February 2015 Issue Home Farmer

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THE MAGA ZINE FOR HOME GROWERS, MAKERS AND PRODUCERS

FE BRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 83

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W W W. H O M E FA R M E R .CO.U K

EDITORIAL

Hello

WELCOME W

elcome to the February issue of Home Farmer. In addition to our regular features, we have articles on growing mushrooms, Potato Days, getting the best deals on renewable energy, and gluten intolerance and gluten-free products – something which we are hearing about regularly from readers. We hope you enjoy these and all our other articles, and pick up a few useful tips too. I’ll be brief with the rest of my monthly monologue to let you carry on.

As a magazine dedicated to good, wholesome food, I couldn’t let something that happened this week go by without comment. At the launch of a recent report into rising demands on food banks, Baroness Anne Jenkin made comments which were reported as being along the lines of, “Let them eat porridge�. Of course, she didn’t actually say this, but rather that she had eaten porridge for breakfast that morning, which had cost her just 4p.

Now, I’m not in the habit of offering support to politicians, who all too often dig holes from which they cannot extricate themselves, but she did raise a relevant point – that people today just can’t cook, and, sadly, she is not incorrect.

However, when ready meals cost between 50p and £1, and often less than the ingredients required to cook the dish from scratch, what are hard up families with kids going to do? We know there is little actual goodness in many of these meals, and quite a lot that’s bad for you, but they are inexpensive to buy and probably very filling. In the 1950s, a family might have spent

RICHARD MANSFIELD-CLARK

Before discovering and perfecting growing mushrooms on a small scale and starting the Rustic Mushroom Company, Richard worked on the land, as both a farmer and estate manager.

up to 60% of its income on food (please don’t quote me on that figure), yet, now, that same family might spend only between 10% and 20% (again, don’t quote me). Had this major change in expenditure not occurred, many of our major corporations would probably not be in business today, as we would have no money left to spend!

However, the Baroness would probably have more credibility making her comments if her colleagues in the House of Lords, in which she is a life peer, had not spent ÂŁ260,000 on champagne since 2010, and recently refused to accept a cost-cutting exercise to merge catering arrangements with the House of Commons, as it “feared that the quality of champagne would not be as good if they chose a joint serviceâ€?.

If politicians could make one single collective New Year’s resolution, perhaps it might be to distinguish between what is legally wrong, and what is morally wrong, especially when the rest of us are constantly being asked to cut back!

PAUL MELNYCZUK Editor

Editor: Paul Melnyczuk paul homefarmer.co.uk

Subscription enquiries Tel: 01772 633444

Publisher: Ruth Tott ruth homefarmer.co.uk

Advertising Ring the Home Farmer team on: 01772 633444

CLAIRE WARING Editor of Bee Craft magazine and an active member of The British Beekeepers’ Association, Claire travels around the world championing the beekeeping cause and is the founder of Bees Abroad, a charity set up to help communities in developing countries to expand their own bee-keeping activities.

DAVID WINNARD David is never happier than when he has a camera in one hand and a foraging basket in the other.

He organises tours and workshops, including wildlife photography trips to the Hebrides. More information can be found on his website: www.discoverthewild.co.uk

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magazine is published by:

The Good Life Press Ltd., PO Box 536, Preston, PR2 9ZY Tel: 01772 633444 We welcome feedback and questions. Please email: ruth homefarmer.co.uk Home Farmer is copyright of The Good Life Press Ltd.

Contributors Andy McKee, Benjamin Crosby, Claire Waring, Dale Pinnock, Dave Hamilton, David Winnard, Dot Tyne, Elizabeth McCorquodale, Heidi M. Sands, John Butterworth, John Harrison, Jonathan Sheppard, Julian Turner, LizzieB, Mark Gatter, Mike Clark, Richard Barr, Richard Mansfield-Clark, Ruth Tott, Seren Evans-Charrington, Susan Williams, Terry Beebe.

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CON T EN TS

WHAT’S sINSIDE? ue contents Febr uary is

03 THE EDITOR’S BIT Paul ponders…

06 NEWS AND EVENTS Four pages of Home Farmer related news and events.

10 IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN John Harrison grows Jerusalem artichokes, battles snails and chits his spuds.

14 POTATO DAYS Julian Turner looks at how the East Anglia Potato Day came about, and what it achieves today.

16 TIPS FOR A PRODUCTIVE PLOT Nurseryman Jonathan Sheppard offers some plot-prepping guidance.

20 TUNNELLING A sad farewell to Mark and Andy, who guide us through February under plastic.

24 RAVISHING RASPBERRIES Elizabeth McCorquodale’s tips on growing and preparing delicious raspberries.

29 SEASONAL FORAGING Part two of David Winnard’s foraging epic sees him preparing teas, tinctures and syrups with last month’s finds.

34 THE LOW-IMPACT PLOT Benjamin Crosby prepares some no-dig beds for his sustainable acre.

38 PLANTS TO FEED GARDEN BIRDS Mike Clark considers the best garden plants for all your avian visitors.

42 CREATING A WILD FLOWER MEADOW Heidi M. Sands prepares a small wild flower meadow to attract wildlife.

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rs e f f O E r e d a Re laim youerrFsReEeds!

45

C f low p w i ld p ay p& wn Ju st ur o o y w Gro hro o ms mus

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61 BRITISH POULTRY BREEDS Terry Beebe looks at Old English Game fowl.

62 POLLINATORS Claire Waring’s final exploration of the secret lives of our nation’s wonderful pollinators.

68 SHOULD YOU GO GLUTEN-FREE? Dave Hamilton considers today’s growing, gluten-free product market.

72 LIZZIEB’S KITCHEN This month LizzieB visits the Midlands and prepares both new and old regional fare.

46 HOME-GROWN MUSHROOMS Richard Mansfield-Clark COVER STORY shares his many years of mushroom-growing experience.

76 FOOD AS MEDICINE Dale Pinnock, COVER STORY The Medicinal Chef, prepares three delicious, wholesome and healthy meals.

50 A SMALLHOLDER’S DIARY The Tynes separate the ewes from the rams and prepare for the Welsh Winter Fair.

81 CLASSIC MARMALADES Award-winning Seren COVER STORY Evans-Charrington’s guide to making marmalades.

56 COMMON-SENSE WINTER POULTRY KEEPING Terry Beebe explodes COVER STORY some myths and misunderstandings about your chickens’ winter needs.

85 HOME-MADE WINES Reader Susan Williams COVER STORY selects five ideal recipes for the wine-making novice’s first project.

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CRAFTY PAPER BOWLS Ruth Tott turns COVER STORY unwanted magazines into colourful bowls.

92 RENEWABLE ENERGY – WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU? Part one of an investigation

by John Butterworth into the home renewables market.

96 THE INCOMPETENT SMALLHOLDER Richard Barr wreaks some mower havoc.

98 SMALLHOLDER GROUP LISTINGS 99 NEXT MONTH

W W W. H O M E FA R M E R .CO.U K

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Subscribe SAVE AND GET A FREE COPY OF THE HERB & FLOWER COOKBOOK, WORTH £16.99, WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO HOME FARMER

“UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A HUGE RISE IN THOSE CHOOSING TO, OR INDEED HAVING TO, GIVE UP WHEAT AND GLUTEN” F E B R UA RY 2015

DAVE HAMILTON INVESTIGATES THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHOPPERS BUYING GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS PAGE 68

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HOME FARMER NEWS

MR. BLOOM SET TO GROW AT EDIBLE GARDEN SHOW CBEEBIES’ POPULAR, GREEN-FINGERED, Mr. Bloom from Mr. Bloom’s Nursery will be bringing all the fun of his fertile allotment to The Edible Garden Show – the UK’s only national event dedicated to ‘grow your own’. The happy-go-lucky singing gardener, played by Ben Faulks, will be popping into the awardwinning show’s Experts Theatre on Saturday, March 21 to inspire the ‘tiddlers’ with his high-energy show. The live action will feature a host of games and catchy songs to get the children inspired by gardening and nature. Other interactive sessions for children, where they can get their hands dirty, include learning how to create wooden badges, baking bread and making their own butter in the ‘Make it!’ area. They can even hold baby chicks in the

Chicken Coop, have a field day on the Village Green, meet the animals in the pop-up City Farm, or get creative in the Family Zone.

Ben is looking forward to this great opportunity for Mr. Bloom to engage directly with the audience at home. Show Director, Geraldine Reeve, commented: “In addition to providing expert advice and new ideas to both novices and seasoned growers, it is imperative that we start at the grass roots, providing interactive content for our younger visitors so they can find out about growing your own fruit and vegetables in a fun way.”

The Show, which boasts a brand-new sister event, Good Life Live, has something for all the family and is packed with notto-be-missed exhibits featuring a broad range of ‘grow your own’ products as well as outdoor

living activities and experiences.

In addition to famous chefs Rachel Green and Mark Lloyd, visitors will enjoy an incredible line-up of gardening experts, including James Wong, Pippa Greenwood and Paul Peacock, who will be providing new ideas to novice gardeners and seasoned growers alike.

Home Farmer will be there too, so come and say hello to us. To book your tickets, which give access to both The Edible Garden Show and Good Life Live, please call the ticket hotline on 0871 230 3451, or visit www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk, which contains up-to-date information about all the latest developments and additions to the event.

DRAB LANDSCAPE KILLING OFF BEES

‘VIRTUAL SOLAR’ SERVICE

I THINK WE all appreciate the damage done to pollinator populations by pesticides and fungicides, but the overall picture is always a little more complex.

Research by scientists in the Netherlands also lays blame on the reduction of wild flower grassland as a result of intensive agriculture and ever-greater urban sprawl.

The research compared populations of some 57 wild bee species together with trends in wild flower varieties through the analysis of pollen on bee

PANASONIC HAVE LAUNCHED a new platform for the UK, providing an innovative ‘virtual solar’ service for UK homeowners.

The platform brings solar to life by providing users with a clear estimate of how much of their day-to-day needs can be powered by a solar system, the financial earnings they can expect from Panasonic solar modules, and the investment required to ‘go solar’. The platform uses data from existing solar systems in the user’s neighbourhood. As a result, homeowners are empowered to make a decision to install solar based upon verified, communitysourced information, unlike any other platform available to the UK. The system has apparently been very popular in Germany,

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specimens going back to before 1950. Apparently, the UK has lost 97% of its grassland areas, where many of these wild flowers would traditionally have grown since the 1930s, and as bees rely on flowers, and flowers rely on bees, the cycle has gained momentum. Two species have become extinct in the UK – Cullem’s bumblebee and the shorthaired bumblebee, both still found in Continental Europe – and other species, including the great yellow bumblebee and the shrill carder bee, are at great risk.

The consequences of further losses to bee populations will inevitably be greater food prices, as alternative methods of pollination will prove costly, but you could begin the long fight back by taking up the free offer of wild flower seeds from Mr. Fothergill’s on page 45, and by reading Heidi M. Sands’ article on creating a wild flower meadow on page 42.

which leads the solar power revolution in Europe, with many towns likely to go completely offgrid within a decade. Visit https:// panasonic.generaytor.com/ for more information, but also read part one of John Butterworth’s two-part series examining renewable energy, beginning on page 92 of this month’s Home Farmer.

W W W. H O M E FA R M E R .CO.U K

WILDLIFE CRIME FINDS ONLINE OUTLETS RECENTLY, PRINCE WILLIAM spoke out about the problem of wildlife crime. Sadly, much of the world’s endangered wildlife is on offer online, with everything from live tigers and chimpanzees to hummingbirds and parrots all readily available. Animal products, too, are plentiful, with ivory dominant, and there are also polar bear rugs, snow leopards’ teeth and even a cup made from a rhino’s horn retailing for £55,000. These, and many other horrific postings, were recently made public in the most farreaching survey to date on the sinister matter of online trade in protected animals.

The research was done by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), with the support of enforcement experts, and focused on trade in 16 target countries over a 6-week period in 2014. Over 33,000 supposedly protected items, ranging from live animals to animal products totalling almost £6.5 million were found, and many are now under investigation.

Russia and the Ukraine had the most sites offering larger live animals, with chimpanzees, tigers, crocodiles and Asian black bears all readily available, and 80% of items offered for sale on Chinese

VETS’ SUPPORT FOR CULL SLIPPING

sites were ivory, but there were also rhino products and even a tiger bone wine for sale.

Wildlife crime is believed to be worth almost £11.5 billion a year and is apparently the fourth most lucrative illegal venture after drugs, counterfeiting and

human trafficking. Sadly, the UK had the fourth highest number of online ads after China, Germany and France, and items on offer included birds of prey, monkeys and a hyacinth macaw for sale for £15,000. Earlier this year the UK hosted the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference, which brought together 41 governments and agreed on a number of practical steps to stem the trade. A key recommendation of the IFAW report is to appoint wildlife cybercrime officers, and the UK did have such a post. Sadly, it was lost due to budget cuts, and the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit only has funding until 2016.

POLICY MISUNDERSTOOD, ACCORDING TO PREMIER FOODS MANY READERS MIGHT think this is going to be a piece sympathising with ‘hard done’ suppliers to ailing food business, Premier Foods, and indeed they do have my sympathy as a result of this latest altercation with a powerful company flexing its commercial muscle. However, many magazine publishers must have asked themselves just what all the fuss and surprise was about.

The country’s largest retailers

F E B R UA RY 2015

have long demanded cash from magazine publishers and many other producers to gain access to their shelves.

This makes a presence on the most frequently browsed retail platforms virtually impossible for many independent smaller publishers, and guarantees that only a small handful of very large corporate publishers will have their newest titles visible in the nation’s most popular

outlets. Is this the same as the Premier Foods situation? I really don’t know – I’m sure a barrister would argue convincingly that it is not. There again, as Premier Foods have said, it was all actually just ‘a misunderstanding’.

According to leaked minutes from a meeting of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Ethics and Welfare Group, further support for the badger cull may be in question. At different times in the past the BVA has distanced itself from the policy, but then returned to the fold to support the policy. However, a failure

by Defra to supply updates on the implementation of recommendations by independent experts, and the non-publication of any information on the second year of pilot culls, is causing concern.

It was the government’s refusal to allow experts to oversee the second year of culling after its own panel had criticised the 2013 culls on effectiveness and humaneness grounds that brought about an earlier distancing of the BVA from government policy. With the latest figures showing reductions of bovine TB in areas outside the cull, and a suggestion by the government’s chief scientific advisor at Defra that only 6% of cases are caused by badgers – he in fact stated that cattle, not badgers, are the key cause of the spread – the debate is likely to be very lively when the government announces its plans for the next stage of its programme. Even BVA President, John Blackwell, so far a loyal supporter, has told the government that BVA support should not be taken for granted, and urged early publication of the missing data.

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HOME FARMER NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF SEAWEED A British seaweed extract with crop-boosting properties is grabbing the interest of the food science and farming sectors. Made by Chase Organics, producers of The Organic Gardening Catalogue (www. organiccatalogue.com), enquiries for the extract, SM6, are pouring in from all corners of the world, including from Canadian marijuana farms.

‘A’ RATING Just four countries – New Zealand, the UK, Switzerland and Austria – are deemed worthy of the highest ‘A’ rating in the Animal Protection Index issued by the UK-based World Animal Protection (WAP) organisation.

Rankings are based on indicators relating to farm animals, animals in captivity, pets, and animals used in scientific research.

THE WORLD BANK TO FOCUS ON ‘CLEAN’ ENERGY FOLLOWING IN THE footsteps of many other organisations, The World Bank has become the latest to focus its resources on what President, Jim Yong Kim describes as, “renewable and cleaner forms of energy”. In past years, The World Bank has faced considerable criticism for its investments in fossil fuels, with allegations that it was actually contributing to the problem of climate change, but its new stance is attributed to a realisation that climate change will undermine efforts to eliminate extreme poverty. Jim Yong Kim said that he had been alarmed by research commissioned by The World Bank, which painted a picture of increased risk and instability, with declining crop yields, communicable disease moving

into new geographical zones, rising sea levels and the likely increasing regularity of what might once have been regarded as once-in-acentury extremes of weather. He also cited the Bank’s finding that an increase of just 2°C could bring about a 50–70% drop in soya and wheat harvests in Brazil.

The main sector that will no

longer receive funding, except in “circumstances of extreme need”, is the coal industry, and extreme need is described as meaning “that there are no other base load power sources available at a reasonable price” in the case of the poorest countries. The World Bank will, however, continue to invest in future funding for oil and other fossil fuel projects – to exclude these would presumably be political dynamite, given the vested interests of many of the richest and most influential countries. Stephen Kretzmann, Executive Director of Oil Change International, said: “The Bank has taken an important first step in essentially stopping its support for coal-fired power plants, but climate change is caused by more than just coal.”

Gannet (Morus bassanus).

Photo © Andy Hay (rspb-images.com).

MED DIET Eating a Mediterranean diet could reduce cellular ageing and enable longer life. Researchers in the US found those who stuck to a diet based on oily fish, poultry, fresh fruit and vegetables showed fewer signs of ageing in their cells.

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CUTBACKS

SOLAR POWER

RED LIGHT BLINKING FOR NATURE

Britain’s solar power will be cheaper than gas by 2018, according to an industry analysis from the Solar Trade Association. It says that as long as government provides stable policy support, it will be cheaper to generate electricity from solar than by burning gas in as little as three years’ time.

DEFRA’S LATEST SET of UK Biodiversity Indicators reveal a bleak prospect for wild bird species, with seabirds, wetland birds and farmland birds all hit hard, with continuing declines over the last 5 years.

The prospect for insects and bats was marginally better, with no actual decline over the same period. RSPB Conservation Director, Martin Harper, suggested that whichever political party is in power after the general election in May, funding for conservation and environment measures should be maintained. Warning of the prospect of more dramatic and wide-ranging cuts to government spending, he called for the introduction of a legal duty to restore nature through new legislation – a Nature and Wellbeing Act.

IN SPITE OF the recent outbreak of avian flu in Yorkshire and the ongoing problem of TB in cattle, the government is apparently considering making cuts to farm health and welfare inspections.

The proposals are said to come from a Cabinet initiative known as the Red Tape Challenge, and areas under consideration include honeybee health, intensive pig and poultry production, animal poisoning, and certification for both seeds and free-range eggs.

For example, the suggestion is made that surveillance for avian flu might be shifted from the farm to the slaughterhouse – this would apparently result in 349 fewer farm visits, but at what potential cost?

W W W. H O M E FA R M E R .CO.U K

POTATO DAYS ARE HERE AG AIN!

POTATO DAYS HERE ARE JUST some of the potato and seed swop days in February.

A comprehensive list covering events in February and March is at: http://homefarmer.co.uk/potato-days/.

PLEASE NOTE We have provided all the information available at the time of going to press. Some organisers haven’t posted specific information regarding their event, or details of admission fee (if applicable).

DIARY DATES SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY & SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY HAMPSHIRE POTATO DAYS Testbourne Community Centre, Micheldever Road, Whitchurch, RG28 7JF 10.00am–3.00pm Approx. 100 varieties, and onion sets

SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY BRIGHTON SEEDY SUNDAY The Corn Exchange, Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UG 10.00am–4.30pm

THURSDAY 5TH FEBRUARY CHIPPENHAM POTATO DAY St Peter’s Church Hall, Lords Mead, Chippenham, SN14 0LL 4.00pm–7.30pm Organised by Chippenham Garden and Allotment Society Admission: Free

SATURDAY 7TH FEBRUARY SHROPSHIRE POTATO DAY Montford Village Hall, Montford, Shrewsbury, SY4 1AD 9.00am–3.00pm Shropshire Organic Gardeners www.shropshireorganicgardeners.org.uk Approx. 50 varieties DRIMPTON POTATO DAY Drimpton Village Hall, Drimpton, Nr. Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3RF 10.00am–2.00pm Organised by Clapton & Wayford Horticultural Society Approx. 80 varieties Admission: £1.00

SUNDAY 8TH FEBRUARY FROME POTATO DAY & SEED SWOP Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Justice Lane, Frome, BA11 1BE 10.00am–3.00pm Admission: Free MARPLE POTATO DAY Senior Citizens Hall, Memorial Park, Marple, SK6 6BA 10.00am–3.00pm

F E B R UA RY 2015

Organised by Marple & District Allotment Association www.marpleallotments.org.uk 90+ varieties

SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY CODFORD POTATO DAY Codford Village Hall, Codford, Warminster, BA12 0LD 10.00am–2.00pm Organised by Codford Horticultural Society EAST ANGLIA POTATO DAY Mid-Suffolk Showground, Stonham Barns, Pettaugh Road, Stonham Aspal, Nr. Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 6AT 9.30am–1.30pm Organised by Norfolk Organic Group, Suffolk Organic Gardeners Group and Ipswich Organic Gardeners Group www.eapd.btck.co.uk See page 14 for more details of this event and a fascinating account of how it all came about almost twenty years ago.

MOLD POTATO DAY Church Hall, King Street, Mold, CH7 1LA 9.00am–1.00pm Organised by The North Wales Group of Plant Heritage (NCCPG) WEST YORKSHIRE POTATO DAY Shipley Colleges, Exhibition Road, Saltaire 10.00am–2.00pm Organised by West Yorkshire Organic Group Admission: Free

SUNDAY 15TH FEBRUARY DULVERTON POTATO DAY All Saints Church of England School, Fishers Mead, Dulverton, Somerset, TA22 9EN 11.00am–3.00pm Admission: Free

FRIDAY 20TH FEBRUARY & SATURDAY 21ST FEBRUARY RHS POTATO DAY AND PLANT FAIR RHS Lindley Hall, 80 Vincent Square, Westminster, SW1P 2PE Booking available in advance at www.rhs.org.uk Cafe, refreshments and plant sales www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-london-shows Admission: Free to RHS members; fee applies to non-members

SATURDAY 21ST FEBRUARY SOUTH EAST ESSEX POTATO DAY Growing Together, 47 Fairfax Drive, Southend-on-Sea, SS0 9AG (corner of Fairfax Drive and Prittlewell Chase) 10.00am–2.00pm Organised by SE Essex Organic Gardeners/ Trust Links Approx. 40 varieties Admission: Free

SUNDAY 22ND FEBRUARY CALDBECK POTATO DAY Caldbeck Village Hall, Caldbeck, Cumbria 10.00am–3.00pm Organised by Caldbeck Gardening Group SOMERSET POTATO DAY Caryford Community Hall, Maggs Lane, Ansford, Castle Cary, BA7 7JJ 11.00am–2.00pm Admission: Free

SATURDAY 28TH FEBRUARY CALDER VALLEY POTATO DAY Church of the Good Shepherd, Royal Fold, New Road, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, HX7 5DZ 10.00am–3.00pm Organised by Calder Valley Organic Gardeners Admission: £1.00 CREWE POTATO DAY Crosville Social Working Men’s Club, Chester Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2LB 10.00am–3.00pm MAIDEN NEWTON POTATO DAY Village Hall, Station Road, Maiden Newton, DT2 0AE 10.00am–2.00pm Admission: Free

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IN T HE K ITCHEN G ARDEN

ON aTHE PLOT ! y r a u r b e F s u o l bu F

John Harrison grows Jerusalem artichokes, battles snails, warns about the looming potato deadline and shows how a hefty stick can help

W

hen I hear someone talking about the ‘British’ climate on the radio or TV, I tend to start muttering, or even shouting, at the box – don’t worry, I’ll keep on taking the medication!

You just can’t predict our weather, though, and it varies so much across the land that talking about a ‘British’ climate hardly makes sense.

February is the perfect example; traditionally known as ‘February fill-dyke’, it can be a wet month, but it can also be frozen and snowbound, or even sunny and an early precursor of spring… or even all three in the same month… or week! But whatever nature might throw at us, no doubt we will still be sowing and hoeing soon enough.

