Veg growing

The vegetable garden is a recent addition to the orchard, which already has many apple and other fruit trees together with a growing forest garden.  The area has since grown and developed incorporating various methods that work with nature.  

It is important to our ethos and wildlife that vegetables are grown with minimum impact on nature and we do not use any pesticides or artificial fertilisers. We disturb the ground as little as possible so the micro flora and fauna can do their job in the soil helping to enrich it

 However, the land of the orchard has been farmed in the past, which has impacted on the soil quality. Most annual vegetables like a well-cared for and fertile soil, which means adding in compost, manure and seaweed. We have also tried Hugel beds and are currently experimenting with a method called natural farming. But all our methods would come under the permaculture umbrella as they are methods aimed at sustaining a permanent culture of soil fertility and veg growing. 

For several years now we have been making our own compost. This was started by Jo Riley in 2022. We have several types of composting and Jo collects vegetable peelings and coffee grinds from restaurants around the town using an electric bike, which she brings to the orchard to be composted.  

There are many good reasons for growing vegetables. In the first instance they are fresher, more nutritious and tastier. The other health benefits are the physical activity of the work to produce them and the mental health benefits from being outside and productive. Growing vegetables also has far-reaching impacts, from resilience to climate change and community bonding, food security and working to support nature.

Large scale monoculture practices that feed most of the world are having a massive negative impact on the natural world, with the use of artificial fertilisers (NOX group more potent greenhouse gas and run off contamination and pest control (that kills more than just its targeted pest), massive swathes of arable agricultural land with few hedges and trees gives rise to soil erosion (soil is a finite resource ). The sheer scale of human agriculture has taken up land space that would have had a natural ecosystem, sustaining a healthy biodiversity. But there are a lot of people to feed. Large scale farming also relies heavily on fossil fuels for the farm work and for food distribution, which is a major contributor to climate change.  And monoculture crops are vulnerable to climate change; with droughts, too much rain, too hot, too cold and too windy, all able to devastate a harvest. Monoculture crops are also prone to more diseases, where as a mixed and diverse range of crops, vegetables, and fruits will help prevent plant diseases and pests by its biodiverse nature. A complex system of microorganisms, small and large insects, preying on each other, even wasps who take insects back to the hive to feed the queen. Companion planting can also help with pests and diseases. 

With human reliance on large scale farming practices our food supply is vulnerable to climate change. Growing small scale, such as: community gardens, forest gardens, allotments, land shares and small holdings, is a way of building in some food security. Having a diverse range of crops and forageables builds in some resilience to adverse weather conditions. Different plants do well in different conditions. 

Small scale farming, “natural methods”, can use less water than modern practices, and always having cover crops, trees and other plants, helps prevent soil erosion.  There is a quiet movement towards this type of food production, looking at best practices and practical growing, while considering the nature around you.

We have volunteer opportunities at the orchard, helping with the veg garden, with many tasks to keep the plants growing, from managing the compost, preparing ground, managing weeds and wildlife, planting and harvesting.  Any harvest is shared between volunteers. Last year we had a surplus of squashes and pumpkins which got used in cooking at the core for volunteer meals. We aim to increase our yield and have more to share and cook with. Cooking is another volunteer opportunity. There is also work in the orchard and wildlife areas. 

If you have any knowledge around this and would like to share it with us, we would love to know. Conversely, we aim to share our skills and knowledge so if you would like to learn, please come along.

If you would like to know any more about some of the specific points and issues raised, please find a few suggested links below. On the subject of growing veg, permaculture gardening etc.. there is a wealth of information, it’s a case of figuring out what you want to know.