Living Off The Farm

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Latest News - November 2010 (scroll down for earlier news items)

We had a successful pruning workshop last week, despite the rather damp weather! We learnt about tree planting techniques as well as pruning theory. Alverdiscott Farm has an old established orchard, a small area with 6 fruit trees planted about 4 years ago and a brand new orchard site planted last May. So we learnt how to do formative pruning on young trees to encourage them to grow into open, easily picked trees. We also learnt about restorative pruning and how to rejuvenate old trees that have not been pruned for a long time.

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Who we are

February 2010

This is an exciting project working closely with a landowner who has allowed the group to use 5 acres of land for the production of food, including livestock.

This group is looking for new volunteers to join the organisation so if you live in Torridge or North Devon and fancy growing vegies or looking after livestock in a farm environment then please contact them.

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July 2010

Since the Member’s Forum site visit, the same volunteers continue to work on site, and have attended a number of HogCO trainings. While small ads have been placed around town, and HogCO’s North Devon contacts have been encouraged to ‘spread the word’, the group have not had any enquiries for membership but could certainly do with some more people.

We are setting up 2 polytunnels - HogCo paid for one of the plastic covers and the group funded the other themselves. This has dramatically increased the growing area and season. Five piglets were recently slaughtered and veg continues to be harvested.

HogCO has organised a Theory and Practice on Pruning course for us, to be held this November.

nearly got a polytunnel!	one of our lovely pigs 2010
fig trees are tough!	the new polytunnel is finished
the new orchard	rejuvenating the old orchard