An important job for February is to check over and repair any damage to greenhouses and polytunnels. Doing repairs can be a real chore in the middle of a freezing winter, but an early touch of spring in February is the perfect time for replacing any cracked panes and taping up any rips in the tunnel.

Getting these jobs done now will pay dividends when the serious winds begin to blow in March and threaten to bring your structures down. It’s especially important for polytunnels, as a small tear can open up overnight in even a moderate wind, but if you get it done now, your polytunnel will be right for the rest of the season.

A LAST CHANCE FOR POTATOES

Above: Chitting will give your spuds the best start in life once they are planted out.

Right: Check the polytunnel fabric thoroughly and seal any tears both inside and outside.

REDUCING THE SNAIL POPULATION If you leave some pots upside down, slightly propped on one side so there’s a gap to the ground, the local snails will make it their home and shelter there from the weather. I found this out by accident when I lifted up a pot I’d left out, and it was absolutely full of snails clinging to the sides. How you then dispose of them is entirely up to you. I fed them to the ducks – turning unwanted snails into duck eggs seems like a good deal to me.

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If you’ve not got your seed potatoes yet, get a move on before the varieties you want are gone.

This will give you a chance to chit them, which is simply the jargon for letting them start producing their shoots before you plant them out. There’s no real mystery about chitting: just put them in seed trays or even egg boxes with the eyes (the growing points for the shoots) facing upwards. Keep them in a light place (but out of direct sunlight) that is cool but frost free, and where they’ll develop thick, green shoots to get them off to a really good start when you eventually plant them out in March.

I always use a spare bedroom with the radiator switched off.

If you’re interested in getting some traditional varieties of potato, it’s the time for Potato Days in January and February, so get going. There’s a list of all the February events on page 9 of this issue, and a list of all the January events on the same page of last month’s magazine. Also, on page 14 of this month’s magazine, there’s a feature about one of the nation’s larger events

W W W. H O M E FA R M E R .CO.U K

“…IF YOU MISS A JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE TUBER IT WILL GROW LIKE A VOLUNTEER POTATO”

F E B R UA RY 2015

Fact!

February, tr adit as ‘February ionally known fil a wet mon l-dyke’, can be th, but it ca n also be frozen, o r sunny, or even all thre e!

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IN T HE K ITCHEN G ARDEN

OTHER THINGS TO SOW ❋ Sow bulb onion seed this month under heat: 15°C is just about right.

Then, once they’ve germinated, move them to the greenhouse or a good cold frame to grow on until it’s time to plant them out when the weather warms up. ❋ Summer cauliflowers and cabbages can be started in a cold greenhouse or cold frame now. I start them off in modules and then move them up into pots, before finally planting them out. ❋ Shallots can go out now. I really don’t know why shallots aren’t a more popular vegetable than they are. They are easier to grow than onions, and they store for longer. ❋ Broad beans (pictured above) can go in if the weather is clement, but it’s well worth protecting them with cloches – the simple ones made out of pop bottles will do – to get them off to a good start. ❋ Early peas can be started in the same way, or better still in lengths of guttering in the greenhouse to plant out when they show and the weather is warming.

An alternative is to sow them in half seed trays and plant them out later.

in East Anglia. If you’ve got your own unusual varieties, bring them along, too, as there are often opportunities to swop tubers with other growers. It won’t cost you the earth to source your spuds this way, and it’ll give you a really wide choice, so try to make it a date!

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES February is a good time to plant Jerusalem artichokes. I remember asking my grandfather about them and he pulled a face before succinctly saying: “Pig food we ate in the war. Gassy! Don’t

bother.” Well, many years later I did eventually get round to growing some on the allotment.

Jerusalem artichokes are really easy to grow and will thrive on fairly poor soils.

For best results, prepare the ground well and incorporate plenty of manure. Plant individual tubers 40–60cm apart and about 12cm deep in early spring, and in a few weeks the shoots will appear.

If you have more than one row, allow 75cm between rows. When they reach about 30cm in height, earth them up a little, as you would for potatoes.

Be careful where you plant them, as

they are effectively perennials, and if you miss a Jerusalem artichoke tuber it will grow like a volunteer potato.

The foliage easily reaches 2m high, and 2.4m is not uncommon. The stems are quite fragile and you will need to provide support with stakes and string in windy locations. I’ve read many times about them creating an effective windbreak, but I can’t see the use of a windbreak that blows down quite so easily!

In the autumn, the foliage starts to change colour and should be cut down to about 30cm above the ground as a marker. You can leave them in the

SOWING AID Any mention of sowing makes me think about one of the most useful tools in my shed. It’s cheap, simple, home-made and invaluable. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the most innovative, amazing, superlative… stick! Seriously, it’s a measuring stick. Yes, a stick.

Just take a 4ft-long piece of smooth 2 ∫ 1 and, with an indelible marker, put

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a line all the way across every 1ft on both sides. Then, on one side, draw lines halfway across every 4in, and on the other side in the 6in position, with lines a quarter of the way across for 3in.

It takes all the guesswork out of spacings when sowing or planting, and holds a straight line. It’s ideal for raised beds as well because it reaches from one side to

the other. In fact, you’ll find it helps when spacing most things, from broad beans to potatoes. Your spacings will most likely all be in multiples of 3in or 4in, although I suppose you could do a metric version, but I find good old imperial is easier to keep track of. It takes just ten minutes to make, and you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it.

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John Harrison

OFFER • SPECIAL BOOK OFFER • SPECIAL BOOK OFFER Team up with allotment and veg growing expert John Harrison to enjoy the very best of both worlds – expert advice through his highly-rated, down-to-earth, common sense books, and a great supply of free veg with his extra value seed offer from Suttons.

Above: Jerusalem artichokes will regularly exceed 2m in height.

ground to dig as and when required.

They are quite a productive crop, and 3kg from each plant is typical, so you won’t need many seed tubers.

I have grown the most common variety, ‘Fuseau’, but there is another variety, ‘Gerard’, which is lower yielding but reputed to have a superior flavour.

As the plants are so productive it might be well worth a try, but having tried and grown them, our opinion of them is not that different to grandfather’s.

The author, John Goodyer, probably got it right when he wrote, in 1621, “…in my judgement, which way soever they be drest and eaten they stir up and cause a filthie loathsome stinking winde with the bodie, thereby causing the belly to bee much pained and tormented… more fit for swine, than men.”

I did share them around the allotment site, and the strange thing is that some people suffer absolutely no ill effects and really love the flavour.

It must be genetic. If you’ve never eaten them, try them before you grow them.

They are also difficult to peel, as they are incredibly knobbly!

There’s £8 worth of free seeds with any of his gardening paperbacks – all excellent value at just £6.99 or less, including Vegetable Growing Month

by Month, a complete calendar of gardening tasks, The Essential Allotment Guide and Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Growing in Small Spaces. And John will foot the postage too, so don’t miss this great opportunity to feed your family with tasty and wholesome home-grown produce in 2015.

Visit www.allotment-garden.org/book/ to find out more and to chat online and exchange growing tips with other like-minded home farmers everywhere.

WWW.ALLOTMENT-GARDEN.ORG/BOOK/ VISIT THE WEBSITE TO DISCOVER A WORLD OF GROWING ADVICE

A DISCLAIMER The Home Farmer editorial team would like to take issue with John and state very clearly that his opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine. We actually love the taste of artichoke soup, but recommend that you simply have one rather than two bowls of this delicious concoction… otherwise, on your own head be it!

F E B R UA RY 2015

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POTATO DAYS

POTATO DAYS ! t s o m l a … y 20-year histor A

I

Julian Turner, organiser of the East Anglia Potato Day, describes how the event began and what it has become today

t was 100 miles to Ryton and another 100 back, and with a heavy trailer-load of seed potatoes.

Ryton had been the venue for the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA – now Garden Organic) threeday potato event, and I was hoping to set up a satellite event with stock that had failed to sell. An old friend, Alan Romans, author of the Guide to Seed Potato Varieties series, had left teaching to grow organic seed potatoes and had encouraged the HDRA to run the event. He had sourced the material for that hugely successful attraction, with all the tubers displayed in traditional wooden horticultural seed trays.

This was 1996. Bury St Edmunds seemed central to East Anglia, so I hired a church hall there for a joint meeting of both the Norfolk and Suffolk Organic Groups. It took a lot of time to heave all

the tubers in and out of the venue, but Alan’s talk about growing seed potatoes in Fife was very well received. However, we sold more of his ‘guides’ than potatoes – we needed a ‘doing’ event, not a ‘talking’ one.

Meanwhile, in deepest Suffolk, John and Jeannie Kemp had been running an autumn potato event with chip tasting to promote English wines at Giffords Hall. They were persuaded to shift it to a cold weekend in February 1997, using a huge polystructure where they later grew sweet peas. A speaker was organised, and growers flocked there, making it quite a day out, with wines, potatoes, books and food all sold, but the risk was great and remains high. The event is only possible thanks to volunteers, but if the weather is bad, growers might stay away, giving us no second chance to sell.

Giffords Hall proved a successful

EAST ANGLIA POTATO DAY 2015 The event takes place on Saturday 14th February 2015 from 9.30am to 1.30pm at the Mid-Suffolk Showground, Stonham Barns, Pettaugh Road, Stonham Aspal, Nr. Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 6AT (on the A1120, 2 miles from the A140). There will be over 100 varieties of seed potato for sale, as well as numerous stalls offering books, seeds, tools, produce, compost advice, seed swops and chip tasting, together with the RSPB and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Admission is just £1.50.

Visit www.eapd.btck.co.uk to find out more.

The event is organised by three different gardening groups – Norfolk Organic Group, Suffolk Organic Gardeners Group and Ipswich Organic Gardeners Group – with a dedicated team setting everything up on Friday and a different team holding the fort on Saturday. In 2013, the event was filmed for Belgian TV – the programme was broadcast in September – which resulted in a number of visitors from Antwerp who were sent to check out the event; who knows how many more might be heading under the Channel in 2015 to bag their spuds for the coming year!

The event usually attracts around 600 visitors, with an all-time record of 740.

The coldest year saw temperatures drop to -15°C, with all the refreshments and the plumbing frozen solid. The spuds, however, had been mollycoddled all night with blankets and hot-air heaters, with even a midnight visit to change the gas bottles. In 2014, after a promising start with sunshine, a mini-hurricane arrived mid morning for twenty minutes and removed the entrance tent. The weather always gives us the most worries before Potato Day, but what can you expect if you’re daft enough to have an event in a field in February!

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venue for eight years. Far removed from a garden centre selling perhaps just twelve different varieties, people came, and still do come regularly for the choice – we get over 100 varieties, source organic seed, and they also know we address disease considerations.

We keep prices low, too – after almost twenty years the average price per tuber is still less than twice the original 10p back in 1996, although seed costs have quadrupled. We must be efficient!

The Kemps eventually sold Giffords Hall. The last event there was in 2004 – it was a hard act to follow. We needed a large area that would be frost free overnight, with enough parking for a couple of hundred cars, and there aren’t many places that fit that spec!

The Suffolk Group had faded from view with the departure of Michael Rutter, but the event got new blood with the addition of both Cathy Wood from the Suffolk Group and the Carters from the Ipswich Group. We have now had nine very good years at Stonham Barns, and the event is centred solely around the potatoes, which literally take up the centre of the venue – a double row of labelled boxes displaying the tubers, with extra stock in sacks on the ground.

First earlies are labelled green, second earlies blue, early maincrop orange, and late maincrop brown. Customers write the variety on a paper bag before counting into the bag the number of that sort of potato they want. The event is always busy, right from the time of opening, as visitors home in on the varieties they want!

Some of the varieties available are so new that we have to check what they are on the Internet; while others are so old they could have been eaten during the Crimean War. We also have many potatoes that have simply fallen out of fashion, together with many more familiar names you find in the supermarkets.

And, fortunately, now there are always fewer potatoes to tidy up at the end than we had to put out the day before!

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FURTHER INFO A big thank-you to Clare Morgan Hare of Morgan Hare Photography for all the photos.

For more information about February Potato Days, go to page 9 of this month’s magazine.

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G ARDEN PREP

ERGONOMICS of gardening After Christmas, with days lengthening, nurseryman Jonathan Sheppard’s mind turns to preparing his plot for the growing season.

Here are his top tips for an easy but productive plot

T

he concept of a kitchen garden is tied in with self-sufficiency and is very much a part of permaculture practice – a plot designed with ergonomics in mind (and that’s not a polite way of saying laziness) ensures the garden functions with minimum fuss. Things you use less regularly that require a minimum of tending are at the outer edges and left to get on with growing, while items that you pick frequently or that require lots of attention are sited just outside the kitchen door.

I am a firm believer that your individual style of gardening should match your personality. Some want to have everything planned down to the last detail, while others − my wife would confirm that I fit into this category − are much more haphazard. Many books criticise a haphazard approach; I disagree. If your garden and the way you tend to it don’t match your personality, how on earth will you be able to enjoy it fully? But whilst I like to try things out, and perhaps learn from what others might regard as failure, it doesn’t mean I leave everything to chance.

Experience has taught me that some

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planning is vital to success, and you definitely need preparation on your plot if you want to reap the dividends of what you sow. There are, however, no secrets or shortcuts to successful growing – it’s a matter of trial and error, recording (and repeating) what does work, and keeping a constant eye out for trouble – always potentially just around the corner as far as nature is concerned. It also needs graft and common sense; you get out what you put in (or ‘reap what you sow’ to use a gardening term). Apart from that, having enough space, which none of us have if we’re honest, and putting in the effort, even when you don’t feel like it, are the other essential requirements.

This year we have not only started in earnest with our cut-flower side of the business, we are also spending more time on our kitchen garden. One of our reasons for moving off a housing estate was to get a plot with space for homegrown produce right outside our front door, rather than going on a waiting list for an allotment.

Here are some tips if you are considering creating your own kitchen garden, either on a grand scale or just in containers.

❋ Think about what you like to eat.

It’s obvious, but there is no point growing things you don’t like. I sowed lots of radishes last year. They are one of the easiest things to grow, but I just don’t like them. That’s why I never grow celery. It’s the food of the devil – if I have my way it will never appear on my plate again!

On the other hand, you can’t beat the taste of fresh corn on the cob, which can be on your plate five minutes after picking it. This was one of my 2014 successes, which I hope to repeat again this year. Think about what you like to eat, and base your sowing and growing around that.

If space is limited there is no point dedicating valuable room to growing things you don’t like. Gluts are wonderful, but there is a downside!

Ask yourself, too, if there are any foods that you use a lot of that you would really enjoy growing. Onions are versatile, taste wonderful cooked and raw, and are easy to store. For that reason we have already planted three of our raised beds with onion sets, as we know that they will supply us for a long time after we harvest them. The same applies to garlic − we use lots of it and it stores easily, so we grow quite a bit of it.

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“TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY LIKE TO EAT. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO POINT IN GROWING THINGS THAT YOU DON’T LIKE”

F E B R UA RY 2015

! p i T p o T

for easy ops that s g in th g cr at Make lf by sitin tly, or th st e n ju s your ick freque ttention, you p e lots of a en door. h ir requ e the kitc id s t ou

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G ARDEN PREP � Don’t be afraid to experiment and try something new. We had not grown pumpkins or butternut squash, so this year we sowed a packet of seeds for each and ended up with over 300lb in weight, and had them coming out of our ears for some time. If you like tomatoes, homegrown ones almost always beat supermarket ones hands down.

Grow a trusted heritage variety, but have a go at one of the more exotic varieties, too. We also like fresh cucumber, but last year, for variety, we grew cucamelons to see what they tasted like; they were pretty good, as it happens! â?‹ That leads us nicely on to what to do if you end up with a glut.

It’s best to try to prevent any potential problem rather than deal with it, so don’t get overwhelmed by the number of seeds in a packet and plant them all.

Every year almost all my courgette seeds germinate, which is a blessing and a curse. I always sow them all in case of failure, but every year I end up wondering what to do with all these courgette plants. Who on earth could eat all the courgettes that will come from just a single packet of seeds? If you have friends interested in growing veg it’s worthwhile swapping seeds or swapping plants.

I’ve never had enough space in my greenhouse to grow all the tomato plants that come from just one packet of seeds, so I give the extra plants to family and friends and end up receiving lots of unexpected things in exchange. Why should Christmas be the only time for giving?

If you have too many vegetables, give them to friends and family, or try giving them to total strangers, as we did this year. Finally, the one way to deal with a glut once you have cooked, pickled and preserved everything you can, is to invest in a chest freezer. We still have portions of home-grown green beans, carrots and potatoes we have mashed ready to eat at short notice – healthy fast foods, in fact. � Think about fruit – it’s often overlooked by kitchen gardeners.

Perhaps there is a view that it takes up vast amounts of space. We were lucky enough to have the space to plant thirty small apple trees to go with the plum trees we inherited, but if you are gardening in containers or on a smaller plot, think about

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strawberries or even raspberries, and perhaps just one or two smaller pot-grown trees. With modern technology and tree-grafting techniques, you don’t need vast amounts of space to have fruit trees! � Don’t forget about herbs − a kitchen garden must have herbs – and at the centre of the plot. Without herbs your kitchen garden will be lacking in flavour, but again, only grow ones you like. We don’t like coriander, so we don’t grow it, but we always have plenty of thyme, sage, mint and the like that we can pick during the growing season, then store for over winter. � No matter where you grow fruit and veg, you will attract pests, and there is always the potential for disease, too. We don’t suffer from slugs, but that doesn’t mean it’s all Easy Street.

I’ve seen as many as thirty rabbits on our plot, with mice galore, and more pigeons than Trafalgar Square.

Every kitchen garden comes under threat, so take steps to protect your produce – choose varieties resistant to disease; many organic varieties are resistant, and have to be, as they are

FURTHER INFO Visit Jonathan at: www.sheppard seedco.com, or contact him at: enquiries sheppardseedco.com.

He is also very active on social media and can be found on twitter and facebook at: sheppardseedco and www.facebook.com/ sheppardseedco respectively.

not permitted chemical protection.

Also, consider when you grow – growing slightly out of season can avoid the worst pests, but whether you use netting, rabbit-proof fencing or any other measure to guard against pests, make sure you have at least some protection or you may find the satisfaction of growing your own wears thin. � Make things easy for yourself.

The first year we moved into our place I put our kitchen garden in the rear paddock. It was out of the way and left the garden looking nice, but it just didn’t work. Things grew fine, but on rainy days when I might have nipped out of the back door to pull up some lettuce, I found I just couldn’t be bothered walking 30m to the plot in the rain. I had to make it easy for myself to make it work, so our kitchen garden now consists of raised beds next to our back door. � What about flowers? Some years ago there was a suggestion that we should dig up our lawns and devote all our space to veg, and if that’s what you want then do it, but every kitchen garden should have at least some flowers. Why not sow calendula or borage? Not only do they look great, they can also be eaten. Or consider the benefits of companion planting – discouraging pests or distracting them by growing a particular variety of flower has to be a no-brainer! � And my final tip: enjoy it! Things might go wrong; your carrots may not look like those in the supermarket, and birds may steal your raspberries, or squirrels your hazelnuts, and all your beetroot may have teeth-marks from mice – yes, that all comes from personal experience − but nothing beats eating produce from your own kitchen garden.

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F E B R UA RY 2015

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T UNNEL L ING

TUNNELLERS ! d e p a c s e e v y’ The

This month we say goodbye to Mark and Andy, who have been with us for almost four years, with only a very slight break. Andy has a new garden to knock into shape, and Mark will be renovating a long-disused walled garden – and minus his beloved polytunnels for the foreseeable future. I’m sure we shall hear about their progress, and wish them both well!

D

oes winter ever seem too long?

Surely, nobody in their right mind would want to spend hours and hours of it pottering around in a cold, windswept, dark garden. Or would they? I mean, maybe there’s the crunch of fresh frost to liven up the place. Or a water tap, frozen solid right now, but filled with all the promise of a burst pipe once the thaw comes. So, there are all kinds of hidden entertainments lurking in a winter garden – all we have to do is find them.

Actually, I’ve often found the first three months of the year are a great

opportunity for getting things ready – slowly. This is especially the case in the polytunnel, where half an hour of sunshine makes everything nice and warm – a far cry from trying to deal with the frozen beds outside. In fact, I rarely spend any time on the outside beds over winter, but in the tunnel it’s a completely different matter: a little gentle weeding here and there, a few little piles of debris collected for disposal later, and last, but definitely not least, a few choice leaves – and roots – picked for dinner.

In fact, there were still loads of things to pick when I left. I’m actually writing

this from Northumberland – my new home. It’s a long way from Wales, and while it’s considerably further north, which isn’t my idea of an improvement as regards the growing climate, there are some serious benefits.

First, I should tell you that this will be the last article from Andy and myself for a while. He’s busy planning a new garden in his new home in Dorchester, and I’m doing the same in Northumberland.

So we decided that rather than starting to repeat ourselves we’d write again when we had something new to say.

I’ll leave Andy to tell you all about his

MARK’S FEBRUARY POLYTUNNEL TIPS For those of you who still have a polytunnel to work in (sigh), here are a few things to sow during February: ❋ BROCCOLI, BRUSSELS, KOHLRABI, CAULIFLOWER These are some of the tastiest brassicas, so just go for it!

best harvests will all be started now! ❋ CARROTS Sowing now will give you a nice crop of early carrots.

❋ ARTICHOKES Sow them now for an autumn crop.

❋ ONIONS While these may be grown outside, the seeds can be started now under cover to give them a head start.

❋ PARSNIPS Sow just a few in the tunnel, then more outside when it’s just a bit warmer.

❋ SPINACH Begin sowing now for one of the healthiest succession crops.

❋ BEETROOT This can be sown from now for a productive succession crop.

❋ SALAD CROPS Most can be sown now, like lettuce and radish.

❋ AUBERGINES These really need a long season, so the

❋ TURNIPS These can be sown and harvested at just about

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any time of year, as can lettuce.

The first fruit on a young aubergine plant.

Parsnip seedlings ready for planting out.

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Salad Greens

Salad greens – like rocket, above – are more or less a sure thing in any polytunnel, but you might also have celeriac, carrots, chard (pictured below), beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, pak choi and overwintering peas available now, to name but a few – and you certainly wouldn’t find many of those in an outside bed at this time of year!

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T UNNEL L ING

The new Buddhist retreat in Northumberland.

new garden, but as for myself I have a rare opportunity that I’m really looking forward to, and I hope it will make interesting reading when the time comes.

I’m going to replant a Victorian walled garden that hasn’t been used for years.

Right now it’s a flat – well, sloping – expanse of grass surrounded by a ninefoot wall on four sides. There’s a chicken house in the corner, complete with a couple of chickens, and an old glasshouse containing a very unhappy peach tree.

There are three entrances, one of which is a double gate big enough to drive a tractor through, and it’s all just sitting there, waiting for someone to bring it

back into full, organic production.

The walls are already studded with espalier brackets all the way round, both inside and out, so clearly it’s been a very productive garden in the past. Some of the old fruit trees still survive, but haven’t been pruned for years. Most are, sadly, damaged beyond repair and will need to be replaced, but there are a few that might make it.

If the whole thing was back under cultivation it could possibly feed half the county; and that’s the plan. Best of all, I get to design and plan everything, and say what’s going where, then stand back while other people do all the work.

The reason for this is simple: I’ve been a Buddhist monk now for several years and was recently asked to become director of a new retreat centre in the wilds of rural Northumberland. We have a big Victorian house, forty-two acres of woodland, the walled garden and several willing volunteers.

BE STILL, MY BEATING HEART!

I can’t quite believe what next spring is going to be like – but you can be sure I’m going to write about it. We’re going to do just about everything: fruit, veggies, raised beds, row beds and polytunnels.

