. - See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/#sthash.rntqPXjF.dpuf

WORDS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NEW IDEAS. THEY HAVE THE POWER TO ACTIVATE CHANGE AND TRANSFORM SOCIETIES. - See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/#sthash.rntqPXjF.dpuf

WORDS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NEW IDEAS. THEY HAVE THE POWER TO ACTIVATE CHANGE AND TRANSFORM SOCIETIES. - See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/#sthash.rntqPXjF.dpuf

The Lexicon of Sustainability™ is a crowd-sourced project, which means we rely on people like you, not only across the USA but around the world, to gather the sustainable ideas we’ll all need to build a more responsible future.

How can you help?

SUGGEST NEW TERMS FOR THE LEXICON

ADVISE US ON NEW PEOPLE AND PLACES TO INCLUDE

BRAINSTORM WITH US ON NEW WAYS TO DISPLAY OUR WORK

SPREAD THE WORD ONLINE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

We need your passion, energy, and inspiration.  Join us!

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.

Or write us at WORDS@LEXICONOFSUSTAINABILITY.COM.

- See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/join-us/#sthash.Cj73H8Eo.dpuf

http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/

I would very much like to be working on such a learning resource in the near future.

The Lexicon of Sustainability™ is a crowd-sourced project, which means we rely on people like you, not only across the USA but around the world, to gather the sustainable ideas we’ll all need to build a more responsible future.

How can you help?

SUGGEST NEW TERMS FOR THE LEXICON

ADVISE US ON NEW PEOPLE AND PLACES TO INCLUDE

BRAINSTORM WITH US ON NEW WAYS TO DISPLAY OUR WORK

SPREAD THE WORD ONLINE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

We need your passion, energy, and inspiration.  Join us!

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.

Or write us at WORDS@LEXICONOFSUSTAINABILITY.COM.

- See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/join-us/#sthash.Cj73H8Eo.dpuf

WORDS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NEW IDEAS. THEY HAVE THE POWER TO ACTIVATE CHANGE AND TRANSFORM SOCIETIES.

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For the past three years we have conversed with the foremost practitioners of sustainability in food and farming. They have shared their insights and experiences… and contributed their words to our rapidly growing Lexicon of Sustainability. To spread their knowledge our photography project has grown to include short films, study guides, traveling shows, a book and lastly a website where people can add their own terms to this ever-evolving lexicon.

- See more at: http://www.lexiconofsustainability.com/#sthash.rntqPXjF.dpuf

Saturday 19 th October at Tablehurst Farm, Forest Row, East Sussex - You are invited to the inaugural gathering of a regional CSA hub for the South of England

Southern Region CSA Hub Gathering

  
Just now it's all go for the Southern Region CSA Hub Gathering at Tablehurst Farm on Saturday, 19th October, from 11.30am to 4.30pm 

This is a very exciting time as the UK CSA movement takes wing with the creation of a national network to support and promote projects and new initiatives.  

The Southern hub gathering is a FREE EVENT similar to meetings held in other UK regions and is open to all CSAs in the South of England; London's community growing projects are also welcome to join us.

There is a flyer about the CSA hub gathering which can be downloaded from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4I_6cylrF4NT0luamItY18zam8/edit?usp=sharing  (Copy & paste in web browser)

Or, as you may have reached this blog via the flyer, there is also the programme for the day available as a download at https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4I_6cylrF4NNFg2b2VHM1cyZG8/edit?usp=sharing

Please use the Eventbrite online booking form. You can access the webpage at https://southerncsahub.eventbrite.co.uk/  Directions to Tablehurst Farm are on the webpage. Food can be purchased at the farm cafe (£3.50) and a barbeque meal (£7.50), with vegeterian options, is available too. 

Please contact the Organiser on the Eventbrite webpage with your food orders, thanks. 

There is more information on the CSA UK facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CSACommunityUK including a report on the recent Eastern Region CSA gathering at Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm.

Hope to see many of you at Tablehurst Farm on the 19th October!