Posted on Sun, Mar 29, 2009
Yesterday the Second year Biodynamic Agriculture students graduated from Emerson College, it was a fabulous day with many promising ideas and thoughts coming from the ceremony. As well as being a humorous event with much laughter and sore mouths from grinning too much it was also an emotional farewell for many who were saying good-bye to the friends they had made while at the college.
Emerson has a funny effect on people in that way, it seems to create bonds between people that in many ways are quite different and who in other more 'normal' circumstances would not have the time or inclination to get to know one another. Something to do with the air and maybe the very laid back attitude at the college gives people the opportunity to engage with each other in an intense and open way and build on these relationships, it was quite lovely to see how Arjen (the course leader) and the students really have got to know each other so well over the time they have been here.
Farewell and good luck to them all in the various paths they are choosing to follow.
Part of the celebration included a bit of a party after the official ceremony, there was a great big fire (which was much needed on the rather cold and windy night), a whole Deer cooked in the ground and a great selection of meats from Tablehurst, not to mention the various salads, potluck dishes and desserts. Honestly you wouldn't expect anything else from a bunch of farmers though; it's how we like it, plenty of food and drink....
The fires I mention because this morning I found myself shovelling the embers and ash into a wheel barrow and carting them off to the recently planted onion sets. Wood ash has high level of potassium as well as other minerals which the vegetables seem to be fond of. I spread the ash mainly on the onions as I understand that they respond well to this.
The weather has been a little crazy recently, only a week ago we were basking in the hot 'summer like' sun, now we are back into the more autumnal weather patterns. Luckily as a weather forecast addict I can see when the changes are likely to happen, I had a real push on Wednesday to cultivate the bottom field in order to prepare the ground for a green manure mix of Chicory, Clover and grass which is meant to help and build the humus levels in the soil and improve the structure, it's based on the Clifton Park mix, established by pioneering farmers over 100 years ago, anything that stands such a test of time is sure to be a good thing.
The seeds that I had sown a couple of weeks ago are all popping up now, so I have to start to think more seriously about what is going to be planted where in the garden. Now the cold frames are finished this will provide me with a space to plant out the early herbs and hopefully provide the kitchen with parsley and coriander by the end of May.
Also this week was the first harvest of the Rhubarb; it really was a delight to be giving something back to the college at last after all the hours working in the garden over the winter. Cilla prepared us Rhubarb and Apple crumble, of which both fruits where from the college, yummy, Thanks Cilla.
Posted on Wed, Mar 18, 2009
So once again it has been very busy in the garden, still cleaning up and getting established for the coming season. We've had some good and bad news recently, the good news being that someone has donated enough money to buy a greenhouse, so now we're waiting to hear from the planners so we can start to move with the heart of the garden. The bad news is that sadly Kira has decided to go back to the states to work with her father on developing a sustainable community, she has contributed a lot of very good ideas and ideals which I'm sure will be applied to the running of the garden in the future. Good luck to her in the future and best wishes.
Yesterday was the first planting day we've had this year, I've been determined to take advantage of the good weather and start some early cultivation so i could get the onions and some late broad beans in the ground. The machinery had all be fixed by the first year biodynamic agriculture students and Richard Evans and things were in place. . . . . !
Once I'd overcome the usual problems of machinery not being what you wanted it to be and tractors not starting first time it all went rather smoothly, the ground has not been ploughed it was triple K'd (lifted) and then rotorvated and raked over to finish. I was happy with the results and I hope the seeds are too.
First thing yesterday I was out there with my broad beans selecting the varieties and the length of the beds, they all went in fine and I was happy with my spacing and the fact that I had sown on a fruit day according to the biodynamic calendar. Finishing this just in time for coffee I head up to Pixton house to get a cup of tea and my piece of cake for the day. I make a comment to Anne Marie, the long term gardener at the college, about planting beans on a fruit day and asking if it is OK to plant onion sets on that day too? She then corrects me and insists that it is a leaf day, I challenge the point and say that I had checked the biodynamic calender in the morning and it was surely a fruit day. Then I realise that it is better to respect the older wiser person and admit that maybe I had been looking at the wrong week.... whoops.
Well when I was sowing the beans I was so happy to be doing so and to have done it on the right day I was convinced that surely my intentions will have a greater influence over the beans than the planets? Or will they? Either way the onions went in on the right day and two beds have been planted....
The next big thing will be the potatoes and then I really will make sure I get the right day.