We’re even going to try grafting some of our carefully saved heirloom varieties onto vigorous hybrid rootstocks just to see what happens. Please wish me luck – and watch this space!

I hope you all have a truly inspired growing season – I know I will!

FURTHER INFO Mark and Andy can both still be found at: www.farminmypocket.co.uk for lots of info on self-sufficiency, polytunnels, and many other aspects of growing your own.

Mark’s new challenge: a large, disused, walled garden in Northumberland.

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Text © Copyright Mark Gatter 2015.

Images © Copyright Mark Gatter 2015

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F E B R UA RY 2015

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T HE FRUIT G ARDEN

RAVISHING s e i r r e b p s a r R

Elizabeth McCorquodale grows and prepares delicious raspberries

aspberries are members of that huge botanical family, the Rosaceae, or rose family.

It is a composite fruit that, as you may have guessed, isn’t actually a berry at all but a collection of tiny drupes around a central core, and each one of those drupes is able to grow into a new plant. Despite this proclivity for productivity, raspberries are always propagated by stem cuttings or by dividing existing plants.

Raspberries have been exploited by humans for thousands of years (as proven by fossil finds in caves and settlements across Europe), and Greek and Roman writers often referred to the cultivation and the consumption of this fruit both in their agricultural treatise and in their folklore. Indeed, the name for our European raspberry, Rubus idaeus, refers to Mount Ida in present-day Turkey – legendary stomping ground of such personalities as Zeus, Paris, Aphrodite and Helen (of Troy fame), on the slopes of which it apparently still grows in abundance.

Red raspberries are native to much of Eurasia, while black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) are naturally found in North America − and then there are purple raspberries, which are a cross between the two. To confuse matters just a little bit there are also naturally occurring varieties that produce yellow fruit, which, though pretty, have the same flavour as their parent plants.

SUMMER OR AUTUMN RASPBERRIES? There is no doubt that the easiest types of raspberry to grow are the autumn varieties that fruit between August and October. They are reliable, simple to grow and are definitely the ones to recommend to first-time gardeners or young children, and they have the great attraction of fruiting later in the same year, if they are planted in spring.

RASPBERRY FACTS ❋ Black raspberries are not the same as blackberries, and you can easily tell the difference between the two, as the core remains attached in blackberries, while black raspberries, like our native red species, are always hollow. ❋ Raspberries, both black and red, have always been highly prized for their leaves, which apparently have excellent medicinal qualities. They are, even now, regularly suggested as a way to hasten labour and to regulate menses when taken as a tea. ❋ The trick to keeping fresh raspberries really fresh is to lay them out in a single layer on a baking tray so they aren’t touching, then pop them in the fridge until needed. Allow them to come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving, so that you can enjoy their full flavour.

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Autumn cultivars (also known as primocanes, meaning they fruit on the current year’s growth) generally don’t need staking, as their growth is strong and sturdy, and they are exceptionally easy to prune. Autumn varieties make excellent plants for containers and for providing a quick, dense, summer hedge. In my last garden I used a dense planting of ‘Autumn Bliss’ in a narrow runnel that provided almost instant, tough screening to separate the children’s lawn from my herbaceous border − and because of the prickles, no one was tempted to push through to make a den or retrieve a ball!

Summer raspberries, which can be divided into early- and late-summer varieties, are still easy to grow and prune, but are just not quite as foolproof as the autumn lot. They aren’t quite as at home in containers, but they can still be grown in small gardens if the spot is carefully chosen; an existing fence is a handy spot. Summer raspberries, sometimes known as floricanes, fruit on one-year-old canes, and the purpose of pruning is to remove any cane that is more than one year old and to promote the growth of new canes for next year.

This type tends to be taller and not quite as stout as the autumn cultivars, so will need a framework of posts and wires or a fence to use as a support.

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Cultivars ❋ FALLGOLD

An autumn-fruiting, large yellow fruit with superb flavour. ❋ GLEN COE A summer-fruiting purple raspberry, with a sweet, intense flavour that grows in an unusual clump-forming habit. ❋ AUTUMN BLISS (AGM)

The classic autumn-fruiting berry – short and sturdy with high yields and a delicious flavour. ❋ POLKA A relatively new autumn variety that ripens earlier than ‘Autumn Bliss’, and produces larger fruit and high yields.

It promises to be a favourite.

“THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE EASIEST TYPES OF RASPBERRY TO GROW ARE THE AUTUMN VARIETIES THAT FRUIT BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER” F E B R UA RY 2015

❋ GLEN MOY An early-summer thornless variety that often offers up a smaller second crop in autumn. It has medium to large red fruit of good flavour. ❋ GLEN AMPLE A very heavy-yielding, midsummer variety, with good, large, tasty fruit. ❋ LEO A late-summer variety, with heavy yields and large red fruit that likes a sheltered position.

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T HE FRUIT G ARDEN

WHEN AND WHERE TO PLANT Dormant raspberries can be planted any time between October and March, though pot-grown plants, or canes dug with a substantial amount of earth, can be planted at any time of year.

If transplanting or thinning a quantity of active canes during the growing season, cut them back by half to reduce the demand on the root system, after which simply follow the normal pruning routine, either thinning them or cutting them down completely, depending on the variety of your canes.

Your raspberries will be growing in the same spot for many years, so you’ll need to dig deeply and add lots of lovely muck and kitchen compost to your planting holes, and they aren’t keen on having wet feet, so the ground must be well drained. Dig a long, narrow strip to encourage your raspberries to grow in a well-behaved row, then plant the canes about 45cm apart, and to the same depth as the old soil mark on the cane, then water them in very well.

Autumn-fruiting varieties are shorter and sturdier than others, so you don’t need to use stakes or wires (though this may help on very windy sites), but early- and late-summer types need to be trained and tied onto sturdy supports. Hammer two (or more for longer rows) 2−2.5m posts into the ground 3m apart. Tie nylon string or wire between the posts at even distances. Tie the canes to the wires and spread them out to make picking easier. As they grow, keep tying them in and water when necessary − when they are established you won’t need to water them unless the weather is very dry.

If you choose to grow both summerand autumn-types, it is a good idea to make a clear distinction between the two by planting them quite separately, preferably with a wide path or a row of other fruit bushes between them.

PRUNING Pruning autumn raspberries is simplicity itself: just cut all the canes back to ground level after fruiting has finished in late autumn, and that’s it.

Summer raspberries are pruned right after fruiting by cutting out all the old canes that have produced fruit that season, leaving the greener, lusher, newseason growth to mature into fruiting canes for the following year. Take care not to cut or damage the new-season’s growth as you are working.

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Of course, both summer and autumn varieties should be looked over from time to time: cut out any dead, damaged or diseased canes, and deal with any areas of overcrowding by pruning or by digging up particularly crowded areas; surplus canes are always gratefully received by friends and neighbours.

RECIPES For hundreds of years, raspberry juice was used to colour illustrated manuscripts – the juice provided a beautiful, pale-pink ink. For the artists

among you, the method for making raspberry ink is to simmer 2 cups of raspberries with a scant ½ cup of white vinegar until the juice runs well, then strain the berries through progressively finer and finer sieves.

The last straining should be through fine muslin. At this point, add artists’ gum arabic, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the ink flows smoothly when applied to paper with a brush. Store your ink in small, sterilised jars with tight-fitting lids.

The vinegar acts as a preservative, but it will last longer if kept in the fridge once it is opened. This same concoction, minus the gum arabic, but with the addition of 2 tablespoons of sugar, makes both a lovely, rosy-pink cordial when it is diluted with still or sparkling water, and a fine salad dressing when undiluted!

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ONE-POT RASPBERRY JAM This is a handy recipe for small quantities of berries or anyone pushed for time, as it is so quick and easy to make – perhaps while you are busy doing something more demanding in the kitchen.

The quantities can simply be increased to use up larger amounts of berries.

INGREDIENTS

you choose cream or the crème fraiche; however you choose to make it, it’s really very delicious indeed.

500g raspberries 500g sugar

METHOD 1

2

3

4

5

Thoroughly wash and dry a large jar and its lid. Set aside the jar on a wooden surface with its lid on and put a small plate in the freezer and leave it to get cold.

Simmer the raspberries gently in a saucepan for 20 minutes, then add the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then boil for about 30 minutes.

Take the plate from the freezer, put 1 teaspoon of jam on the plate and return it to the freezer.

After 1 minute, test to see if your jam has set by pushing the jam with your finger: if it wrinkles it is ready; if it is still liquid, return to the boil for a few minutes longer, then test for a set again.

When the jam has set, cover and leave it to cool for 20–30 minutes.

If you pour it right away you risk the fruit settling in the bottom of the jar.

Using a funnel or a ladle, fill the jar and seal with the lid, then store in the fridge.

SUMMER PUDDING This lovely, healthy pudding can easily be turned into an autumn pudding by substituting sliced apples and blackberries for the currants, gooseberries and strawberries. For an elegant dinner party dessert, make individual puddings for each guest, and serve it up with pouring cream and chocolate curls.

INGREDIENTS 450g raspberries 450g mixed currants, gooseberries and strawberries 75g sugar 10 slices day-old bread, with the crusts removed

METHOD 1

Place all the fruit in a saucepan and

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INGREDIENTS

2

3

4 5 6

simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then set aside.

Line the pudding basin with cling film, then line the lined base and sides of the basin with bread, patching it up until there are no gaps.

Ladle the juice and fruit into the basin. It may be necessary to encourage the juice to soak into the bread by gently easing the bread away from the edges in places and pouring some of the juice down the gap.

Carefully pat everything in place, then finish off with a well-fitting lid of bread.

Place a saucer over the bread lid, place a heavy weight on top (a tin of beans is good) and leave overnight.

To serve, upturn the pudding onto the plate and carefully peel the cling film away.

Serve the pudding with cream.

2 generous cups of raspberries ½ cup fresh soft cheese (such as mascarpone) ½ cup half-fat crème fraiche (or extrathick double cream!)

1 generous tbsp lemon curd Icing sugar (to taste) 4 brandy-snap baskets

METHOD 1

2

3

Reserve 12 raspberries for garnishing. Place the others in a bowl and mash them well, then press through a sieve to remove the pips.

Combine the raspberry purée, soft cheese, crème fraiche and lemon curd, then mix until smooth and well combined. Add the icing sugar to taste and stir again. Refrigerate until needed.

Just before serving, spoon the mousse into the baskets, top with the reserved raspberries and drizzle over a little chocolate sauce.

RICH RASPBERRY BASKETS This dessert can be a labour of love or a cheat’s delight, depending if you make the lemon curd and brandy-snap baskets from scratch − and it can be superhealthy or a real indulgence, depending on whether

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SE ASONAL FOR AGING

PART TWO

FORAGER’S s p u r y s d n a s e r teas, tinctu David Winnard looks at three easy ways of preserving the taste and health-giving properties of many foraged plants, berries and fungi

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y thoughts on what I can forage from the wild are changing. Last week I was picking olives, lemons, oranges and lavender – no, I was not in the supermarket (that would be cheating!), but I was not in Manchester, either. In fact I was in Portugal (Lisbon to be precise), where I was teaching Portuguese bartenders about the world of wild edibles and the unique flavours you can create (especially in cocktails).

There are two parts to foraging; the first is actually the finding and identifying of plants and fungi that are edible. For some, this is the hardest part; learning what is OK to collect and what you should avoid does take time, and it is not something you want to get wrong. However, part of the fun in foraging, for me, is this learning process. The adventure of going out to new habitats and areas, and hopefully stumbling across something new and tasty, is the aspect of foraging I truly love. The second part to foraging is

just what to do with the things you find once you get back to base. This can be relatively straightforward – when you pick blackberries, make a crumble; when you pick nettles, make a soup; when you pick elderflowers, make cordial; and when you collect mushrooms, make a breakfast! It can be as easy as that, but at other times you can end up with a glut of foraged goodies, or you might just fancy a change from making jams and chutneys and want something a little more special to have in the kitchen cupboard, or something with which to really wow your friends. Well, fear not, because we are now about to enter the magical world of teas and tinctures… and even syrups.

But before we delve into the world of tonics – which are basically just different ways of extracting the medicinal properties of a plant or a fungus – it must be said that you should not use ‘herbal medicines’ as a substitute for what your GP might prescribe, and if you are already on medication, then always consult

a qualified practitioner to see if there are any plants or ingredients which might affect that medication and its effect.

TEAS Teas are one of the best ways to use up excess amounts of something you have picked, and nettles, chickweed and hawthorn berries can all be used in teas. So, how do you make a herbal tea?

Simple. Let’s use the chickweed that you should hopefully have collected as per last month’s instructions. Chickweed is dead easy to dry in a dehydrator, and I find this the fastest and easiest way to dry herbs. They are reasonably cheap – mine cost £40 – but I use it for so many things, and especially mushrooms.

If you don’t have a dehydrator you can do it in the oven on a tray on a low heat for a couple of hours. I always have a jar of dried chickweed alongside my dried mushrooms in the kitchen, and it works out very cheap compared to health food shop prices.

Left: Dried mushrooms.

Below: Chickweed.

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SE ASONAL FOR AGING Chickweed tea (along with other herbal teas) can be created by a number of methods. I find the easiest one is to use a teapot that allows you to add loose-leaf tea, then fill it full of dried chickweed, then add hot water. Leave it to infuse for about 10 minutes to allow the flavour and goodness to come out, then enjoy. Sometimes I add dried chickweed to ordinary loose-leaf tea to give it a little extra flavour, depending on my mood.

This is a great way to use any dried leaves and berries that you have stored away in the kitchen. Hawthorn tea (using the dried flowers, berries and leaves) has an apple-like flavour and helps to lower blood pressure (so do not have it if you already have low blood pressure). You can also enjoy wild raspberry leaf tea (or even the ones from the garden), nettle tea, or if you want something that packs a lot of flavour, then try mint tea. I have used wild mint, which works really well in teas, but the peppermint in my own garden grows everywhere, so I just pick, dry it and drink it. It really helps to settle an upset stomach, too. Don’t be afraid to play around with different species and flavours – you would be surprised at what you can create.

TINCTURES So, what exactly are tinctures? They are basically a way of extracting the properties (and flavour) of a plant (or fungus) using alcohol. There are other ways of making tinctures without using alcohol, but these are less straightforward and have a limited shelf life, so to keep it simple we’ll just deal with alcohol-based ones. You need to half fill a small jar with a plant (or fungus), then top it up with alcohol. For my own I prefer to use vodka of 40% strength or more. I would be inclined not to use the more common vodka at 37.5%. You could also use gin

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instead of vodka, but gin has many botanicals already infused in it, and if it is juniper heavy you will struggle to infuse the flavour of the ingredient with which you are making the tincture.

To use a simple lavender tincture, which will help calm you down, aid sleep and make you feel relaxed, you could add just a few drops prepared as above to a drink, or take a teaspoonful, or even put the tincture in an atomiser bottle and use it as a spray to make a room smell nice, or even spray it lightly over your pillow. Simply fill a jar onethird to a half full (depending how strong you want it) with dried lavender, then top the jar up with vodka, close it and shake it up. You can use fresh, but dried is more likely at this time of year – I have got some from the garden, which I placed in the dehydrator earlier this year. I left mine overnight, and by the next day it was already to my liking: lavender scented but not overpowering – just keep trying and see how best to do it to suit your own taste.

You could use just about anything in this way to extract flavour and medicinal properties, but many species of plant and fungus require a specific and unique amount of time to infuse properly; lavender and rose petals, for example, take just hours, whereas the watercress one I have was left to infuse for two weeks, and nasturtium, chickweed and sweet cicely seeds require six weeks. So, having told you about the interesting fungus, Turkey Tail, last month, and the impressive immune-boosting properties this weird species has, I have made a Turkey Tail Tincture to put in the cupboard for when I am feeling run-down. It is quite an earthy flavour, but not bad at all.

To make it more interesting I have added a star-anise to it.

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“…MANY SPECIES OF PLANT AND FUNGUS REQUIRE A SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE AMOUNT OF TIME TO INFUSE PROPERLY; LAVENDER AND ROSE PETALS, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE JUST HOURS…”

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res nctu t how i t , s tea ows jus they ting d Crea yrups, sh n be, an hy s a c n d o w u an e yo her reas g. iv t a cre t anot atisfyin e s are y ing is so g fora

TURKEY TAIL TINCTURE INGREDIENTS Turkey Tail Star-anise 40% vodka

METHOD 1

2 3

4

Main picture: Lavender.

Below: Turkey Tail.

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Pick a handful of Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), pictured below, wash off any dirt and pat it down with a towel to dry.

Put the Turkey Tail in a jar until it is half full, then add 1 star-anise.

Fill the jar with 40% vodka, then close the jar and shake it well.

Continue shaking it as often as you remember for 6 weeks.

After 6 weeks, strain the solution through a sieve and transfer to a bottle (the dark-brown or green bottles with dropper lids are best for this – I usually get mine from Ampulla). In this state it should last for years.

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SE ASONAL FOR AGING Sea buckthorn.

SYRUPS Syrups are one of the most versatile ways to preserve many of your foraged finds; they can be used to make drinks, can be poured over ice cream or yoghurt, used to make a sauce, or you can even have some neat to boost your immune system – for example, elderberry syrup. Syrups are easy to make and you can create wonderful flavours you would struggle to find on the high street.

METHOD 1

2

SEA BUCKTHORN SYRUP My own Sea Buckthorn Syrup was used recently on a foraging trip to Knokke in Belgium, where we made a Caorunn sea buckthorn Martini, which we called ‘A Morning Walk Around Knokke’ – principally because this was the star plant of our morning walks.

Sea buckthorn has plenty of flavour and is full of vitamin C, so this syrup really has more than one use.

The easiest way to remove the berries from their very sharp bush is to put a whole branch in the freezer and then, once frozen, rip off the berries – the berries are very soft and quickly turn to juice if you don’t do this.

INGREDIENTS Sea buckthorn berries Sugar

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3

4

Place your sea buckthorn berries in a heavybottomed pan, then add enough water to just cover the berries.

Boil this mixture until the berries have infused all their flavour and become mushy – use a masher if needed.

Strain the mixture through muslin or a very fine sieve and, for every 100ml of liquid, add 100g of sugar. In the bar world they tend to use a 1:2 ratio, so 100ml of liquid to 200g of sugar – this is more useful for cocktails, since it is more concentrated and uses up less room in a glass.

Add the sugar to the mixture and heat slowly to dissolve all the sugar, then pour into sterilised bottles.

Most syrups can be created in this way, basically by infusing the flavour, then straining and adding sugar at a 1:1 ratio.

You could make cinnamon syrup by infusing the cinnamon in water, maybe with some star-anise and cloves for a festive syrup. Or perhaps a rosemary

syrup by putting sprigs of rosemary in some water, letting it infuse and then adding sugar. Or how about a lemon and ginger syrup? There are endless possibilities, especially with some of the leftover stuff from Christmas.

I find these three methods of preserving, extracting and using the flavour and properties of plants and fungi fascinating. Just how creative you can be using all three is almost limitless, and is yet another reason why foraging is so satisfying. The combination of free, healthy and delicious (in most cases) has to be a no-brainer, so keep on foraging!

NEXT MONTH We shall be dressing up warm and going out once again to look for some early species that are well worth keeping an eye out for.

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T HE LOW- IMPAC T PROJEC T

NO DIGGING my plot!

Not on

This month Benjamin Crosby has been preparing no-dig vegetable beds that will produce the main bulk of vegetable produce for the low-impact, healthy-living plot SO, WHY NO-DIG? Right from the beginning I have been looking at ways of procuring a natural and healthy diet with the least possible effort, while ensuring the plot remains low-maintenance and sustainable. I aim to encourage the growth of naturally balanced, full-flavoured produce from wild and traditional varieties rather than utilise modern vegetable varieties that, for all their great size and colour, are dependent on our care, whether it be weeding, fertilising, watering and pest treatment or deterrence, to survive and grow as big as we desire. Most wild species and traditional varieties are not so dependent on mollycoddling to grow well, and by making use of their natural in-built hardiness, I can utilise primitive, low-maintenance methods of growing them. This has encouraged me to take a no-dig approach.

No-dig gardening has many advantages; we do not have to take the time and effort to dig soil to create a weed-free fine tilth to sow seeds. Soil life is also not exposed to frosts in

THE POND ON THE LOW-IMPACT PLOT This is the pond from earlier articles now filled with water after only a brief spell of rain in autumn. As with all aspects of the plot, it will be allowed to develop naturally, but should, with time, become an active part of the plot and a real focus for both livestock and wildlife.

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ils, i n so h t lk , w i th e a s ve r c h a m ag e r a In a s o ht d a d such ing mig ture an c g . u dig oil str rosion s t h e u r ag e e e nco

autumn and winter as is the case with traditionally cultivated soils.

Nor are worms chopped up or exposed to birds and other predators, meaning they can continue about their business incorporating surface leaf litter and naturally occurring composting vegetable matter, making for a naturally mixed soil layer – not one enriched to the extremes that large quantities of applied composts, manures and mulches may achieve.

In areas with thin soils, such as over chalk, digging may in fact damage the soil structure, encouraging erosion, meaning that methods of vegetable growing without digging could prove extremely useful.

Cultivation can encourage the growth of wild flower and weed species whose seed has remained dormant for many decades, if not centuries, below the soil surface.

Likewise, composts that are not sterilised, particularly those that have not been regularly turned in their conversion, and those composts made up of mostly weeds and flower heads, are bound to result in a flush of weed growth in the spring, if applied as mulch.

It may seem pedantic to criticise the cultivation of soil, yet the truth is we do not fully appreciate that the soil itself is a living environment, one like any other that is dependent on consistency for those living in it to flourish. There is, I expect, a great deal living in the soil we will never notice, yet that does not mean it is not there, or there for a reason.

Conventional no-dig gardening encourages the growth of plants, especially from seed, by using mulches and some weeding to suppress competing vegetation, to take advantage of the natural fertility found at the surface of the soil and to ensure the soil itself remains largely undisturbed. No-dig methods require the use of mulches of compost, well-rotted manures, straw or leaf-mould, or a mulch utilising paper or cardboard topped with other compost materials, to suppress weed growth and provide a nutrientrich medium to grow plants in.

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Above: I worked radially around a long twig placed centrally.

Left: The beds before commencing. I used a scythe to cut back the twiggy stalks, which required care to avoid tree saplings… and limbs!

plot. It occurred to me that if I cut the hay and place it thickly as a suppressing mulch on top of the grass from whence it came, but concentrated on an area where I would like to grow vegetables, it will be possible, given six months to a year, to clear weeds without the need to cultivate the soil or manually weed it. There will be the odd perennial weed that will need to be removed, but the mulch should make the process of creating many weed-free beds easier. The only soil disturbance will come when it is time to pull/ease up the root crops.

PREPARING TEN VEGETABLE PLOTS

NO-DIG VEGETABLE BEDS USING ON SITE MATERIAL When I first took on the Woodside plot, it had not been used for at least five years, and the grasses had grown long and stocky, each plant slumping in the autumn, smothering other grasses and wild flowers growing around until bare earth could be found around the base of each grassy tussock. When I first cut the field there was not much more than 60% vegetation covering the soil surface.

It became obvious that hay alone can work as a fantastic mulch to suppress

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the growth of plants. Unlike composts and well-rotted manures, established perennial wild flowers struggle to grow through a thick, damp mat of fibrous hay, or, I expect, straw for that matter.

However, straw is different, as it is often a by-product of wheat, barley or peas, and all are unnatural in the sense of their value to the human diet, and also in the monocultural method in which they are mainly grown. So, unfortunately, straw is an unsuitable, unsustainable product for this sustainable plot.

