May is always a busy time on the field, with work towards the new growing season well underway: the fields are ploughed, we’re busy spreading manure, preparing the ground and filling the propagation tunnel with plug plants.
The months between January and May represent a time when crop productivity is at its lowest in the UK, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as the 'hungry gap’. Last season’s crops have finished and produce which farmers store is also reaching the end of its shelf life. It has been too cold for many plants to grow out in the field, and what we’re planting now needs time to mature. British farmers have had very little to offer – unless they are using heated glass houses. All the more reason to be excited about the new season!At our 'spring into action’ volunteer planning meeting, we unveiled our crop plan for the season and discussed a busy work schedule that will take us through the year: planting, maintaining and harvesting our crops, which go straight into your boxes at home.
Our volunteer teams, who come on Tuesdays and Thursdays, have been busy learning how to sow various seeds and care for plants, how to make effective compost and the different processes that go towards soil preparation at this time of the year.
As the workload increases in June, we’ll be opening up our volunteering days so that people can lend a hand any weekday they are free. We’d love to have you as a volunteer, whether you’re a seasoned grower or have never sown a seed.
Our Community Farmer Days started on great form this April, with a people from Bath, Bristol and more locally helping us get our first planting of leeks, spring onions and shallots in the ground. We’ve got 12 more of these Saturdays planned throughout the summer, open to anyone who wants to get involved. We run a free minibus from Bristol and provide soup for lunch. These days are always popular, so please book early.
We’ve had our first session with groups of young people from the Prince’s Trust, who helped us put the finishing touches on our new polytunnel. The first 'Grow Well’ course, with a great group of learners from the Bristol Drugs Project, is also well underway. We’re looking forward to working with a whole host of other visiting groups, who come to the farm to learn about growing, make use of our yurt and enjoy our wonderful lakeside setting.
At the farm we have wide field margins and carefully managed hedgerows, leaving parts of the farm to do what nature intended. We’ve been planting and sowing flowers to tempt bees, and with our bird-watching and moth monitoring events, we’re getting to know the wildlife which relies on our farm as a habitat. It’s all part of our project to allow different plant and animal species to thrive, allowing us to farm in harmony with nature.
On 13 May forager, Martin Bailey, will be helping us search the farm for tasty edible plants while paying a healthy respect for the species that rely on them. There are just a few tickets left for this on 13 May.
https://www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk/events/upcoming