Hay and the stalks of wild flowers can be found in abundance and in situ on the

The digging of the pond took me right into autumn, so I missed the best time to cut hay for mulch, but the plot is covered with the twiggy stems of wild flowers (weeds to most of us), and I believe I can use these to the same effect. The only problem is that many are still laden with dry seed heads, although I hope the long period of use as mulch, as with hay and grass seed, may leave the seed unviable and thus prevent it germinating readily on the vegetable bed itself.

I started cutting the material on a dull Saturday afternoon at the end of November after a couple of days of dry weather. I used my great-grandad’s scythe, the old English type with an ash handle. It is sound but so dry (it had been kept in my grandad’s shed for twenty-five years or more) that I fear I will break it. Fortunately, I read that regular coatings of linseed oil can revive the flexibility of the wood, so I will give that a try.

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T HE LOW- IMPAC T PROJEC T

Right: I worked outwards from the central point until I had enough material to use as a mulch.

Far right: The weedy material was placed radially around the central stick, up to 1.2m from the centre, making sure the ground was well covered with a thick suppressing layer.

Above: This is just one of ten circular suppressing mats of dead vegetation that will, in time, form a useable, weed-free vegetable bed.

To give myself a central point to work from, I removed a twig from a nearby hedge and twisted it into the ground within a thicket of weedy stems.

Using the scythe, I worked radially and outwards around the twig until I had cut enough material to make a circular mat about 2.4m in diameter.

A 1.8–2.4m-diameter circular bed is ideal, because with a 0.9–1.2m radius it is possible for most people to reach the centre without stepping onto the bed.

It took me around ten minutes to cut the material and make the bed of mulch.

I did not bother treading it down, I just made sure it was thick enough so that I could not easily see the cut vegetation or soil below. When using the scythe I cut several centimetres above ground level to avoid cutting back any young saplings I had sown earlier in the year.

I also paid careful attention to avoid cutting back fruit and nut trees, and cane and bush fruits, which are planted randomly across the plot. I also tried to leave any standing hay and twiggy stems surrounding such trees and shrubs to aid in their disguise from browsing wildlife.

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WHAT NEXT? The ten circular beds will be left with their covering of hay and twiggy stems until I am confident that most, if not all, of the perennial grasses and wild flowers have died off beneath the mulch, which may take till next autumn. By then the remaining mulch will be removed and scattered, and seed sown directly to the surface in drills or impressions.

I intend to utilise a random mix of both perennial vegetables and annually cropped vegetables − often biennials − within these vegetable plots. I will utilise the same varieties and species chosen for the primitive sowing techniques I utilised in spring 2014, and I will utilise on site or local woody material in the form of brash sticks or cleft gate hurdles to protect them from browsing wildlife and livestock.

NEXT MONTH I will be looking at the purpose and requirements of a shelter for the plot, and the tools I will require for forthcoming projects.

FURTHER INFO Visit www.woodsideproject.co.uk to discover the background history behind the project and to keep updated with developments on the plot via the blog.

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G ARDEN BIRDS

A BIRD h s u b e h t n i Having the right plants and letting flowers die off naturally provides garden birds with a winter lifeline, writes Mike Clark

I

t is hard, when pigeons have reduced your young brassicas to skeletal stalks, to remember that many garden birds are in decline.

Some, like the house sparrow, are now on the endangered list. It’s really about compromise, isn’t it? I love to see birds in my garden, so I do all I can to encourage them, accepting that sacrifices and compromises must be made. I don’t appreciate finding my cabbages stripped by pigeons, but I welcome the voracious removal of cabbage white caterpillars by avian visitors.

The garden wouldn’t be the same without birds – robins breed here every year; blackbirds nest in the shrubbery I have created to protect me from the constant winds; wrens multiply in crevices in the Caithness flagstone wall; and in a small hole above my kitchen window, wonderful house sparrows make use of my roof-space every year.

Watching them at such close quarters

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makes washing the dishes almost a pleasure.

Undeniably, native plants are the best food sources for our native birds, but a great many of our ornamentals are also of enormous benefit to our wildlife.

Many ornamental shrubs produce fruits and berries in abundance, but so do many native species that are not out of place in a garden. Hawthorn, elder, dog rose and bramble (wild blackberry) are all especially valuable, but the strength of our native shrubs is not only in the fruit; it’s also in the insects they support. Many wild birds require aphids, grubs and caterpillars in their diet, and the oak is host to the greatest variety of insect life of all our trees.

It makes sense that our native birds need native insects, hosted by native trees. Not all of us have space for an oak, but even in the smallest space we can probably find room for a small, wildlife-friendly shrub.

The Sorbus family is a case in point. Our native rowan, or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), ( and our native whitebeam (S. aria), pictured left, are both small enough to fit in an average garden. You can opt for cultivars if you wish, and these, too, will

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A house sparrow feeding on a red-hot poker.

“EVEN IN THE SMALLEST SPACE WE CAN PROBABLY FIND ROOM FOR A SMALL, WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY SHRUB” F E B R UA RY 2015

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irds rden b e, a g r u som of o Many ecline, and ow, are d r are in house spar ered list. g e like th the endan n o now

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G ARDEN BIRDS

The sessile oak (Quercus petraea).

produce fruits, both ornamental and invaluable to birds. The Sambucus family is another obvious candidate.

The common elder is often considered a weed, but its berries offer a feast for birds in the winter months. You don’t have to plant the common elder though, because it has many decorative offspring, all of which produce beloved berries.

Sambucus nigra aurea,, the golden elder, with its golden leaves, is like sunlight on a dull day; S. nigra laciniata has feathery foliage to rival a cut-leafed maple; and S. nigra ‘Black Lace’, with its deep-purple, feathery foliage, is about as ornamental as you can get; but all produce succulent fruits.

And don’t forget the cotoneasters.

Cotoneaster dammeri will cover a troublesome bank and fruit its heart out; C. simonsii will make a great hedge, and produce berries in abundance; and even the slower-growing C. horizontalis will clothe a wall or fence and provide a feeding frenzy.

But it’s not just shrubs and trees; birds love seeds, and seeds are produced by many herbaceous plants, and they don’t have to be native.

Your herbaceous borders are full of food if you don’t do the autumn chop.

Though it may look untidy to some eyes, leave your herbaceous plants to die off naturally, and do the clearing up in spring. In the meantime, small garden

Above: S. nigra ‘Black Lace’.

Right: Runner beans.

Top: ‘Russell’ lupins.

birds will feast on decaying seed heads.

Red-hot pokers and pampas grass are just two prime examples of how you can provide a natural diet over the inhospitable winter months.

And have you ever thought about lupins? How many of us have them in the garden? I suspect some of you have used them as nitrogen-fixers, to improve virgin soil. Like peas and beans – they’re all the same family – lupins improve soil fertility; but those pods! Fat, seed-filled pods! Don’t cut

MY TOP THREE TIPS ❋ PLANT FRUITING SHRUBS – either native or ornamental. ❋ ALLOW HERBACEOUS PLANTS TO SET SEED – don’t cut them back until spring. ❋ LEAVE SOME PEAS AND BEANS – let them stand over winter.

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them down in autumn – leave them for the hungry birds.

And please don’t forget the vegetable garden. Beans and peas, in the last throes of life, can provide valuable sustenance for garden birds. My runner beans are grown on a wigwam of bamboo canes. I harvest them regularly, and freeze any surpluses, but I always leave a few pods, and leave the framework standing throughout the winter. I already have a freezerful, and that’s enough. Now I can watch greenfinches and blue tits enjoying what’s left behind. Sharing is good, and I urge you to do the same.

There are many ways we can help our garden birds, and with so many in decline it is imperative that we do what we can. Of course, you can set up feeders and buy bird food, and I encourage you to do that. Everything you do helps. But the best way, in my humble opinion, is to manage your garden in a way which is productive for both you and our wildlife.

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SOWING W IL D FLOWERS

GROW WILD! s w o d a e m r e flow Wild

Wild flower meadows are part of our natural heritage and very beneficial to wildlife. They are also easy to create. Heidi M. Sands describes how she got her own small space off to a great start

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hether you’ve got a large garden, a small balcony, empty pots or an area free in your vegetable plot, growing wild flowers can be fun, decorative and beneficial to insects and birds, leading to better pollination of your own and your neighbours’ fruit, flowers and vegetables. So, what’s the best way to begin? How do you get your seedbed ready, prepare the ground, and choose and sow the seed? Also, what results can you expect, and what’s the best way to keep the area looking good?

This year I decided to use a spare parcel of ground in our veggie garden to sow some wild flowers. From poppies to cornflowers and buttercups to daisies, they always look good and brighten up many a grassy verge, field margin or forgotten out-of-the-way space. I had the same idea for my spare piece of ground – something that would brighten up the veggie patch, but without being a drain on resources. In other words, I was looking for a low-input, high-output return on my labour.

I figured that because most wild flowers have traditionally flowered unfettered and unhindered by

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human interference, the same would probably be true of a ‘manufactured’ wild flower meadow, or area, today.

The space I chose was approximately 3m ∫ 3m, but the same idea would apply to almost any size of ground or container.

It was an already fallow area, and one that had the year before grown broccoli.

It had been turned over and hoed but not fertilised. It was well weeded and was what you might call quite a fine tilth.

It also had a couple of first-year honesty plants self-seeded in it, which I chose to leave in. I raked it well and went off to look for suitable seed.

There are several ways to source your seed, and I chose the easiest route. I went into my local agricultural merchant’s and simply purchased a ready-made box of wild flower seeds. I had no idea what was in it, and I simply followed the instructions on the back of the box, which thankfully included the soil preparation methods I’d already begun.

Below left: A typical cottage garden mix.

Below right: A blue cornflower.

Below: Native wild flowers are particularly attractive to insects.

I waited for a rainy day late in the spring, shook the box to distribute the seed evenly through the sowing medium, then opened it. The sowing medium surprised me somewhat: it was bran – the rather old-fashioned feedstuff at one time fed to horses. It made a good broadcast medium for my wild flower seeds though: it was easy to hold and broadcast evenly across my prepared seedbed. It was also easy to see on the surface of the soil, so any gaps could quickly be filled. Then, once I was happy that I’d covered my required area, I lightly raked it over.

Within days the first seeds began to germinate. I watched and waited.

It took a couple of weeks of warmer weather before the majority of seeds began to grow, and it was impossible at this stage to tell if what I was seeing were all juvenile wild flowers or weeds.

However, as the wild flowers grew it became apparent that the weeds were in the minority. All the obvious ones were quickly weeded out, but some of the others – the prettier ones – I left in; after all, in the eyes of some growers, some weeds are actually wild flowers anyway.

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“KEPT WATERED, THE BED OF WILD FLOWERS FLOURISHED AND SOON FILLED THE WHOLE AREA”

! r u o Col

can area erest to r e w d int ntil ld flo A wi olour an ght up u ter f c ri add garden d even a your mber, an !

Nove st frosts r i f the

A poppy and some mallows.

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SOWING W IL D FLOWERS Kept watered, the bed of wild flowers flourished and soon filled the whole area.

Different heights, different leaf shapes and different hues of green were soon joined by burgeoning flower buds. I was amazed at the variety on offer in my cheaply purchased box of seeds. Poppies and the aforementioned cornflowers nudged heads with varieties with which I was unfamiliar, but all grew without any real input from me and attracted favourable comments from all who saw them.

As the year wore on, some types and varieties passed their best and others then took their place. Until November, and even after the first frosts, there was colour and interest in my wild flower meadow.

Seed heads matured and the wind and rain scattered the collective seeds across the ground, where I hope next year selfseeded wild flowers will grow.

With a little help from nature, wild flowers such as this cat’s ear can thrive alone in a natural habitat.

WILD FLOWER TIPS What I have learnt about growing wild flowers is that less is definitely more.

If you fancy having a go at growing your own, then here are my top tips for wild flower growing on any scale. ❋ Wild flowers can be grown in established grassland, but it’s better to give them a head start by sowing seed in pots in a sheltered place and then transferring well-grown and established seedlings directly into slots cut out of the grass.

Sowing directly into the grass may result in poor germination or crowding out of the seedlings by the competing grass.

from flowers if you wish, but to achieve an authenticlooking wild flower area, leave them to mature into seed heads. These can actually be very decorative in their own unique way, and in particular as the year wears on. Leaving the plants in the ground over winter will give the seeds an even better chance of germinating.

The seeds can then be removed and sown in early spring. ❋ Choose varieties that will please you as well as suiting your ground.

Time-honoured favourites include

❋ For best results, choose varieties well suited to the climate and situation in your own area. For example, in coastal areas opt for varieties suited to sandy soil, sea breezes and a salty atmosphere. ❋ Consider the height to which you want your flowers to grow, and purchase seed from varieties that will attain your chosen height.

This is especially useful if you are trying to hide an area, such as that which houses compost bins. ❋ You can remove any deadheads

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Leave some flowers to mature into seed heads.

Poppies with blue and purple cornflowers.

White cornflowers were also abundant earlier in the year.

foxgloves, the common poppy, wild strawberries, meadowsweet, red campion, buttercups and cowslips. ❋ As well as seeds, remember that some wild flowers, such as bluebells, can be cultivated from corms or bulbs. Don’t be tempted to dig up any flowers from the wild, however, and always buy sustainable source material from a reliable supplier. ❋ If you choose to plant with a school or as part of an improvement scheme in your area you can often get your wild flower seeds for free.

Visit https://www.growwilduk.com for a free seeds offer, some great ideas and even funding options for larger projects.

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GROWING MUSHROOMS

MUSHROOMS ’ s y u g n u f ‘ eally R

Few UK mushroom growers have the hands-on expertise of Richard Mansfield-Clark. Here he uses his many years of experience to advise home farmers how best to grow their own

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ave you ever asked yourself, “What exactly are mushrooms?” Not everyone is aware that mushrooms are neither plant nor animal, but rather a strange blend of the two, inhabiting a kingdom of their very own as fungi.

Estimates of just how many species of fungi exist range from 1–1½ million, of which only 70,000 have actually been identified, and of these around 10,000 are what we refer to as mushrooms.

Out of these, only a very small number are actually edible.

Fungi are the planet’s primary recyclers, returning dead plant and animal matter as life-giving nutrients.

Every garden contains high quantities of fungi, and if you could lay the mycelium cells in a straight line, then 2.5 cubic centimetres of good topsoil would have over 1 mile of mycelium in it. Scaled up, it is estimated that there are billions of tons of it on the planet. In fact, the world’s largest ‘living’ organism is a Honey Fungus covering around 25 square miles in North America.

Mushroom cultivation is by no means a new industry, and the earliest record of cultivating mushrooms dates back to 13th-century China. These early growers used a stone to scratch the bark on logs and then literally rubbed a mushroom into the scratches. Today, we still use a similar but more refined method. The spawn is cultivated under sterile conditions onto wooden dowels, which are then ‘planted’ into holes drilled into logs.

Right: Horse mushrooms.

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So, why grow your own mushrooms rather than buy massproduced ones? Well, you don’t need to read the label to know what you are eating for a start!

Naturally grown mushrooms contain virtually no insecticides, pesticides or fertilisers, and in addition, fungi growing also utilises what would otherwise be low-grade waste products, and also replaces nutrients in the soil.

Edible mushrooms can be cultivated in almost any type of garden environment. You can grow woodland mushrooms on cut logs, and grassland mushrooms under your lawn, and even mushrooms in raised beds of compost alongside your vegetables.

If you are having a broadleaf tree taken down or cut back, and it is healthy and showing no signs of rot, you can certainly utilise it for mushroom growing. Some of the trees suitable to use are oak, alder, poplar, hornbeam, birch and beech. Softer woods such as poplar will crop quicker,

Above: A Lion’s Mane mushroom.

but will give you fewer crops than more dense woods such as oak. If possible, select straight logs, as they make the drilling much easier, and logs of about 10–12cm in diameter and 50cm long are ideal for the purpose. You will need to make sure you have a damp area with dappled shade to ‘plant’ your log, which should be ‘planted’ vertically in the soil to take up moisture. All the essential sugars needed to feed the mushrooms are already within the freshly cut log (see page 48).

Mushrooms can also be grown outdoors in other mediums.

For example, you can grow Wood Blewits and Wine Cap mushrooms in beds along with your vegetables. They will grow in ordinary ‘ground level’ vegetable patches, but for better and quicker results, make up a raised bed and fill it with good topsoil, then mix some

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Top Tips “FUNGI ARE THE PLANET’S PRIMARY RECYCLERS, RETURNING DEAD PLANT AND ANIMAL MATTER AS LIFE-GIVING NUTRIENTS”

Whilst you are waiting for your own mushrooms to crop, you may perhaps be tempted to forage for wild mushrooms, like these Oyster mushrooms (above) growing in a wood. Here are just a few old wives’ tales to bear in mind when doing so. All of them are false and could be very dangerous if used as a foraging maxim: ❋ “Only edible mushrooms peel easily” ❋ “Cooking destroys the poison”

! r e b m e m e R

ither re ne t rather a s room al, bu o, Mush nor anim of the tw eir h plant nge blend dom of t g a stra iting a kin gi. inhab wn as fun o very

FURTHER INFO

❋ “All grassland fungi are edible” ❋ “Slugs only eat edible mushrooms” ❋ “Only mushrooms with spots are poisonous” “If in any doubt, don’t risk it!” – this is the advice you will always get from any good forager, such as Home Farmer’s, David Winnard.

However, growing your own, in addition to being great fun, will ensure that you always know exactly what you are eating!

Richard Mansfield-Clark originally grew mushrooms as a hobby, but friends liked his mushrooms so much it eventually became a business. He now runs the Rustic Mushroom Company and can be found at many country fairs in the Sussex area. To find out more, visit: www.rusticmushrooms.co.uk.

Check out mushrooms in The Home Farmer Store: www.homefarmer.co.uk.

F E B R UA RY 2015

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R YOU OW

O

WN

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•

OW

N!

GR

GROWING MUSHROOMS ON LOGS

• GROW

GROWING MUSHROOMS

YO U R

Some of the mushrooms you can cultivate on logs are Pearl Oyster, Tarragon Oyster, Winter, Shitake, Lion’s Mane and the medicinal Reishi. You can obtain the spawn grown on dowels or grown on grain. For beginners, the dowels are certainly much easier to use.

Shitake mushrooms growing on a log.

well-rotted leaf litter, compost and woodchips into the top 15cm of the soil. The spawn for these species is normally supplied ‘growing’ on rye grain or sawdust. Simply mix the spawn into the soil compost about 10cm below the surface and ensure that the bed is kept moist during any dry spells. Whilst you are waiting for the mushrooms to fruit, you can grow vegetables in the same bed – both beans and rhubarb do very well in the company of mushrooms, as the mushroom spawn converts any nutrients into an easily usable form.

Dependent on the time of year the beds are inoculated, the spawn will take 6–12 months to begin producing tasty mushrooms, and will continue to live quite happily together with vegetables and even flowers! The beds can remain active for several years, and the soil will be greatly improved over this time – why buy mycorrhizal fertiliser when your own patch of edible mushrooms can make it for you whilst producing a crop!

If you have any areas of grass on good soil, you might consider growing Shaggy Inkcaps, Field Mushrooms or Horse Mushrooms. The inoculation method is very similar to that used when growing mushrooms in raised beds. Simply lift the turf, mix compost and spawn into the top 10cm of soil and replace the turf. Keep it well watered until the mushrooms establish. You can then pick your own mushrooms for many years to come.

Provided mushrooms are looked after properly, they have one big advantage over vegetables and other edible crops: they will go dormant during any long periods of bad weather, but will then crop in the following season – most vegetables and other plants will more often than not simply shrivel up and die.

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METHOD 1 Select your log and drill several rows of holes about 10cm apart.

The holes should normally be 8mm in diameter, the same as the dowels, so that they are a tight fit.

2 Tap in the dowels so they are flush with the bark.

3 Plant the logs vertically, with 15cm actually in the ground to help with moisture absorption.

For larger, ‘dumpy’, logs over 25cm in diameter, cut the log in half so you have two equal length pieces. Inoculate around the top edge, with dowels roughly every 12cm, and again 4cm below the original dowels, but staggered to keep the distances between dowels to a minimum. Drill 4 or 5 holes in the top of the log, too, then plant it and place the other half on top as in the Oyster mushroom log photo above. The top log will prevent the lower log from drying out and, over time, the mycelium will spread to the upper log, giving you more mushrooms.

A 25cm-diameter log that is 60cm in length will require about 15 dowels.

The mycelium on the dowels will slowly spread out a ‘root’ network throughout the log, feeding on the sugars that make up the wood. Dependent on the species of mushroom, it can take 9–18 months for the mycelium to fully colonise the log.

The first flush (or crop) will produce a smaller amount of mushrooms, but as the ‘root’ system becomes more vigorous, the yield will increase. Logs can give you 1–3 crops each year, for several years. Some species can even be ‘shocked’ into producing quicker flushes, which works really well with Shitake logs. When you have harvested your first flush of Shitake mushrooms, simply wait 3–4 weeks, then pull the log up and place it in a water-butt or clean pond for 24 hours. Then replant the log in the same place. The shock of the cold water will trigger an extra flush.

The logs can live outdoors all year round but need summer shade and regular watering. The easiest way to describe how best to look after them is to recommend treating them as shade- and moisture-loving plants.

Drilling the holes.

Tapping in the dowels.

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V IABL E SEL F-SUFFICIENC Y

A WAYlholOF LIFE der’s Diary A Smal

Dot Tyne’s diary entries for November include separating ewes from rams and preparations for the Welsh Winter Fair, but a family health crisis calls for time away from the farm 1ST NOVEMBER Dropped Rhian off at the Shoot Lodge for a day’s beating, then carried on to check the sheep and feed the heifers on the mountain. Weighed all the store lambs and marked a few that are ready for slaughter.

Tim sorted out the remains of the apple crop and then took the sound fruit to a local cider maker who had agreed to press them for us. The yield was about five gallons and he kept the apple pulp as payment, which he will feed to his pigs.

Had pheasant pie for dinner, and baked a batch of bread.

4TH NOVEMBER Tim was looking after stock for a neighbour who is away for the day.

Fed the heifers and checked the sheep. Mucked out the Angus x calves in the shed and moved the gates forward to give them a bit more space. Started giving them silage instead of hay – making the yard bigger has allowed us to get the feed barrier in place, so they can self-feed off a round bale.

Arranged for the finished lambs to go to the abattoir collection centre on Sunday.

Baked bread and cooked mincemeat slices.

6TH NOVEMBER 5TH NOVEMBER

2ND NOVEMBER A fairly quiet sort of day: did all the day-to-day animal stuff and then, because the sun was shining, Tim went out to take photos of the different rams with their respective groups of ewes.

Pea and ham soup followed by banoffee pie for dinner.

Churned a batch of butter this evening.

They will need to stay in a confined space for a few days so they can fight over the pecking order before going outside again.

Gathered the small store lambs that have been on the forage rape, then weighed and gave them all a combined fluke and worm dose. They are mostly putting on weight now, but progress with this bunch is very slow.

Booked a pre-movement TB test for the Angus x calves, and got a slot for a week on Friday.

Pheasant casserole for dinner, followed by fireworks!

Gathered in each group of ewes to take the rams out – they have been with the ewes for one full oestrus cycle, plus a few days, so there’s been time for all the ewes to have had the ram at least once.

Tim managed to catch one of the rams in the field with a bucket and a fine rugby tackle! Took the harnesses off the tups and put them all in a yard in the shed.

Have more or less decided that I’ll go and stay with mum and dad for a few days from the 19th. All being well, this should coincide with when dad is discharged from hospital. I can look after them and cook for them for a few days while dad finds his feet again, post-op.

Moved a cattle ring feeder to the rough patch of ground behind the yard, and put a bale of silage in it for the two milkers plus the heifer and her calf, so they can get used to eating the silage before they’re housed for the winter.

3RD NOVEMBER Tim was out for most of the day at a Royal Welsh Spring Festival committee meeting.

Kids to Young Farmers this evening.

Had a phone call from my dad to tell me that his long-awaited heart surgery is now scheduled for the 14th of November. Will have to do some thinking and planning to work out how best to get up there for a few days without everything here grinding to a halt!

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Lambs

Once again, Tim and Dot Tyne will be running their popular residential lambing course held on their small farm in North Wales. This course covers all aspects of the lambing time routine and gives students the confidence required to successfully manage their own flocks through this critical period. Bookings are now being taken, so if you are interested, please contact Tim and Dot, either by phone on 01758 721898, or email info viableselfsufficiency.co.uk.

“THE STOCK RAMS SEEM TO HAVE SORTED OUT THEIR ARGUMENTS WHILE THEY’VE BEEN IN THE SHED, SO WE TURNED THEM OUT AGAIN” F E B R UA RY 2015

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V IABL E SEL F-SUFFICIENC Y 7TH NOVEMBER Checked the sheep and fed the heifers as usual.

Applied for a grant from HCC (Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales) for £500 towards the cost of purchasing an electronic ID ear tag reader for the sheep. Now that most of our ewes have electronic tags this will make data collection and record keeping much easier. Spoke to Border Software, who designed the farm database package that we use, and ordered the new equipment from them. We’ll have to pay a bit on top of the grant, but at least we’ll be able to reclaim the VAT. Put a creep feeder out with the small store lambs – need to get them used to eating concentrates before they come into the shed for finishing.

Clipped the bellies of the lambs going for killing on Sunday – the abattoir insist upon it being done this late in the year, as lambs can get quite muddy, particularly if they’re grazing forage crops.

Prepared food to go in the freezer for the rest of the family to eat while I’m away: three quiches (two to freeze), a batch of lemon biscuits, and also made butter.

8TH NOVEMBER It was a wet, nasty sort of day.

Put raddle harnesses on the four teaser rams (red crayons this time) and put them out with the ewes.

They will mark anything that hasn’t held to the ram, which is a quicker way of identifying the barreners than waiting for scanning in January!

9TH NOVEMBER Checked the sheep – a few red bums already!

Tim took the fat lambs to the collection centre in Caernarfon as

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arranged, only to find that there was no one there! It appears that the load to the abattoir was cancelled but the local fieldsman neglected to tell us. Not happy at all!

10TH NOVEMBER Tim was out all day at a National Sheep Association meeting.

Picked the last of the tomatoes and then cleared all the old plants from the conservatory.

Had a visit from the cider maker who pressed the apples for us last week – he has a borrowed Gloucester Old Spot boar that needs to go home, but he is doubtful if they can load him into the trailer, so he asked if Tim would be able to lend a hand tomorrow afternoon.

Put a vegetable casserole in the oven and then we all went out to a farewell ‘do’ for a neighbour who is emigrating to South Africa. The casserole was done to perfection by the time we got home.

11TH NOVEMBER Collected a batch of feed from the mill and also helped a neighbour move a couple of trailer-loads of round bales.

Tim went to help load the Old Spot boar – he said that the boar just needed a bit of time and patience, and wasn’t actually that hard to load. A few glasses of cider was Tim’s reward!

Baked mackerel for dinner and made a pheasant curry for the freezer.

12TH NOVEMBER The fat lambs that should have gone to Bryncir market on Sunday were taken today. We got £67.40 each for them, which is a pretty decent price.

Made a double batch of bread, and pea and ham soup for the freezer.

Also baked bun loaf and cooked risotto for dinner.

14TH NOVEMBER Spent most of the day on tenterhooks, as dad’s heart op was today. According to my brother, he is doing as well as can be expected. Consoled myself by cooking and doing some bits and pieces of work in the extension.

The vet came to do the first part of the pre-movement TB test for the Angus x calves.

15TH NOVEMBER Tim did the daily stock round for a neighbour today.

Iestyn washed two of his North Country Cheviot lambs ready for the RWAS Winter Fair – they will need plenty of time to dry completely before he can do much else with them.

Put another batch of bread rolls in the freezer, and made roast mutton, spuds and sprouts for dinner.

16TH NOVEMBER Fed the heifers and checked the sheep as usual.

Iestyn washed two more of his Winter Fair lambs and I made a start on halter training the four Welsh lambs we are planning to take. It is going to be a struggle to get them ready for the event, as I will be away from home for most of the rest of the month.

Spent the afternoon cutting, splitting and stacking a load of logs. It’s getting colder and damper now and we really need to have the stove lit in the evenings.

Used up the leftover mutton to make curry for dinner. Also baked fruit biscuits, apple crumble cakes and bread, and churned a batch of butter.

17TH NOVEMBER The vet came back this morning to read the TB test. All clear! Rang the chap who is buying the calves to tell him, and arranged for him to collect them tomorrow afternoon.

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V IABL E SEL F-SUFFICIENC Y The stock rams seem to have sorted out their arguments while they’ve been in the shed, so we turned them out again.

Sorted out the yard they have been in ready to bring the ram lambs in (these are the ones we will rear on to sell as shearling rams next autumn), but it’s too wet to house them today.

The shoulder of mutton provided a third meal – soup this time. Made a batch of rolls.

18TH NOVEMBER Fed the cattle and checked the sheep.

Gathered the small store lambs in and weighed them all. They have made better progress since they were dosed earlier in the month. Kept in about half a dozen that were weighing 35kg or over.

Brought in the ram lambs, weighed and gave them all a worm dose.

The Angus x calves were collected during the afternoon.

We had a busy evening sorting out for tomorrow – Iestyn has an interview for a place at Harper Adams University and I will be heading off to Newcastle to look after my parents.

Made a big pizza for dinner – enough left over for tomorrow – and also cooked biscuits, mincemeat slices and made butter.

19TH NOVEMBER Tim and Iestyn left early for the interview at Harper Adams.

Had a call from a neighbour to let me know that there was a ewe on the road that looked like one of ours. Went up there in the van – it was definitely one of ours. Luckily our neighbour was there, so he was able to give me a hand. We tried to catch her, but she was as wild as a witch, so we settled for turning her into one of his fields for safety. Tim can go back to get her tomorrow.

The new EID reader arrived by special delivery. I will have to sort it out when I get home.

Went to Bangor to catch the train to Newcastle.

sheep. She seems quite happy there, so we’ll get her when the owner of the field gathers his ewes in. Tim also found a few more wandering sheep of ours, so brought them home – they must be getting a bit tight for grass.

21ST NOVEMBER One of Llinos’ Badger Face ewes escaped and ended up in with one of the teaser rams. He promptly jumped on her, but Tim is not convinced that she hasn’t held to the ram – the teaser may have just been a bit overenthusiastic.

It’s Llinos’ birthday today – she’s the ripe old age of fourteen! She had a couple of friends round to stay the night… and Tim coped admirably.

It’s the first time I have ever missed one of my children’s birthdays.

25TH NOVEMBER Got home from Newcastle this evening.

It’s good to be home!

26TH NOVEMBER Tim was away all day at the biennial Sheep Health and Welfare conference, which was held near Stafford this year. He had a nightmare drive there, being stuck on the motorway for more than two hours as part of a twenty-mile tailback caused by heavy traffic and a burning lorry.

I fed the heifers, checked the sheep, and spent most of the rest of the day tidying up and sorting out after having been away.

Did a bit of halter training with the Winter Fair lambs – they are all total nutcases!

27TH NOVEMBER A busy sheep day: gathered all the ewes and pulled out the teasers; took the harnesses off and put them out with the stock rams; sorted out all the ewes that have been marked by the teasers, and so are not in lamb. Because of the difficulties we

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28TH NOVEMBER A very long day today – taking Iestyn all the way to Cambridge for a university interview. While we were away Tim clipped the Welsh lambs that are going to the show next week.

29TH NOVEMBER Spent most of the day sorting out things, ready to leave for the Winter Fair tomorrow. Iestyn clipped his second lamb while I washed the faces, legs, tails and bottoms of the Welsh lambs, and then gathered together all the paraphernalia that we need to take.

We’ve booked into a B & B for two nights, so at least we have no need to take camping stuff and bedding with us.

Cooked a large joint of pork for the rest of the family to eat while Iestyn and I are at the show, and baked a batch of bread, too.

30TH NOVEMBER

20TH NOVEMBER Tim took the tractor to be looked at, as it was leaking hydraulic oil.

The mechanic seemed to think that the reservoir may have been overfilled, so they drained it, and then refilled to the correct level – this seemed to do the trick. Tim went to get the stray ewe only to find that she had done a runner! He found her several fields further from home, and in with someone else’s

had with rams last month, there are more empty sheep than we can afford to carry, so we decided to put these to the ram again, and have a later lambing group. All those that were not marked by the teasers, and so are hopefully pregnant, were given a drench for liver fluke and then taken back to the mountain. They will stay there until scanning time in January.

Iestyn clipped one of his Winter Fair lambs this evening – of the four lambs he is taking, one pair need to be trimmed and the other pair brushed.

D I p e e h S

t men quip tags e e n ic e ng th Havi d electro will mak d r a s to re ep’s ear and reco e in sh ollection easier. c data g much in keep

Left for Builth Wells at about 9.30am. Had a good trip down and got the lambs safely unloaded and settled in. It was pretty chilly on the showground this evening, but not as cold as I have known it to be. Iestyn gave both the trimmed lambs a onceover with the clippers and gave the other two a good brushing. I decided to leave the Welsh lambs alone until tomorrow morning – they are pretty stressed about being away from home, so I don’t want to make things harder for them.

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POULT RY

WINTER CARE h c a o r p p a e s n e s n o m m o Ac There are many ways of helping chickens through winter, winter but some are more for a keeper’s satisfaction than hen welfare. Terry Beebe considers a common-sense approach to winter chicken keeping

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very year, with the onset of winter, come the usual concerns about welfare: questions abound, such as how to keep the birds warm; what to do when temperatures drop well below zero; and how to make sure the birds get enough to drink as the water freezes. To be honest, the only issue of real concern should be with regard to drinking water freezing, as a supply of fresh water in winter is only marginally less important than in summer.

A trend in recent years has been the provision of clothing for chickens, but putting birds in coats and jumpers or hi-viz waterproof jackets is certainly not going to help them through the winter. Buy them by all means, if you really must, but, to be honest, it’s really a complete waste of time and money; it may even hinder them from fleeing if a predator does get into the pen – although I’m not sure a hi-viz jacket would make them any more visible to Mr Fox, whose eyesight is already pretty sharp! We do often view animals as having human characteristics, but needing clothing is going a bit too far.

What next? Hard hats and clipboards to carry out their own health and safety assessments? Chickens have survived for a long time with only their feathers for protection – they even go through an annual moult to ensure they are up to the job!

There is a suggestion that jackets or coats can prevent bullying, and may prevent the pecking of feathers to a limited extent, but this is really a question of good husbandry rather than fashion sense, and I doubt very much it can make a significant difference; anyway, trying to keep an ‘outdoor bird’ warm outdoors is just something I find rather strange.

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In the USA they even have nappies for chickens – yes, nappies – although they call them ‘diapers’. They are often put on the birds so they can come inside the house. Even with a ‘diaper’ this has to be unhygienic, and it can’t be good for a bird’s health, either! The temperature variation from the cold outside to the warm inside will quickly create problems for a bird’s body, possibly causing an extra moult or enabling an infection to get a hold, meaning unnecessary vet’s bills and the bird’s health being put at risk. Remember – a hen is a farmed animal and not like a dog!

Let’s put this matter to rest by stating that birds are perfectly well kitted out to withstand very cold temperatures and survive better in the cold than in excess heat. What can be a real a problem, though, is the coop or housing. Chickens need to be able to roost in a dry and wellventilated environment without being subject to damp and draughts. Ironically, the excess warmth that builds up in the coop, especially during the long winter nights as they huddle together, can encourage vermin to enter the coop and

might also increase the likelihood of parasites building up.

As outdoor birds, the plumage on virtually all chickens gives them the protection they need, although this can be a problem when it comes to certain breeds such as the Frizzle Feather. Birds with a frizzle plumage simply do not have the feather coverage of a standard chicken, so any frizzle breed will need extra protection from the excess wet and cold of winter due to a lack of density in the feather formation.

During the course of the day, chickens will find their own comfort zone – they will take cover if that is what they need to do, or if they prefer they may just decide to stand out in the rain and snow, and in most cases with no ill effects. As a keeper, your role is to provide them with the appropriate shelter so it is there if they choose to use it. As the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water…” You can also do this with a chicken, but the same applies! However, once they do go inside for the night to roost, the housing must be right, and that means clean, too!

Spend the money on dust-free shavings and a good sanitiser such as BioDri rather than clothing.

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“CHICKENS NEED TO BE ABLE TO ROOST IN A DRY AND WELL-VENTILATED ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT BEING SUBJECT TO DAMP AND DRAUGHTS”

Fun Fact!

In the USA th ey e nappies for ch ven have ickens – although the y call them ‘diapers’ – so the come inside th birds can e house!

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POULT RY One of the main concerns is when water freezes, and it can stay frozen for many days.

Replacing the water regularly will keep up a continuous supply, and provided the birds have ready access to water there should be no problems. There is no 100% certain method of preventing water from freezing, even if it is kept indoors, but you can buy heaters that the drinker stands in – these will prevent water from freezing, but come at a price.

COMB AND WATTLES These are some of the more sensitive parts of a chicken, and can be a concern, especially for birds with a large single comb. Freezing temperatures can cause serious damage to the extremities of the comb and wattles, and in extreme cases these can actually fall off as a result of frostbite, which is not fatal but very painful, and also very detrimental if you are planning to show the bird. To prevent such damage, apply a layer of petroleum jelly to the comb and wattles, as this will give a certain amount of barrier protection against low temperatures, especially in the morning before leaving a warm coop, when temperatures are particularly low.

Check the weather forecast each night so you are always forewarned, and act accordingly for as long as any really cold spell lasts.

And don’t forget that the comb can also serve as an indicator of a bird’s health. If it appears to be paler, darker, going a purple colour, or generally looks unusual in appearance, it can be a sign of illness.

PREDATORS AND RODENTS As the temperature drops it generally affects all wildlife – rodents and other predators look for food and warmth, and chickens are an easy target; there

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Above: Frostbite on a comb.

Above right: Applying petroleum jelly to the wattle.

is usually food and warmth available, so rats and mice will soon move in to create a winter retreat. This must be prevented as quickly as possible, as getting rid of them once established is very difficult.

Traps and poison are really the only effective way, but making sure the housing is as secure as possible will help – check locks, hinges and the quality of the wood (in the case of wooden housing); soft, damp wood can be chewed away to gain easy access. Rodents can usually gain access to most places quite easily, so try to keep the coop and run areas clean and free from rubbish, especially spilt food and anything else that might attract them. An untidy run will offer hiding places for vermin, which like to keep themselves concealed. Clear away anything that will provide them with cover. In addition to offering winter flood protection, raised housing will also reduce the opportunity for rodents to conceal themselves beneath the coop.

Cats are a great way to keep an area free from smaller predators and vermin, as long as they are not too domesticated.

Foxes will also be hungry in winter, and will even attack in broad daylight if sufficiently hungry. Make sure fences and coops are all in good order, and always lock up your birds securely at night. Remember, too, that it goes dark very early in winter, so if you do not get back from work until after 5pm, this means that your birds will be vulnerable in the housing for over an hour. If this is the case, see if a friendly neighbour might lock them in as soon as they go to roost at about 4pm.

INSIDE THE COOP BEDDING The best bedding is always good quality, dust-free, softwood shavings. Hardwood shavings can cause injury through wood splinters, which can hurt and damage a bird’s feet, and hardwood shavings do not soak up damp as well as softwood shavings. Make sure they are dust free, too, as this will reduce the likelihood of respiratory problems. Do not use straw or hay inside the coop – they may look both comfortable and attractive, but they sweat and go mouldy very quickly, and they also provide very good hiding opportunities for parasites and smaller rodents. You can, however, put down a layer of straw in the run or pen during wet weather to soak up excess mud and keep your birds’ feet dry – this can avoid health problems and the unpleasant chore of cleaning off caked mud at a later date.

Softwood shavings are easy to turn over and keep reasonably fresh, and are easy to compost (or burn) once soiled. The use of a sanitiser, such as BioDri, beneath the shavings (just cover the floor before laying down the bedding) will help to keep the coop both dry and fresh while reducing ammonia and dampness in the air that can become a major problem at this time of the year.

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POULT RY

Remember!

As a keeper, your role is to provide the b irds appropriate sh with the elt there if they ch er so it is oose to use it.

FEED AND ADDITIVES During the winter it is a good idea to give a few extra treats – maize or corn in the afternoon will help to create a little extra body heat when they roost – and extra additives with the feed or water will boost their vitamin intake and help them get through this bleak time of the year with fewer ailments. Poultry Tonic from Biolink, and Verm-X’s Poultry Zest, contain all the essential ingredients to help the birds through this stressful time, and neither contain any chemicals.

Treats should be kept to a minimum, as the birds’ diet needs to be correct and balanced, whether pellet or mash.

Any treats should include extra vitamins and minerals and not be just kitchen scraps with no additional health benefits.

Chickens will, of course, eat any scraps and leave the proper balanced nutrition that they really need in the feeder.

Keeping chickens at this time of the year requires a certain amount of dedication – getting out of bed early, getting dressed, putting on wellies and then walking out into a blizzard really can test your

poultry-keeping dedication! Although this does go on for a few months, there are still plenty of good times, with more to come in spring, and bringing your birds through these bleak periods does give satisfaction and pleasure, although the reward of eggs can be few and far between.

As you prepare for winter, especially if this is your first winter as a chicken keeper, just remember to relax! Chickens are surprisingly adaptable birds, and it’s fun to watch just how well they can handle the cold with only a little assistance from a keeper.

WINTER PRECAUTIONS ❋ Keep the coop clean and fresh. ❋ Make sure that there is adequate ventilation inside the coop. ❋ By all means cover the coop with a tarpaulin with some old carpet beneath it to keep it dry and warm, but do not cover ventilation holes. ❋ Keep petroleum jelly and vitamins to hand. ❋ Keep all food in proper, rodent-proof containers. ❋ Make sure that drinking water is fresh and liquid. If you have an automatic system, consider using a simple drinker as the temperature drops. If you are out at work all day, try to get a neighbour to check things, or add a little glycerine to the water – although, the birds may decide not to drink it.

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❋ Tidy up regularly so you can see what is happening on the ground. ❋ Use a sealed feeder, such as those available from Grandpa’s Feeders, if possible. Rodents and birds – carriers of bird flu – will be hungry too, and keen to eat alongside your birds, if permitted to do so. ❋ Keep an eye on the coop and fencing – if any damage occurs, repair it as best you can, dependent on the weather, with a note to do a more permanent repair in spring, if required. ❋ Keep an eye on your birds – remember that any out-ofcharacter behaviour needs investigating and could be a sign of future problems. ❋ By and large, do things as you have done them over the rest of the

year, but be a little more observant, clean the housing and replace the bedding a little more frequently, and try to make sure that drinking water is always available. In a nutshell, this should ensure that your birds remain content and happy. ❋ And finally, if using any form of clothing for your hens, remember to wash and iron it regularly, and if inviting them inside, hide the TV remote control!

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BRI TAIN’S R ARE BREEDS

OLD ENGLISH GAME FOWL Terry Beebe takes a look at Old English Game fowl – descendants of earlier fighting breeds

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ld English Game fowl may date back to Roman times.

There is even a recorded comment by Julius Caesar about Britons keeping birds for pleasure, but the exact origins are uncertain. They may have been brought here for use in cockfighting. These birds would have weighed 3–4lb, but similar birds also served as normal chickens, as it was common for gamecocks to breed with farm chickens.

This produced a variety of crossbred game birds, which soon became popular.

Parliament banned cockfighting in 1849, and game birds proved popular in show pens.

The breed is now mainly kept by serious and passionate enthusiasts, who breed them to a very high standard solely for the purpose of exhibiting.

The Oxford Old English Game fowl and the Carlisle Old English Game fowl are large, hard feather birds, which differ mainly with regard to shape and body type – especially the difference in length of the back. The breed also comes in an amazing selection of colours, with around thirty variations, some found only in this breed.

Categories include Fig-Pudding, Yellow Birchen, Black Breasted Red, Streaky Breasted Orange Red and Black Breasted Dark Grey, plus many others. Each colour is recognised and stated in the UK breed standard, but in the show pen they are judged on type, condition, appearance and balance – colour is not important. They must, however, look proud, defiant and be active, with very quick movements.

You need lots of space to keep these birds, as they require room to free range. They love to roost and will readily climb high trees, coming

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down only when ready. Cocks can be aggressive, and although I have had several running together, they do not always bond and may need to be separated, especially when reaching maturity – another reason why they require space. Hens make good mothers and are good layers, producing eggs for most of the year, but cocks can be aggressive towards chicks, so separating them from hens and chicks is a wise precaution.

A Carlisle Game cock.

BREED DESCRIPTION All Old English are classed as ‘hard feather’ with four toes. They lay tinted eggs. Effectively, birds must be in a condition to carry out their original purpose, which in the case of game birds was fighting, even though it has now been illegal for over 150 years – hence the term ‘fighting fit’.

OXFORD OLD ENGLISH Male weight – 1.8–2.5kg (4–5½lb) Female weight – 0.9–1.36kg (2–3lb) CARLISLE OLD ENGLISH Male weight – up to 2.94kg (6½lb) Female weight – 2.5kg (5½lb) BANTAM OLD ENGLISH Male weight – 620–740g (22–26oz) Female weight – 510–620g (18–22oz) For more information, visit The Poultry Club website www.poultryclub.org

OLD ENGLISH GAME BANTAMS Although they have the same name as the larger breeds, these are actually a separate breed.

The bantam is stockier and obviously a lot smaller. The body shape is also very different, with the bantam breed boasting a very wide breast and a narrowing off to the rear at the tail. The Old English Game bantam is bred mainly for exhibition, but they lay reasonably well, although the eggs are small.

The advantage of bantams is that they do not need the same space as large fowl, although they, too, are sprightly and bold. However, unlike the larger birds, bantams are bred to a standard colour, with variations including Spangle, Black Red, Duckwing, Brown Red, Self Black, Blue, Furness, Crele and Grey all taken into account when judging.

There are twenty-three colours cited in the British Poultry Standards book, so you have a wide choice.

Whatever the colour, these birds are a pleasure to both see and keep.

They are a part of our heritage and can even serve as a multi-purpose bird – they produce good white meat – but don’t expect the same results that you might achieve with today’s commercial breeds.

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POL L INATORS

POLLINATORS butterflies d n a s h t o m , s e e B

Claire Waring concludes her fascinating glimpse into the life cycle of pollinators SOLITARY BEES I first became aware of solitary bees many years ago when I thought I saw a honeybee foraging on a buttercup.

I didn’t think this was a flower that they visited, and, on closer inspection, I saw that rather than having pollen packed in neat parcels on its hind legs, this bee’s legs were encased in pollen like little yellow plus fours. From that moment I was hooked. I found out that there are more than 200 species of solitary bee here in Britain. Like honeybees, they feed on nectar and pollen. However, unlike honeybees, they have a solitary lifestyle and, like bumblebees, an annual life cycle.

The bee I probably know best is Osmia rufa, better known as the mason bee. This is a small but fairly robust bee, which is the one that uses the nest tubes that you can buy. A mated female chooses a tube, collects nectar and pollen, and makes a pad at the end of the tube.

She then lays an egg. The next step, in her case, is to collect mud, bring it back to the nest and use it to make a barrier across the tube, forming a cell with enough space for the developing larva and the adult. Then she starts again,

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and continues until she reaches and seals the tube entrance. We have a set of tubes outside our back door and I can spend ages watching the activity.

Having filled one tube, the female then moves on to another until, presumably worn out, she dies. Another species, the Megachilid or leaf-cutter bee, uses pieces of leaf to form its cells. Sadly, so far I’ve seen neither Osmia nor Megachilid collecting nesting material, but I live in hope of spotting them one day.

The eggs and resulting larvae are then completely on their own. The larva hatches, feeds on the food reserves and then spins a cocoon. Metamorphosis takes place, and the adult is formed and overwinters in its cocoon. Then, in the spring, it chews its way out and the cycle begins once more. Males and females are produced in the same way as for the Below left: Newly formed Osmia rufa adults overwinter in their cocoons. In the spring they chew their way out and emerge from the nest tube.

Below: Unfertilised eggs that produce male Osmia rufa are laid at the top end of the nest tube so they emerge first in the spring. As soon as a female appears at the entrance, she is mobbed by potential suitors.

Below right: The smaller male Osmia rufa eventually mounts the female.

honeybee. The female lays fertilised eggs at the back end of the tube to produce females, and unfertilised (male) ones at the front, so that the males emerge first in the spring.

The males first feed on some nectar and then return to the nest site to compete for the best vantage points from which to pounce on emerging females to mate. I’ve watched little clouds of them flying backwards and forwards in front of the tubes. The females appear to be more interested in going out foraging, and I have been kept amused watching them. A female will poke her head out of the tube, immediately attracting the attention of the males, so she disappears back inside. Eventually she will look out and the males will be otherwise engaged, so she shoots out like a bullet!

However, females do need to mate, and this occurs on a surface rather than in the air like honeybees. I have often seen couples near our nest tubes.

The males are smaller than the females and sit on top. Even when I have watched them for ages, I’ve never actually seen a male move and mate. However, they must do so because the females fill the tubes again and the cycle continues.

We have a patch of everlasting sweet peas at the front of our house,

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“CATERPILLARS ARE EATING MACHINES, STARTING TO FEED AS SOON AS THEY HATCH”

! e n Alo

d s an e i l f r life tte s, bu e-stage e e re he eyb hon ave a th hat of t e e k i c t L hs h like kes pla e. t n o u t r a m , bu his t ental ca e t l c , y e c par eybe hon ut any o with

While some caterpillars blend into their surroundings, others, such as these cinnabar moth caterpillars, are brightly coloured, warning potential predators that they are poisonous.

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POL L INATORS

which are favourites of the Megachilids.

Here the males patrol the patch of flowers and dive on any unsuspecting females coming to feed.

One of the fascinating things about solitary bees is the different ways they collect pollen. Some, like the one I saw on the buttercup, transfer it to their hind legs. These have hairs all over the joints so that the pollen completely surrounds the leg. Some pollen-loads spread over the first leg joint as well. Other species have a dense mass of hairs on the underside of their abdomen (the scopa)

Above top left: Some solitary bees, such as the Osmia species, have stiff hairs on the underside of the abdomen, which are used to collect pollen that has stuck to other parts of the body.

Above left: A butterfly has a long proboscis, allowing it to suck nectar from the bottom of flowers with long corollas.

Some flowers are designed specifically to be pollinated by a particular insect.

Above: Megachilids (leaf-cutter bees) mating.

into which the pollen is brushed, so they end up with yellow backsides! Because solitary bees collect pollen all over their bodies, it makes them very efficient pollinators.

FURTHER INFORMATION ❋ BWARS (the Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society – www.bwars.com) has several useful fact-sheets, including one on building a bee hotel and several seasonal guides on gardening for bees. ❋ The website of the Butterfly Conservation Trust (www.butterfly-conservation.org) has a list of the 100 best plants for butterflies as well as other useful information on caterpillar food plants and plants to attract moths. You can also use their interactive tool to help identify butterflies and moths you have seen in your garden.

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BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS Both butterflies and moths also act as pollinators, with some flowers such as buddleia and honeysuckle seemingly being designed for them. With long tongues, these insects can reach the nectaries deep in the flower, and as they do so, pollen grains stick to their bodies and these are then deposited on the female parts of the next flower that they visit.

Like honeybees, butterflies and moths have a three-stage life cycle, but this takes place without any parental care. The adult usually has a short lifespan, although some hibernate over winter. In fact, we currently have a small tortoiseshell tucked up in our bedroom window.

The mated female spends time looking for the right plant, which will act as a food source for the larva or caterpillar.

She then lays her eggs on this. Eggs may be laid singly or in small clumps, and the female will generally lay several hundred over a short period. Eggs are a bit like pollen grains in that their size, colour and shape can be used to identify the species.

However, many are very small, so you will need a good magnifying glass to do this. The eggs are very vulnerable and up to 99 per cent of them can be eaten by birds or killed by mites, bugs, ichneumon

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Right: These egg cases were under a beehive roof.

A caterpillar is emerging, and one of the first things it will do is to eat the egg case for the minerals it contains.

Far right: This privet hawkmoth caterpillar is holding on with its four pairs of prolegs and clasper. Its three pairs of true legs can be seen near the head.

flies or disease. Those that survive, hatch into caterpillars after a development time of several days, or even up to several months.

Caterpillars are eating machines, starting to feed as soon as they hatch.

Firstly, they consume their egg case, which is a source of essential vitamins.

Then they move on to the vegetation on which their egg was laid, recognising the correct food plant using chemical receptors in the hairs on their ‘face’.

A caterpillar’s jaws (mandibles) move from side to side, like those of a honeybee, and they are used to cut through the leaf or bark. The caterpillar has three pairs of true legs at the front, and these will eventually become the six legs of the adult. Four pairs of prolegs (unjointed, fleshy protuberances found on the abdomen of certain insect larvae) can be found along the rest of the body, and these, together with an anal clasper at the back end, are used to hold on.

Some caterpillars are camouflaged to try to avoid predation, while others take the opposite approach, being brightly coloured to warn predators that they are poisonous, or at least have a nasty taste.

While most change to the adult form before winter, others will hibernate until the following spring. You may find some feeding in grassy tussocks during milder weather.

Metamorphosis from a caterpillar to an adult takes place within a chrysalis.

The caterpillar usually moults four times during its life, the new skin initially being soft to allow for growth. When the skin hardens, it then splits and the process is repeated. After the caterpillar has absorbed the necessary amount of nutrients, it changes to an adult.

Chrysalises have different shapes and colours, but it is not always easy to use these traits to identify the species, as they can be very similar, particularly those found in soil, which are generally brown and very similar in shape. Within the chrysalis, the caterpillar is transformed into a kind of ‘soup’, with the cells being rearranged into the adult form.

Again, some adults hatch quickly, while others overwinter in the chrysalis form, emerging the following spring.

When the adult emerges, its body is soft and its wings are crumpled. It pumps fluid through the veins to extend and strengthen its wings, which then dry and become useable. This process can take a couple of hours, and until it is complete and the adult can fly off, the newly formed insect is vulnerable to predators.

We have fifty-nine resident butterfly species in Britain, plus a few migrants flying here from continental Europe and North Africa. Occasionally, monarch butterflies arrive from across the Atlantic, but these are usually blown here accidentally by autumn gales.

Although they do not collect pollen to eat or feed to their young, as honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees do, the activity of adult butterflies and moths makes them important pollinators that should be encouraged into your garden.

NEXT MONTH An adult monarch butterfly.

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We return to bee-keeping and look at how you can build your own beehive.

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NU TRIT ION

THE FACTS e e r f n e t u l g d about gl uten an

According to a recent survey of 50,000 shoppers by shopping and comparison site, www.mySupermarket.co.uk, there was a 1.5% increase, from 10.86% to 12.4%, in the number of shoppers buying gluten-free products between November 2013 and November 2014. Sales of gluten-free products across all the major supermarkets also now account for 10% of all sales, a rise of 1%, since the same time last year.

There is a certain view that wheat products are not really a natural part of our diet, but rather a consequence of our move away from a mobile hunter-gatherer society to an immobile agrarian one, with growing centres of population fed by organised agriculture, to which grain production is well suited. The medical profession often seems uncertain as to the exact effects of gluten on some members of the population, but for those who describe themselves as intolerant it is very real. We sent Dave Hamilton, armed with a degree in Nutrition and Food Science, to investigate the matter further

T

he gluten intolerance trend seems to be rising. Many bigname celebrities such as Geri Halliwell, Scarlett Johansson, Novak Djokovic (who attributes his tennis success to a gluten-free diet), Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus all choose to pursue a wheat-free diet. So, is it real or just a passing fad?

WHAT IS THE TRUTH? Unless you have been living under a rock for the past twenty years you may have noticed a huge rise in those choosing to, or indeed having to, give up wheat and gluten. It seems to have become a pariah in foodie circles and can be blamed for all kinds of symptoms, from bloating and stomach cramps to general fatigue. However, this is not without controversy; some doctors claim that it may merely be a food fad, made up in part by the media and further fuelled by large food companies selling gluten-free products, some of which are highly processed and full of fat and sugar.

The main problem lies with the vague and generally non-specific

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symptoms experienced by those with gluten intolerance, making a proper diagnosis almost impossible. Others claim they have seen major changes after giving up wheat − they have more energy, they are less bloated and they even have an increased sense of wellbeing. So, what are the facts?

WHAT IS GLUTEN? Put simply, gluten is a mix of two proteins: gliadin and glutenin − one is long and the other short. When bread

is kneaded, the long ones form long chains and the shorter ones link these together, rather like a microscopic series of ladders. This is what gives bread its springiness. It is also the reason why many gluten-free breads are much denser than their wheat-based counterparts.

There are different amounts of gluten in different kinds of wheat.

The highest content is in durum wheat, and there is a lesser amount in older grains such as spelt. Rye and barley also contain differing amounts of gluten, Left: A selection of cereals.

Below: Most commercially manufactured pasta is made with durum wheat.

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“UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A HUGE RISE IN THOSE CHOOSING TO, OR INDEED HAVING TO, GIVE UP WHEAT AND GLUTEN”

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NU TRIT ION

COELIAC DISEASE AND GLUTEN INTOLERANCE There are two main groups of people who experience a problem with gluten − those with coeliac disease and those who are gluten intolerant. For someone with coeliac disease, eating wheat causes an excessive immune response.

That is to say the body sees gluten in the same way it would see a virus or bacteria and it tries to rid itself of it.

This can cause all kinds of problems, including chronic and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, vomiting, severe constipation, weight loss, a pale and foul-smelling or fatty stool, and extreme fatigue.

Needless to say, if you or your child experience the above symptoms, a visit to the doctor will be in order!

For gluten intolerance, the symptoms are far less severe and a lot wider

ranging. Some sources attribute over 250 symptoms to gluten intolerance, but the main symptoms cited include bloating, cramps, headaches and fatigue.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) AND GLUTEN INTOLERANCE Irritable bowel syndrome and gluten often seem to go hand in hand, and it can be one of the main symptoms that something is wrong. However, things seem to get a bit muddy in this respect and it would appear that there aren’t that many clear answers. From my own research I have found: ❋ Some of the symptoms of IBS and coeliac disease are the same. ❋ About 4% of those diagnosed with IBS may have coeliac disease

which will cause problems for those with coeliac disease. Rice, corn, quinoa and buckwheat are all gluten-free, as are oats, but there can be problems with cross-contamination because they are sometimes processed in the same places as wheat. This is why you sometimes see ‘gluten-free’ oats – usually for twice the price of normal oats!

WHAT’S THE HARM? So, what if it is all in the head of the sufferer? Is there any real harm in giving up wheat? Well, the short answer is both yes and no. Wheat contains many nutrients that we may not get too easily from elsewhere.

These include iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, niacin and selenium.

If we take selenium as an example, it is available in high proportions in other foods such as Brazil nuts, oysters and tuna, but we don’t eat these every day. In fact, because of the levels of

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However, having IBS doesn’t mean that wheat is the problem; it could be stress or another element of the diet.

The British Medical Journal also says that self-diagnosis can be harmful, as it may lead to missing out on some vital nutrients which we get from wheat.

heavy metals in foods such as tuna and oysters, it is actually recommended that we don’t eat them every day!

However, it seems that cutting out wheat means we may make healthier choices. Wheat is often processed, and processed food is frequently high in sugar and fat. No wheat means no doughnuts, no pizzas, no takeaway sandwiches (which can be very high in fat and salt) and, of course, no cakes. Without the spikes of energy from a sugar-rich diet, you may well be left feeling healthier and more energetic.

Also, a switch to older grains such as einkorn and spelt might mean that healthier choices are made and sugarfree or fat-free options chosen.

REAL OR NOT, SHOULD I GIVE UP WHEAT?

WHICH IS WHICH? CONTAINS GLUTEN

GLUTEN-FREE

Wheat

Corn/maize

Barley

Quinoa

Rye

Rice

Some oats

Buckwheat

(but only if processed in the same factory as wheat) *

(especially when they also have diarrhoea). ❋ Following a stomach bug, it is possible to temporarily suffer the symptoms of IBS. During this time wheat may aggravate the symptoms, but at other times it might be absolutely fine.

So, should you give up wheat?

Well, the answer is that it is entirely up to you. No one can dictate what you eat, but if you feel good, then why stop? You could, however, try introducing healthier wheat options – buy fresh organic bread rather than heavily processed supermarket bread, * Oats are usually only a problem for those with coeliac disease and not for those with gluten intolerance.

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or better still, bake your own. Instead of wraps and shop-bought sandwiches, make your own, or cook a wholemeal pasta salad. In other words, give up junk, not wheat. If you do have problems, then, by all means, try a wheat-free diet, but bear in mind the fact that if any food is suddenly eliminated from your diet it could create a nutritional hole which was once filled by the ingredients contained in that food. If, however, that hole is to be filled by healthier choices, then that would be no bad thing!

The food writer Michael Pollan lays down some very simple ‘rules’: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” He goes on to explain food as something your grandmother (or greatgrandmother, for younger readers) would recognise.

ROAST VEGETABLES AND TAHINI DRESSING WITH…

This simple recipe can be accompanied by wheat (couscous) or quinoa, or any other grain, whether gluten-free or not, for that matter. It certainly meets all the requirements of a balanced meal.

INGREDIENTS Vegetables (2 handfuls per person) Grain of your choice (couscous, bulgar wheat, quinoa, rice, etc.)

Mixed spice seeds (masala mix – if you can find it – or coriander, cumin, cardamoms, cloves, etc.)

Olive oil

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FOR THE DRESSING 1 tbsp tahini Hot water Soy sauce Chilli powder (optional)

METHOD 1

2 3 4

5 6 7

Take some seasonal vegetables – whatever you have to hand – and cut them into 1.5cm (approx.) cubes.

Toss the vegetables in olive oil until they are completely covered.

Sprinkle enough of the spice seeds (or spices) to cover.

Put in a preheated oven set at 180°C until the vegetables are all cooked – this should take about 20 minutes.

For the dressing, put the tahini in a cup and pour in a little hot water, stirring all the time.

Continue adding water until it reaches the consistency of batter.

Add a few drops of soy sauce and a little chilli (if using).

Serve the vegetables over the grain of your choice, together with the sauce.

‘ Placebo’ and ‘Nocebo’

There can be a very strong ‘placebo’ effect when a certain food is eliminated. However, the reverse can also be true − the ‘nocebo’ effect is when a food which is believed to be harmful makes a person develop very real symptoms. This is often referred to as ‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’, following an experiment where people blamed monosodium glutamate (MSG) for a range of symptoms, including headaches and palpitations. However, they often had the symptoms after simply believing they were eating food with MSG, but were symptom-free after eating food with MSG! I have even experienced this myself after having eaten perfectly safe mushrooms, but then suddenly doubting the accuracy of my earlier identification. I began to develop a sweat and felt nauseous, but as soon as I phoned a good friend and mycologist who identified the mushroom as safe, I felt fine once more. Perhaps more shockingly still, a proportion of cancer patients, after receiving the diagnosis of their condition, find the news so hard to process that they die long before the malignancy actually takes hold.

This is of course just a very odd quirk of human nature, but it doesn’t make the reaction any more or less real to the person eating the suspected poison − in this case wheat.

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GRAND TOUR ! s e i h c n u m ’ s d n idla M

LizzieB travels to the Midlands and produces a spicy Asian delight developed in 1970s Birmingham and traditional Coventry God Cakes

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rom Nottinghamshire in the east to Shropshire in the west, and from Derbyshire in the north to Worcestershire in the south, the ‘Midlands’ covers a huge geographic area, and some of these counties are so rich in their own wonderful culinary heritage that I shall be featuring them in their own right later in the year. But this month, on behalf of the Midlands, I am featuring the city of Birmingham and one of its nearest neighbours, Coventry.

In 1824, John Cadbury opened a shop selling cocoa and his own drinking chocolate, then a few years later he opened a factory producing a range of cocoa-based products, but it wasn’t until 1875 that Cadbury began production of its very first solid chocolate bar.

Birmingham was also instrumental in the production of citric acid from imported limes from the West Indies, and this month’s first recipe celebrates the links between the Caribbean and what is possibly the Midlands’ most famous food product… chocolate.

chocolate rather than the traditional dark chocolate, and the result is a very subtle and creamy mousse, but if you prefer you can easily switch the milk chocolate for dark chocolate.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4–6 170g Cadbury’s milk chocolate 40g sugar 6 egg whites Freshly whipped cream 1 tbsp fresh lime juice The zest of 1 lime

METHOD 1

2

3

4 5

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water to melt the chocolate.

Put the egg whites and the lime juice into a large clean bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and whisk until the peaks stiffen.

Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and whisk in 1/3 of the egg whites – it is important to mix quickly to blend the ingredients.

Fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture until blended, but be careful not to mix out the air.

Place into glasses or ramekins and chill in the fridge for 1–2 hours.

To serve, decorate with freshly whipped cream and the lime zest.

CHOCOLATE AND LIME MOUSSE Unusually, this mousse is made with milk

LIZZIEB’S TIP! This is a great recipe to adapt with your own preferred flavourings, so why not add 1 tablespoon of your favourite tipple in place of the lime and top with grated chocolate, or replace the lime juice and zest with orange for a chocolate orange mousse.

LOST CULINARY GEMS OF THE MIDLANDS A number of iconic British foods had their origins in the Midlands, but are no longer in production in the area. These include Bird’s Custard, HP Sauce and Typhoo Tea. ❋ In the 1830s, Alfred Bird invented ‘Bird’s Custard Powder’. This is thought to have been created for his wife, who was allergic to eggs. The Bird’s factory opened in Birmingham, and by the 1890s was also manufacturing baking powder, blancmange and jelly powder. Now it is manufactured elsewhere under the Kraft label. ❋ The original recipe for HP Sauce was created in Nottingham, but was sold to The Midlands Vinegar Company (based in Birmingham) in the early 1900s, when the factory began mass-producing HP Sauce. Manufacture of the sauce is now solely in Europe. ❋ The Typhoo Tea brand began its life in the Midlands, but is now based in Merseyside.

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Fact!

The ‘Midlands’ is a huge geographic area. It includes counties such as Nottingham shire, Shropshire, Derbyshire and Worcestershire, amongst others.

“FOR MANY, BIRMINGHAM, AND POSSIBLY SPARKBROOK, IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE BALTI…”

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CHICKEN BALTI

For many, Birmingham, and possibly Sparkbrook, is the birthplace of the balti, a curry named after the pan in which it is cooked − a large, cast-iron, doublehandled pot. It is described as a lighter, healthier curry, almost like a stir-fry.

It is thought to have been developed in the late 1970s in a number of the city’s curry houses, and can be made using a variety of meats, although the Chicken Balti is now one of the nation’s all-time favourites.

A balti is traditionally served in a balti bowl, which is thought to keep the curry warm and more flavoursome, and it should be eaten without cutlery, using just a naan bread to scoop it up and eat it. A recent application from the city to the EU Protected Food Name scheme is now underway, so soon the Birmingham balti could join the likes of the Cornish pasty and Stilton cheese.

This recipe is for a medium-strength curry, and I have made it slightly wetter than a traditional balti − perfect for eating with your home-made naan bread (see below). If you do have a balti pan, then it is a must for making this; however, if you do not, then you can use a wok or a deep, heavy-based frying pan, as I do.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4 500g chicken breast, diced 2 capsicums, sliced 2 onions, sliced 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp garam masala 1 tbsp tomato paste 400ml passata Vegetable oil

METHOD 1

2

3 4

Heat a little oil in a wok or a balti pan over a high heat, add the garlic, chillies and ginger, then fry for 2 minutes.

Reduce to a medium heat and add the dried spices (except for the garam masala). Stir-fry the ingredients, stirring constantly, for a further 1 minute.

Add the peppers and onions and stir-fry until softened, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Put a little more oil into the pan, add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until sealed and the chicken is white.

5

6

Return the peppers and onions to the pan, add the tomato paste and passata and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 20−25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Add the garam masala and freshly chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve in heated balti bowls or on preheated plates, together with naan bread.

LIZZIEB’S TIP! You can add 300g of fresh spinach towards the end of the cooking process to make a really tasty Chicken and Spinach Balti, or for a vegetarian version, simply replace the meat with a selection of your favourite vegetables.

NAAN BREAD This is an easy-to-make recipe for naan bread that can be made either with or without yeast (see LIZZIEB’S TIP!) and contains no yoghurt. You can add flavourings to the dough, such as seeds or fresh coriander prior to cooking. I have used a griddle pan to make these, but if you don’t have a griddle pan you can place them on a greased baking tray under a very hot grill.

INGREDIENTS MAKES 4 SMALL NAANS 200g plain flour ½ tsp sugar 4g dried yeast 150ml warm water 1 tbsp ghee (or 1 tbsp vegetable oil) 1 tsp salt 25ml vegetable oil (for brushing/cooking)

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METHOD 1

2

3

4

5

6

Mix the dried yeast and sugar together and add to the warm water, then leave for 8–10 minutes until the mixture is bubbling.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour.

Make a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture, the tablespoon of ghee (or vegetable oil) and the salt, then mix well until it comes together as a dough.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, then cover and leave in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours (but a minimum of 1 hour).

Preheat a griddle pan (or baking tray) until hot, then tip the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead for 2 minutes.

Cut it into 4 equal portions, and roll each one to a rough oval shape about 0.5cm thick, then lightly brush each side with oil and place onto the hot griddle pan (or baking tray).

Cook each side for 2 minutes until bubbles appear, then turn the naan over and cook the other side for a further 2–3 minutes. Turn again, and cook for a further 1 minute per side.

The naan should be a golden colour and slightly puffed.

Serve the naans while still warm.

s! e k a God C

lly itiona d a r t ere kes w lessing a C d b Go ir with a o the given parents t e d h by go ildren at t year. h h c god ing of eac n begin

LIZZIEB’S TIP! These naans can also be made using self-raising flour: simply omit the yeast and sugar, then, at Step 2, add 150ml of warm water, oil and salt, and follow the recipe as before.

COVENTRY GOD CAKES This is my own adaptation of a real heritage recipe (the original dates back to the 14th century), which is unique to Coventry. It is thought these sweet pastries − made in a triangular shape and with three cuts on top − represent the Holy Trinity, and were traditionally given with a blessing by godparents to their godchildren at the beginning of each year. Filled with a mixture of dried fruit, peel and spices, they are similar to Eccles cakes; however, the texture, shape and symbolism of these pastries clearly identify them as God Cakes.

METHOD 1

2

3

INGREDIENTS MAKES 20 (APPROX.) 225g ready-made puff pastry 1 egg white, lightly beaten 200g mincemeat Caster sugar (for dusting)

4 5

Roll out the puff pastry to approximately 0.5cm thick and cut out 10cm squares using a sharp knife, then carefully score a diagonal line across the centre of each square.

Place 1 heaped teaspoon of the fruit mixture in the middle of one side of the scored line of pastry, then, using the back of the spoon, spread the mixture over the pastry leaving a gap around the outer edges.

Using a pastry brush or your fingers, dampen the edges of the filled side of pastry and repeat on the non-filled side, then fold over to form a triangle.

Gently press the edges together to seal.

Cut 3 lines into the top of each pastry, then brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven at 230°C for about 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown.

LIZZIEB’S TIP! These are great for using up any mincemeat left over from Christmas. They are also great to make and freeze: simply wrap them in greaseproof paper, seal in a plastic freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost them for at least 2 hours before reheating in the oven.

NEXT MONTH LizzieB will be focusing on the culinary delights of Yorkshire, including Parkin and Yorkshire Curd Tart.

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E AT FIT

A DOSE OF… f e h C l a n i c i d e he M T

You are what you eat, and no one knows this better than chef, Dale Pinnock.

This month he prepares three of his own recipes for good health

D

ale Pinnock is a vocal, passionate and down-to-earth champion of the beneficial effects that food can have on our health, and a great advocate of how diet can work alongside treatment to play a full role in health care. He runs nutrition clinics in Central London and Cambridgeshire and has appeared regularly on both UK and Irish television. His qualifications in both human nutrition and herbal medicine have made him aware of many of the less familiar benefits of a number of common foods – for example, chemicals in cherries can help us beat insomnia, red wine can protect us from heart disease, and dark chocolate can help to lower blood pressure. It is these properties in particular that fascinate Dale Pinnock.

As a form of fuel, food offers us macronutrients, which provide energy and materials to help growth and aid repair. It also provides us with micronutrients – the vitamins, minerals, trace elements and fatty acids – which enable all the essential chemical processes that our bodies require.

But then we enter a very different realm of nutrition: the phytonutrients – compounds not essential for health in themselves,

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and which are not nutrients either, but come under the category of colour pigments, hormones and structural compounds. Research into them is still at an early stage, but the beneficial effects are already proving to be profound, especially with regard to helping us get better.

Dale’s personal view is that both diet and medication in isolation can have only a limited spectrum of benefits, but together the results improve exponentially. As a serious food lover he takes great pleasure in preparing – he has spent time as a chef – and enjoying natural ingredients, and the fact that they can be so beneficial simply makes

his task, and his passion in pursuing it, so much more enjoyable. At a time when high blood pressure is a major problem, the simple fact that flavonoids (found in green tea, onions and dark chocolate) can actually widen blood vessels and omega-3 fatty acids can naturally decrease the levels of chemicals which tighten the blood vessels, should make us sit up and listen. Both traditional Chinese and Indian medicine have long acknowledged how the interaction between food and our bodies can be a potent therapeutic tool, but we in the West are only cottoning on now to this fantastic potential.

Well aware of the restraints of both budget and time on people today, Dale has always looked to use easy-to-source, everyday ingredients. Here he shares three recipes designed to help in the fight against many of today’s common problems. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

BEETROOT AND PEA RISOTTO WITH MINT AND FETA

Beetroot and mint may sound a bit like chalk and cheese, but trust me, it really works!

The freshness of the mint brings the earthy beetroot to life.

The medicinal properties of this

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“AS A FORM OF FUEL, FOOD OFFERS US MACRONUTRIENTS, WHICH PROVIDE ENERGY AND MATERIALS TO HELP GROWTH AND AID REPAIR”

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ial nefic e b ave nd an h ealth, a side c d foo ng rh Our s on ou ork alo nts to t w effec iet can treatme h care. d l r alt a ou ention in he e l v o con a full r play

Photo © Martin Poole.

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INGREDIENTS MAKES 6–10 SQUARES

dish are outstanding, too, as it is good for the digestive system (bloating, constipation and Crohn’s disease).

INGREDIENTS SERVES 2–3 Olive oil 1 large red onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 250g Arborio risotto rice 300g cooked beetroot, cubed 1 litre vegetable stock 200g frozen garden peas Handful of fresh mint, finely chopped 200g feta cheese Salt and black pepper (to taste)

METHOD 1

2

3 4

Heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic, then cook until the onion is soft. Add the rice and cook for a further 1 minute. Add most of the beetroot, reserving some for later.

Stirring frequently, add the vegetable stock, little by little, until the rice is soft and just tender (this can take up to 30 minutes). It should be fairly moist, but not too liquid.

Season with salt and pepper.

When the rice is almost cooked, add the peas and mint, then cook for another 2–3 minutes.

Place the remaining beetroot in a small food processor and produce a coarse purée. Add the purée to the finished risotto and stir well.

2 tbsp coconut oil (plus extra for greasing) 2 apples 2 tbsp honey 180g porridge oats 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp dried cranberries (optional) 1 tbsp mixed pumpkin seeds (optional)

METHOD 1

2

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20cm-square baking tin with coconut oil. Cut the apples into quarters, remove the seeds, then place them, unpeeled, in a food processor. Produce a coarse purée, adding a splash of water if necessary.

Melt the coconut oil and honey together in a pan over a medium-high heat.

Once the oil and honey

3

4

have combined, stir in the apple purée, then stir everything together.

Add the oats and cinnamon (and the cranberries and pumpkin seeds, if using), then stir thoroughly to form a sticky mixture.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, pressing down well, and bake for around 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

HOME FARMER TIP! Coconut oil is pretty pricey in the main supermarkets, as it’s considered ‘high end’. Seek out your local Asian store for a far more realistic price.

KICK-STARTER KEDGEREE

I first tasted kedgeree as a nipper and just loved it there and then. It’s very filling, packed with nutrients and is guaranteed to keep you going for hours on end! It is also good for the joints and bones (arthritis

Serve with crumbled feta sprinkled on top.

APPLE AND CINNAMON FLAPJACKS These have the most fantastic, moist texture, and the combination of cinnamon with oats is always a winner with me. They are good for the metabolic system (Type 2 diabetes), the heart and circulation (high cholesterol), and the digestive system (constipation, haemorrhoids and IBS).

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METHOD 1

2

3

4

Heat a little olive oil over a medium heat in a large pan, add the onion and red pepper, then cook gently until softened (about 5 minutes).

Add the curry powder, turmeric, chilli and rice, then stir for a few minutes to toast the spices slightly.

Add enough water to cover the rice, then season with salt and pepper, and simmer, covered, over a medium-high heat for around 20 minutes, or until the rice has softened. You may need to top up the water occasionally during the cooking time.

Meanwhile, cover the egg with water in a small pan, bring to the boil, and boil for 7 minutes. Drain under cold water and leave to cool before peeling and cutting into quarters lengthways.

Just before the rice is cooked, stir the baby spinach through it and cook for 2 more minutes to wilt the spinach. When the rice is cooked, stir through the flaked mackerel and yoghurt.

Serve with the egg wedges placed on top.

and bursitis), the metabolic system (Type 2 diabetes), mental health and the nervous system (depression), the heart and circulation (heart disease, high cholesterol), the digestive system (haemorrhoids), and the reproductive and urinary systems (menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome).

INGREDIENTS SERVES 1 Olive oil (for cooking) ½ small red onion, finely chopped ½ red pepper, cut into small dice

1 tsp curry powder ½ tsp turmeric 1 red chilli, shredded 75g brown basmati rice 1 large egg Handful of baby spinach 1 smoked mackerel fillet, broken into small pieces 1 tbsp live probiotic yoghurt Salt and pepper (to taste)

THE MEDICINAL CHEF BY DALE PINNOCK All of the recipes featured are from Dale’s first major cookbook, which presents his unique approach to cooking and health. With eighty, easy-to-make, tasty recipes, Dale shows just how simple it is to incorporate the health-giving properties of many everyday ingredients into your diet, giving a boost to all the body’s systems and improving energy levels. With a glossary of key ingredients, advice on how your diet can make a real difference to thirty common ailments, and simple symbols to indicate which conditions each recipe can help with, The Medicinal Chef is an excellent kick-start for anyone wanting to adapt their diet and benefit their health.

Hardback. Full colour. 192 pages. £18.99. Published by Quiller Publishing.

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MARMAL ADE

MARVELLOUS e d a l a m r a m , h oreis m

Bronze winner at the World’s Original Marmalade Awards and fanatical preserver, Seren Evans-Charrington, reveals some of her favourite marmalade recipes

I

must confess that the arrival of Seville oranges is a joyous occasion in my household, and indeed, for marmalade makers across the country, the unveiling of these rough, lumpy and acidic fruits is certainly cause for celebration. As soon as I get my hands on my first Seville oranges, everyone who knows me is aware that all of my spare time will be spent squeezing and slicing, boiling and setting, and that my home kitchen will be transformed into a marmalade factory. As the smell of tangy citrus fruits and boiling sugar circulate around my home, I am in preserving heaven.

Sometimes I think I enjoy the act of making marmalade even more than I enjoy eating it, but then a slice of my

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marmalade cake always casts doubt on that verdict. Without doubt I am a marmalade enthusiast – I love the fragrance of the sharp zest that fills a room, I find the slow shredding of the peel and pith more relaxing than any meditation, and the slow but sure alchemy of the sugar transforming into bitter-sweet loveliness means that each morning I can have a choice of glistening marmalades to spread on my toast.

Each year I make marmalade it is a whole new learning experience.

The standard recipe for an everyday pot of marmalade is twice the weight of sugar to fruit, and you know that if you boil it for long enough, together with the correct ratio of water, you will end up with little pots of marmalade success.

However, I like to experiment – to try new recipes and add new twists to all my existing formulae.

The origins of marmalade give us some rather wonderful tales to contemplate, and one of my own favourites is the suggestion that marmalade is a Scottish invention that can be attributed to Janet Keiller, a Dundee grocer’s wife. The tale goes that marmalade was born in the port of Dundee in the late 18th century when James Keiller came across a cargo of oranges being sold cheaply. Thinking he could sell it for a profit in his shop, he bought the whole cargo, only to discover that the oranges were bitter and unpalatable. However, his wife, Janet, was a resourceful woman who took the

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‘problem’ oranges and made them into an orange ‘jam’ that was named ‘marmalade’ after ‘marmelos’, the Portuguese word for a quince paste which is similar in texture to the familiar orange spread.

A further variation on this story is that the fruit was carried up from the beach by Janet’s son, who was then sent back to get more oranges, with his mother urging, “Mair, ma lad!” giving the orange jam its name.

Whilst these stories are probably in the realms of fairy tale, they are nonetheless things that add to the charm of marmalade – that and Paddington Bear, of course!

Whilst I am now a self-proclaimed Queen of Marmalade who would quite happily live in a kingdom made from the amber preserve, I must confess that as a child I wasn’t at all keen on the thick-cut Seville orange marmalade that my parents used to slather on their toast at breakfast, and the only marmalade I liked was fine-shred lime marmalade. Even today, lime is one of my favourite marmalades, but it is also the one that has presented me with the greatest of challenges, and indeed my early attempts at this preserve saw the lime peel toughening to the texture of toenails and the colour becoming a rich copper rather than the familiar bright and jewel-like orange.

The following recipe will require a bit of patience. It is the best one I have actually made to date; however, there are always improvements to be made in the alchemy that is marmalade making, so it could be superseded come next year.

LOVELY LIME MARMALADE INGREDIENTS 8 limes 2 lemons Water 1.5kg sugar

METHOD 1

2

3

4 5 6 7

Cut the limes in half and squeeze all the juice from them, then cover the skins with cold water and leave them in a cool place overnight.

This will help them to soften, making the cutting easier.

Do the same with the lemons, then store the lemon and lime juice (it can be mixed) in the fridge until it is required.

Remove the lemon and lime skins from the water and, using a spoon, scrape out as much of the pulp, pith and pips as possible, placing it all on a piece of muslin. (When doing this task I often abandon the spoon and resort to using fingers!) Tie the muslin up into a little bag shape, and secure it with string.

Finely shred the skins using a very sharp knife – try to get the peel chopped as evenly as possible.

Measure the lemon and lime juice and add sufficient water to make it up to 2 litres.

Place the shredded lemon and lime skins into a large preserving pan along with the water, then bring to the boil.

Turn the heat down so that the mixture simmers for about 1 hour

“SOMETIMES I THINK I ENJOY THE ACT OF MAKING MARMALADE EVEN MORE THAN I ENJOY EATING IT…” 82

Seville oranges are not the only fruit… for marmalade makers!

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– the peel will then be soft and translucent.

During this process, check the pan from time to time to ensure that it is not boiling too rapidly – you need a gentle simmer if you want to avoid tough peel in the finished marmalade.

8 Once the peel is soft and translucent, remove the muslin bag from the pan and set it aside to cool.

9 Add the sugar to the citrus mixture, squeeze any remaining liquid from the cooled bag of pith and pips into the preserving pan, then bring the mixture to the boil again. Leave it on a gentle boil for 40–45 minutes, then test for a set.

10 Once you have achieved your set, you can put the marmalade into sterilised jars and seal them.

This particular recipe never lasts long in my house and is a definite favourite with my girls.

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE (FROM THE PLEASURE OF PRESERVING) This is my own tried and tested recipe for Seville Orange Marmalade, and

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ard tand pot of s a ere is yday id st th an ever be afra l i h W t w ’ r e fo don a ne . recip alade, to add a mul t m mar erimen isting for p x to ex to the e t is tw

it is a recipe to which I add things if I want something just a little bit different for breakfast. Over the years I have adapted the recipe by adding 1 teaspoon of liquorice extract or ½ a teaspoon of crushed cardamom seeds. I have even added fresh rosemary sprigs to the first stage of the cooking for a subtle flavour that makes for a more savoury marmalade, and adding fresh chillies makes for a great marmalade to serve with seafood or at barbecues.

INGREDIENTS 12 large Seville oranges 7.2 litres water 5.5kg sugar The juice of 2 lemons

METHOD

SETTING POINT When testing for setting point, one of the traditional tools for the job is a chilled saucer or two, but I like to pop some soup spoons in the freezer for this job – dipping an ice-cold spoon into the marmalade is a great way of determining whether the long-awaited set has been reached.

Visit my blog at http://marmalademistress.com for more tips and recipes.

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2 3

4

5

Slice the oranges very thinly – the thinner, the better – then gather all the pips and place them in a cup with a little water and set them aside.

Place the fruit in a large crock bowl and cover it with the water. Cover the bowl and leave for 24 hours.

The next day, boil up the fruit for 2 hours, adding the liquor from the pips. After 2 hours the orange rinds should be soft.

Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved, then boil for a further 1½ hours, stirring continuously during the last 30 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, then pour the marmalade into pots and seal.

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MARMAL ADE

QUINCE MARMALADE In my opinion, no article on marmalade is complete without mentioning a recipe for quince marmalade. Not only are quinces a wonderful fruit that impart a lovely smell and flavour, they are also fundamental to the history of our beloved marmalade. This particular recipe always produces a marmalade with a deep red-amber colour, a thick texture and a firm set. It is the perfect accompaniment to cheese, or even sausages.

INGREDIENTS 500g quinces 350g sugar Cold water

METHOD 1 2

3 4

5

6

Wash the quinces, then slice them as thinly as possible with their skins on.

Place the fruit in a preserving pan, add enough cold water to just cover the fruit, then simmer gently for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, pass the pulp through a sieve to separate the fruit from the pips, skin and core.

Return the pulp to a clean preserving pan and add the sugar, stirring gently over a medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved.

Simmer gently for a further 15–20 minutes, or until the setting point is reached. This mixture does require careful watching, as it has a tendency to catch and burn.

Once the setting point has been reached, pour into jars and seal.

now accepting entries for their annual marmalade festival, I must admit that I have been thinking a lot about my entries. I have been experimenting in the kitchen with recipes that include quinces, medlars, lemons and oranges.

A wide array of herbs and spices is also at my disposal in my quest to create something different, but I have been tempted to recreate a recipe for Tudor Marmalade that includes rose water and ambergris – a solid and waxy substance

True?

It is sugg este ‘marmala d that the name de ‘marmelo ’ comes from s’, the Po rtuguese word for a quince p aste similar to th orange s e familiar pread.

produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, which is highly prized by perfumers for its musky smell. However, after researching the price of ambergris and consulting with my beloved friends and family (and my bank manager!), I think I may be sticking with my orange marmalade with just a dash of whisky.

SEREN’S TOP TIPS! ❋ Make sure you have a large enough pan to hold all the liquid and peel with plenty of extra space left. ❋ When peeling the skins, keep the pieces as large as possible to make chopping easier afterwards. ❋ Do not overboil the marmalade once set or it will become too solid. You are aiming for a ‘bouncy’ and ‘wobbly’ texture. ❋ If you are not confident about peeling the skin from the whole fruit with a knife, cut the fruit into quarters. ❋ Always make sure that your rind is soft before adding the sugar – once the sugar is added the rind will not soften any further.

As the World’s Original Marmalade Awards, held at Dalemain Mansion in Cumbria, is

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W INE MAK ING

EASY LIVING making!

Easy wine

Home Farmer reader and keen wine maker, Susan Williams, selects five simple wines as an ideal first-time project for the wine-making novice

F

irstly, let me ask why men have hijacked wine making and barbecues, and many of the other more fun aspects of domesticity? Traditionally, all cooking was barbecuing, and women also made all the home brews. Well, this month I’m looking to claim back one of these tasks for womankind. And secondly, get any images of pea-pod wine out of your head right now! Home-made doesn’t have to be badly made, and once you’ve tackled these simple wines you can then go on to experiment to your heart’s content.

And you should not be surprised or put off if your wine doesn’t actually taste like the fruit from which it is made.

I can well remember my very first taste of strawberry wine; I was eagerly looking

forward to a delightfully fruity and sweet taste, but my initial reaction was one of definite disappointment. Just remember that this is wine you are making, not cordial. Wine made from grapes tastes like wine, not grape juice.

JARGON MUST

The must is the liquid you are going to ferment, including the sugar.

FERMENTING

Also known as ‘working’, this is the action of the yeast on the must. When a wine is fermenting (or working) it bubbles and a slight hissing sound can sometimes be heard. The gas the process releases has to escape, which is why an airlock at the top of the jar is useful – and safe, too! You can, if you haven’t got an airlock, use three or four layers of clean cotton tied over the top of your demijohn or fermentation jar.

LEES

The lees is the deposit or sediment that settles at the bottom of the jar during fermentation.

RACKING

Racking the wine simply means straining or siphoning it off the lees. It is an important process to ensure a clear and good wine.

F E B R UA RY 2015

SPICED BEETROOT WINE INGREDIENTS 4.5 litres water 1,800g beetroot 1,350g sugar 1 lemon 6 cloves 15g fresh root ginger Wine yeast (read the directions on the label for the amount required)

METHOD 1 Wash your beetroot thoroughly, cut into slices and add to the water along with the thinly peeled rind of the lemon, the cloves and the ginger.

2 Bring to the boil and simmer until the beetroot is tender and loses its colour, then strain into a large bowl and add the sugar, stirring well.

3 Add the yeast by taking a small cupful of water out and adding the yeast to this small amount – this makes it easier to add it to the liquid.

Add the juice of the lemon and the prepared yeasty water while the strained liquid is still warm.

4 Cover and leave in a warm place to begin fermenting for 2 days.

5 After 2 days, pour the liquid into a demijohn or fermentation jar, insert an airlock and leave in a warm place to ferment.

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WINE MAK ING 6

When the bubbling, hissing and general singing has stopped, rack the wine into a clean jar and store in a cool place for a few months.

When it’s clear, siphon it into bottles.

7

RHUBARB WINE INGREDIENTS 2,250g rhubarb, cut into chunks 1,575g sugar 225g raisins 4.5 litres water 1 lemon Wine yeast (read the directions on the label for the amount required)

5

RASPBERRY WINE INGREDIENTS 1,800g raspberries 1,575g sugar 4.5 litres water Wine yeast (read the directions on the label for the amount required)

Clean the rhubarb, cut into chunks and put in a large bowl. Cover with the water and leave for 6 days, stirring daily.

Strain the water through muslin into a preserving pan or stockpot and squeeze out as much of the pulp as possible. Add the raisins, the thinly peeled rind and juice of the lemon and the sugar, then stir well and heat to lukewarm.

Add the yeast by taking a small cupful of water out and adding the yeast to this small amount – this makes it easier to add it to the liquid – then cover and leave for 24 hours in a warm place.

Pour into a demijohn or fermentation jar, insert an airlock and leave to ferment in a warm place for at least 5 months.

2

3

4

! r e b m Reme

ine your w if f f o t e fruit be pu Don’t taste like th e: wine d ’t doesn ich it is ma astes like h t w s from om grape . r f e made t grape juic o n wine,

METHOD 1

METHOD 1

Siphon off into another jar or bottles.

2

3

4

5

Make sure your raspberries are clean, then pour the boiling water over them. Allow to cool to lukewarm, then mash up well using the end of a rolling pin or a potato masher.

Cover and leave for 4 days, stirring every day, then strain off well through muslin. Add the sugar and stir well.

Add the yeast by taking a small cupful of water out and adding the yeast to this small amount – this makes it easier to add it to the liquid – then cover and leave for 24 hours in a warm place.

Transfer to a demijohn or fermentation jar, insert an airlock and leave in a warm place to ferment.

This can take a few months.

Remove to a cooler place before siphoning off, then taste-test it – if you think it needs more sugar then add it now. If adding any sugar, reinsert the airlock; but if siphoning into bottles, do not cork until all the fermentation has completely finished.

WINE-MAKING ‘DOs’ AND ‘DON’Ts’ ❋ DO be scrupulously clean and sterilise your equipment before use for all fermenting and brewing tasks. ❋ DO use a lightly inserted cork for any fizzy wine or if you have added a small amount of sugar, and keep an eye on it. Bottles stored upright will do less damage than bottles stored on their sides. ❋ DO remember: not all wines need to be racked, but the extra effort of racking will always ensure a clearer wine. Be patient about drinking a new wine. Holding back a bottle will show just how it might improve over time.

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❋ DO make sure when using citrus fruits, to keep any pith out of the fermenting wines. ❋ DO taste your wine before bottling to get an idea of how ‘right’ it is. You can then alter it with a small amount of sugar, if needed. ❋ DO use an airlock when fermenting, for the best results. ❋ DO use plastic, one-gallon bottles, if you have them around. The wine will taste just as good. ❋ DON’T bottle wine that is still fermenting. ❋ DON’T use overripe fruits, and if collecting or foraging, do so on a warm, sunny day.

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POTATO WINE Potato wine generally has a reputation for being rather horrid, but personally I blame The Great Escape for this. It can, however, be subtle, and it’s actually well worth having a go, if nothing else because it can use up a glut of old potatoes.

INGREDIENTS 2,250g old potatoes 1,575g demerara sugar 4.5 litres water 2 lemons 1 orange 15g root ginger, peeled and well bruised Wine yeast (read the directions on the label for the amount required)

METHOD 1 2

3

4

5 6

7

F E B R UA RY 2015

Scrub the potatoes clean, jackets and all, and cut into quarters, then boil in water for 10–12 minutes.

Strain off the liquid and put in a preserving pan or stockpot, together with the ginger and the thinly peeled rinds of the lemons and orange.

Bring to the boil for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring well. When the liquid is lukewarm, add the juice of the orange and lemons.

Add the yeast by taking a small cupful of water out and adding the yeast to this small amount – this makes it easier to add it to the liquid – then cover and leave for 24 hours in a warm place.

Pour into a demijohn or fermentation jar, insert an airlock and leave to ferment in a warm place.

Siphon off into a clean demijohn or fermentation jar. You can add a few raisins at this point to enhance the flavour.

Leave in the demijohn or fermentation jar for 3 months, then siphon off into bottles.

GINGER WINE INGREDIENTS 115g fresh root ginger 4.5 litres water 225g raisins 1,575g demerara sugar 2 oranges 2 lemons Wine yeast (read the directions on the label for the amount required)

METHOD 1 2

3 4

5

6

Put the juice and the thinly peeled rinds of the fruit in a bowl, add the raisins, then put to one side.

Peel the ginger and mash it up as well as you can in a bowl, then add the sugar and boil in the water for 30 minutes. You will lose some water through cooking, so be ready to top it up with boiled water to maintain the original volume.

Strain onto the fruit and juice in the bowl and stir.

When lukewarm, add the yeast by taking a small cupful of water out and adding the yeast to this small amount – this makes it easier to add it to the liquid.

Cover and leave in a warm place to ferment for 10 days, then strain into a demijohn or fermentation jar and insert an airlock.

Leave to ferment, then siphon off into bottles. Taste it at this point and add more sugar if desired. If adding extra sugar, stir and leave for a further 1 week before bottling.

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REUSE,

REC YCL E

RECYCLING s e n i z a g a m old Ruth Tott turns her old magazines into stylish display bowls – and not a bit of papier mâché in sight

T

his month I’ve been using lots of PVA glue, sticky-back plastic (enough to merit my Blue Peter badge, I think) and pages from old magazines to make some rather fetching, practical and decorative bowls.

You can be as ambitious as you like when making your bowl – the principle remains the same regardless. I have even seen examples of these homemade bowls for sale on craft sites, so with a little effort and an endless stream of old magazines (not your past Home Farmers, of course – other magazines

are available) you might even be able to kick-start a new cottage industry.

2

YOU WILL NEED ❋ Magazines ❋ Sticky-back plastic (or Sellotape, for anyone living in the 21st century) ❋ PVA glue or Mod Podge (used for découpage) – in fact any similar glue that dries clear

METHOD 1

3

Tear out the pages from your

magazine(s) into A4-size pieces – the more colourful the paper you use, the better the effect will be!

Fold each page 5 times lengthways.

It’s best to fold in sequence so that you do not have the folds on the outer edges – see the boxout below.

Also, be mindful of the way you are folding to make sure that the bettercoloured side is the one that will be visible.

Do loads and loads of these strips and, once you’ve got your stash, begin to tape them together

THE FOLDING TECHNIQUE

1 Fold in half lengthways.

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2 Fold lengthways again, bottom to top.

3 Turn the paper and fold the bottom in to meet the middle.

4 Turn and repeat the process.

5 Fold in half lengthways and flatten.

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interest If you’re feeling inspired, I’ve gathered together lots of ideas on our Pinterest site for bowls as well as other items made out of magazines, including jewellery, photo frames and Christmas decorations. Some of these are really quite amazing.

Visit http://uk.pinterest.com/ homefarmermag/recyclingmagazines-ideas/, or just search for Home Farmer magazine for all of our boards.

“IF IT DOES UNRAVEL, DON’T FRET – YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO START MAKING YOUR DISC AGAIN”

F E B R UA RY 2015

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REUSE,

REC YCL E

! c i g Ma

, agic m e k i lves ust l g is j en it invo d things n i l c Recy ially wh nwante le. c u b espe g your g desira n i n i n r h tu omet s into

4 5

6

7

lengthways. Do them in batches of 5 strips, as this is much easier to handle when assembling your bowl.

With a pencil in the centre, begin to wrap your first strip round and round.

When you are close to the end of the first strip, attach the next strip, and so on and so forth, until you eventually have a large disc. This could now be used as a place mat if you so desire! If you need to take a break at this stage, clip the end securely to stop it from unravelling.

Once completed, tape the end securely and then tease out the bowl shape very, very carefully.

Because the strips are narrow you don’t have much to play with, so be cautious and go round slowly. If it does unravel, don’t fret – you will just have to start making your disc again.

Once you have achieved a shape you are happy with, coat the inside with PVA glue and leave to dry, then turn your bowl over and coat the outside. It will still be fragile until the glue has done its job, so continue to treat it with care.

After wrapping your strips you can carefully tease out the bowl shape and then coat with PVA glue to set.

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DOMEST IC ENERGY SCHEMES

ENERGY ! e t a b e d t a e r he g T

PART ONE

Amid threats of blackouts, ever-increasing bills and melting ice caps, John Butterworth looks at the options available to ordinary hard up home farmers

T

he world’s climate is changing, and CO2 released by fossil fuel is the chief culprit – the research under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has consistently shown this to be the case, and more than 97% of climate scientists believe it to be so.

In response to the IPCC warnings, a whole UK government department, the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC), was set up, which you’d think would be focusing on ways to mitigate our effect on the climate, but as ever, things are not quite as they seem… in fact, more than two-thirds of the DECC’s budget is spent on nuclear decommissioning, with only quite small amounts on climate change mitigation measures.

Worse still, many Conservative MPs claim not to believe the science, and lobby groups constantly undermine those involved in that science – Peter Bone MP is attempting to get DECC abolished, Eric Pickles (the Communities Secretary) repeatedly opposes onshore wind farm plans, and Owen Paterson, who was, incredibly, the Environment Secretary until recently, is possibly best known for being a ‘sceptic’.

There are some huge national decisions to be made on energy, such as nuclear power versus gas versus coal.

Is fracking for gas a good or bad thing?

Maybe burning cleaner fossil gas is the lesser of two evils if it stops us burning as much (imported) fossil coal. Should energy prices rise to reduce demand, or be frozen, which might be expected to have the opposite effect? Would we rather see a big wind farm on the horizon, or a fossil-fuel power station on someone else’s doorstep? And how about nuclear power? Personally, given

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the ever-increasing demand for power, I can’t see how they can be avoided as part of the energy ‘mix’, but would I trust my life to Chinese engineering?

These are all vital and tough decisions, but as home farmers we need to know what we can do personally.

How do we reduce our own carbon footprints, and can we afford to do so, or can we afford not to do so?

What follows is a look at where we are with the UK’s ‘domestic’ energy schemes that supposedly encourage us to do just that, and help us fund it!

I’ve split this article into two parts, as there’s a lot to look at – this month ELECTRICITY, next month HEATING and INSULATION, and maybe a brief look at the very peculiar politics of climate change, too!

GREEN DEAL and ENERGY COMPANY OBLIGATION (ECO) I initially thought the ‘Green Deal’ was all about insulation, but it seems not.

From the Energy Saving Trust’s website: “The Green Deal is a government-backed scheme to help you make cost-effective energy saving improvements. Instead of paying for

the full cost of the improvements up front, you pay over time through a charge added to your electricity bill.”

The commonest Green Deal ‘improvements’ in practice are solar panels (‘photovoltaics’) and new boilers, with wall insulation a distant third.

As with most government schemes, bureaucracy has swamped the good intent; there is a flow chart showing the steps (hoops?) to go through (see the website below). It starts with an Accredited Assessor (you pay for the assessment), then, if you agree to carry out the recommended ‘schemes’, you must get an Accredited Installer to do it: if there’s any money in the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund, you can borrow money for the installation and pay it back via your energy bill.

Visit www.greendealcentral.com/files/ greendealjourney.pdf to experience the Green Deal ‘journey’.

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“HOW DO WE REDUCE OUR OWN CARBON FOOTPRINTS, AND CAN WE AFFORD TO DO SO, OR CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO DO SO?”

Despite heavy publicity, the latest figures show 390,000 Green Deal Assessments, but a mere 3,200 installed schemes as of October 2014 – less than 1% of these households actually get anything installed!

The ‘Green Deal Home Improvement Fund’ has run out of cash, but DECC’s Ed Davey has announced £100m will go into the fund soon. At least part of it may be grants, rather than loans, so keep an eye out if you’re interested.

There’s supposed to be a ‘Golden Rule’, whereby the cost of improvements is less than any savings, but the interest rate on the loans is too high (7% at the last count), so it’s hard to see how that is possible to achieve.

Personally, I can’t see much, if any, merit in the Green Deal, and neither, it seems, can 99% of the people who’ve had their houses assessed.

‘ECO’ is funding provided by the

F E B R UA RY 2015

big six energy companies. It boils down to grants for low-income households to implement some of the ‘Green Deal’ measures, and you must be on benefits to qualify – see Further Information overleaf.

Looking at the October 2014 statistics, virtually all the energy-saving measures that have been implemented to date – 97% of them – have been through ECO, rather than the Green Deal. These were cavity wall insulation, boiler upgrades and loft insulation, in that order.

ENERGY SAVING TRUST The Energy Saving Trust is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, initially set up by the government in 1992. It says on its website: “Energy Saving Trust is the number one organisation helping

householders, governments, businesses and organisations save energy every day.” So, let’s take a look at its advice.

First up is a video offering five ‘Energy Saving Quick Wins’, and here they are – start with the heating thermostat (turn it down); the heating programmer (don’t run it 24 hours!), then electrical stuff on standby (switch them off); kitchen appliances (only heat the amount of water you need); and finally, lighting (replace with low-energy bulbs).

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DOMEST IC ENERGY SCHEMES

PRODUCING YOUR OWN ENERGY – ELECTRICITY DOMESTIC WIND TURBINES

Above: Inside a 5kW turbine.

Moving on to energy production; could you have a wind turbine? For a start, you need a reasonably high average wind speed – a minimum of 5m/s (see Further Information for how to find out!).

Above left: A 6kW turbine on the ground.

COSTS If you do live in a nice windy location, the typical ‘domestic’ turbine that we’re looking at here is a 5kW or 6kW generator (for comparison, a small farm turbine would be about 10–15kW) on a pole, about 10m tall. With a 5m/s average wind speed, one of these would generate about 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year. The higher the wind speed, the more it will generate.

It will cost, according to the Energy Saving Trust, between £21,000 and £30,000 to install. In addition, say £200 per year for a service, and maybe £2,000 for a new inverter sometime during the estimated 20-year life of the turbine. Most people will borrow the installation cost – we’ll assume a cost of £27,000 and 5% interest on a loan over 10 years.

Incidentally, there’s not a lot inside one as the picture above confirms!

save 5,000 ∫ 14p (the approximate price per kWh of electricity), which is £700.

In reality, you probably won’t use all 5,000kWh – the wind doesn’t always blow at the time you happen to have stuff plugged in – so let’s reduce that to, say, £500. When we add those figures together, the total is £2,338. The contract term for the FIT is 20 years.

PAYBACK It’s usual to consider a scheme such as this in terms of the number of years it takes to repay your investment, i.e. the ‘payback time’. Using the ‘Payback Calculator’ (see Further Information) with the above figures we get 16 years, not allowing for a replacement inverter.

When I was ‘corporate man’, our business cases assumed that anything over 3 years was a poor deal!

Sunshine!

A ‘domestic-si zed’ installatio n of 16 solar pane ls fits nicely on to the roof of a typic al semi-detach ed house, and g enerates a maximum of 4kW.

INCOME/SAVINGS There are three ‘income streams’ from turbines. First, the ‘Feed In Tariff’ or ‘FIT’ payment that the government pays you per kWh that you generate.

Up to 31st March 2015, this is set at 16p per kWh, at which point it will reduce. So that 10,000kWh would give you £1,600 per year.

Secondly, you’d get paid an ‘Export Tariff ’ of 4.77p/kWh. The government estimates that you’d use 50% of the electricity yourself and ‘export’ the other 50% back into the Grid, so for 10,000kWh generated you’d get 5,000 ∫ 4.77p, or £238.

Thirdly, if you did use that 50%, you’d

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And I’m not alone in thinking this – a report from RenewableUK in October 2014 said the market had stalled, to the extent that the number of sub-50kW turbines installed in 2013 was only 32, down from 181 in 2012. Industry insiders were quoted as blaming the slowdown on the reduction in the FIT. For this trade body’s reports, see ‘Further Information’.

CARBON SAVING But what about saving the planet?

If you generated 10,000kWh per year, generating companies wouldn’t have to, and they’d normally use a mix of coal, gas and nuclear power. Coal is worst, producing about 910g of CO2 per kWh generated. Gas produces around 390g of CO2. The current average is about 470g, so per year, you’d prevent the production of 10,000 ∫ 470g, which is 4.7 tonnes of CO2 per year.

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS

COSTS Usually referred to as ‘solar panels’, these are, in the domestic environment, almost always fitted on the roof of your house or an outbuilding, where they convert solar energy into electricity.

A ‘domestic-sized’ installation of 16 panels fits nicely onto the roof of a typical semi-detached house, and generates a maximum 4kW at midday in midsummer. Over 12 months, this ‘4kWp’ (4kW peak) installation will generate about 3,400kWh of electricity, and will cost about £6,000–£7,000.

However, this depends on your latitude – in the South of England it’s 3,600kWh, but in Scotland it’s closer to 3,100kWh, as the sun is lower for more of the year.

INCOME/SAVINGS There’s a FIT for these, too – currently 14.38p per kWh, plus an ‘Export Tariff’ of 4.77p (the same as for wind).

FURTHER INFORMATION ❋ Green Deal: www.greendealcentral.com/greendeal.php ❋ ECO: www.gov.uk/energy-company-obligation, or tel: 0300 123 1234 ❋ Wind Speed Estimation Tool: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/ tools-and-calculators/wind-speed-prediction ❋ Payback Calculator: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/ tools-and-calculators/cashback-calculator ❋ Renewable Heat Incentive Calculator: www.renewable-heat-calculator.service.gov.uk/ ❋ RenewableUK: www.renewableuk.com/en/news/

F E B R UA RY 2015

Your house has to meet a minimum insulation requirement, or the FIT drops to 6.38p. You are ‘deemed’ to use 50% of what you generate, and export the rest to the Grid (again, as for wind). Using an average 3,400kWh, that’s £489 from FITs; £81 from Export; plus about £238 saving on electricity bills, or £808 total, per year.

The contract is again for 20 years.

PAYBACK The various calculators on the websites estimate a payback time of about 8 years, but none seem to take account of the cost of borrowing money, so I drew up my own spreadsheet. If you borrowed the money at 5%, payback is nearer 12 years.

Again, not a good investment decision.

CARBON SAVING The Energy Saving Trust calculates this saving at 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per year, for a 4kWp installation. I’d say 1.7 tonnes is a better national average.

IN CONCLUSION If your decisions are based on saving the planet, and you have sufficient funds, then go for it. You’ll still find opposition from neighbours, though, even if they’re out of sight – from my experience as a parish councillor, they often get annoyed just by knowing what others are doing!

If you are ‘off Grid’ you don’t have much option, but at least there’s lots of technology to choose from now. We’ll have more next month on ‘off Grid’ working.

If money is tight, you can implement basic measures such as following the top tips from the Energy Saving Trust website and by insulating your loft relatively cheaply. If you can upgrade your boiler, another highly recommended measure in ECO and Green Deal assessments, find a reputable plumber and forget the ‘schemes’. It will cost you half as much.

So you don’t feel my politics are too partisan, consider this: a scheme run by the previous government has just resulted in a fine for Drax of £28m, as it failed to insulate the homes of its poorer domestic customers. Drax is a power station; it has no domestic customers!

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DIARY OF AN INCOMPE TEN T SMAL L HOL DER

ONE MAN WENT TO MOW In best Top Gear fashion, Richard Barr checks out some ‘hot metal’ as he puts his foot down and gives himself up to mower-mania

I

t was probably the Meccano motor that set me on the path to ruin.

You don’t see much of it (Meccano) around now – probably because those little screws and slices of metal presented a health and safety hazard to children, who were prone to eat them.

But I was presented with a Meccano set as a child, and these sets once were sold using the slogan, “The Toy that grows with the Boy” – this would nowadays be regarded as being so politically incorrect that all Meccano sets would be compulsorily destroyed with the same enthusiasm that the police exercise when burning illegal cannabis plantations.

There came with the Meccano set a large (it certainly seemed so then) clockwork motor that was powered by a huge spring which was coiled inside it.

Being Meccano it was all held together by screws; and what could be more natural than to remove those screws?

The resulting clatter of nuts, bolts and cog-wheels drove the cat under the kitchen dresser and scared the birds from the trees.

Nonetheless, it awakened my interest in all things mechanical, and before long I was learning how to make my parents’ temperamental two-stroke mower run when it had steadfastly refused everyone else’s endeavours.

While others were dreaming of souped-up Ford Cortinas and fast women (or men – one has to be PC), I was developing life very much in the slow lane. As a young teenager I made my first ride-on mower, and from then

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onwards, gardening primarily consisted of finding more and more effective ways of chomping through greensward.

Today, a little corner of our land is a testament to these endeavours. On the principle of never throwing away anything that might be even the least bit useful, mowers that have passed their sell-by date languish in a corner, looking resentfully out at what has replaced them.

I briefly mentioned our current beast in a previous article: a mower with all mod cons – power steering, automatic transmission, hydraulics, a huge container for grass pickings, and even go-faster stripes (it can reach speeds as high as six miles an hour!).

However, it also has disadvantages; the grass catcher sticks out almost as far at the back as the engine does at the front. Many shrubs, several bird feeders and the rotary clothes-line have all been bent or felled when I have given them a sideswipe. And when it is raised, the grass catcher sticks about six feet into the air, which is not normally a problem, except when going under boughs five feet from the ground.

The resulting collision required an expensive re-welding of the lifting mechanism.

In spite of the power steering, I soon found that it can’t quite go everywhere I point it. Several times I have got it bogged down. It weighs nearly as much

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“OF COURSE, THE SHEEP DROPPED BY AND OFFERED THEIR SUPPORT, BUT AS SOON AS THEY REALISED THERE WAS NO FOOD FOR THEM THEY WANDERED OFF” as a small car, so it is not just a question of lifting it out of the mud. I have to jack it up, put bricks under the wheels, and slowly ease it onto firmer ground, but this is not always successful, as I discovered recently.

Like a jungle explorer, I was slicing through thick bramble on a bank near the sheep’s field when suddenly the mower slipped sideways and became lodged between two fence posts. It would not move in any direction, and jacking it up did not help. It remained stuck fast. What was there to do? I could cut down the fence posts, but they would be hugely expensive to replace. I could abandon the mower and leave it there

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to rot, for archaeologists to find and ponder over it in a few millennia to come.

Of course, the sheep dropped by and offered their support, but as soon as they realised there was no food for them they wandered off. Maybe if I hitched all the sheep in a long line they would be able to rescue the mower? Not our sheep – they are far too intelligent.

They would just sit down, watch events unfold and chew the cud.

In the end, to the fascination of the neighbours, we attached a long rope between the mower and my car and, after considerable effort – the rope broke several times, and although the

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sold s once e Toy a w o n Th Mecca e slogan, “ Boy”. th e using ws with th t be o r n g ld o that ly wou day! e r u s C to This ered P id s n o c

car is four-wheel drive we still almost did not make it – we dragged it clear.

Unlike the two-stroke mower of my childhood, this one, with its threecylinder diesel engine, is immensely reliable; so reliable in fact that we have had it several years and it has not yet been serviced. The only time it had a problem was when a moth found its way into the fuel line… don’t ask!

In the winter months it lives outside, grows grass on its cutting assembly, and the steering wheel is a perch from which birds release their droppings. Then, come the 1st of April, it will once again roar into life and I will wreak further havoc around our patch of land.

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HOME FARMER DIRECTORY

O C I AT I O

ASSOCIATIONS

NOT JUST FOR SMALLHOLDERS! Smallholder Associations are a great way to meet like-minded people, share ideas, gain access to training, and in some cases share equipment.

In almost all cases you don’t have to be a ‘smallholder’ to become a member. Membership can be anything from £10–£20 a year.

Please note: WHERE POSSIBLE WE HAVE INCLUDED TELEPHONE NUMBERS. However, phone numbers are not always readily available – this is not because the organisations do not want you to contact them, more it’s because the role is voluntary, with the people often doing a full-time job elsewhere. If any group listed below does have a phone number and we’ve not listed it, please email ruth@homefarmer.co.uk with a membership contact number so that we can include this in the future.

Although these are smallholder groups, most of them welcome anybody with a genuine love of the countryside. Our thanks go to Richard Thompson for the listings. Please follow Richard’s blog (Small Plot, Big Ideas) for inspiration http://smallplotbigideas.co.uk/.

Please remember to mention Home Farmer when contacting these organisations. Many thanks.

BASH – BIGGAR AREA SMALLHOLDERS A group of like-minded people all of whom work the land in some way. The smallholdings they run are diverse: some are small, others quite large; some grow only vegetables, others have significant amounts of livestock. www.bashsmallholders.co.uk.

CENTRAL SCOTLAND SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION The CSSA are a group of aspiring and existing smallholders who get together to share knowledge, experiences, and to socialise. www.smallholders.webs.com.

CHESHIRE SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION A dynamic and enthusiastic group of small-scale and hobby farmers, horse enthusiasts and countryside lovers. www.cheshiresmallholders.org.uk.

(CASP) CORNISH ASSOCIATION OF SMALLHOLDERS AND PRODUCERS This is a group of smallholders and craft producers in the south-west with the aim of bringing support to each other and a shared outlet for the fine produce and crafts that are produced and sold locally to ensure quality and fair prices. www.cornishassociationsmallholdersand producers.co.uk. For membership enquiries telephone 07886 839785.

CUMBRIAN SMALLHOLDERS A facebook group which provides a place to meet other smallholders, share information, advertise stock for sale and appeal for items wanted. www.facebook.com/groups/ cumbriansmallholders.

DERBYSHIRE SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION Derbyshire Smallholders’ Association was formed by a group of like-minded people with the aim of providing the opportunity for fellow smallholders, and those with just an interest in smallholding, to network and to pass on skills and information. www.derbyshiresmallholders.co.uk.

For membership enquiries telephone 07871 189889.

DEVON ASSOCIATION OF SMALLHOLDERS (DASH) DASH was established in 1986 to serve the needs and interests of smallholders and those planning to undertake any kind of country living. www.devonsmallholders.co.uk.

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DYFED SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION The Dyfed Smallholders’ Association has been active for over twenty-one years, and is one of the oldest smallholder groups in the UK. www.dyfedsmallholders.org.uk.

EAST ESSEX SMALLHOLDERS’ GROUP A group of micro farmers who operate different size ‘smallholdings’; some of them have a few backyard chickens, maybe grow a few fruit or vegetables, while others may have a pig, small herds/flocks, sheep or even a cow. www.eastessexsmallholders.org.uk.

EAST RIDING SMALLHOLDERS’ SOCIETY A society of smallholders, ‘home’ farmers, small-scale agriculturalists, horticulturalists, self-sufficiency enthusiasts and country crafts people who have rural interests or are motivated to make productive their own small portion of the Earth’s surface.

For membership enquiries please telephone 01757 638155.

FENLAND GOATKEEPERS’ & SMALLHOLDERS’ CLUB The Club was originally started as a goatkeepers’ society in the early 1970s, but in October 1994 the Club was transformed into the more general smallholders’ group it is today. Since then the membership has grown to over 140 families. www.fgsc.org.uk.

GUERNSEY SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION The Guernsey Smallholders’ Association is a practical and social club, which forms a network of people who can offer each other advice, support and help, and which also facilitates the exchange of produce, skills and ideas. www.guernseysmallholders.weebly.com.

HERTS & ESSEX SMALLHOLDERS AND GARDENERS The group holds informal friendly meetings once a month, and members have a wide range of expertise on smallholding and gardening issues. www.hertsandessexsmallholders.org.

Tel: 01279 815044.

KENT SMALLHOLDERS The group was formed in 1987 by Hadlow College, to whom they are affiliated. They hold monthly meetings at the college with like-minded people who enjoy the countryside and the rural way of life, which is their only criteria for membership. www.kentsmallholders.co.uk.

LINCOLNSHIRE SMALLHOLDING AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY CLUB The purpose of Lincolnshire Smallholding and Self-sufficiency Club is to bring together like-minded people within Lincolnshire who are interested or involved in any aspect of smallholding or self-sufficiency. www.lsssc.org.uk. Tel: 01205 290829.

MONTGOMERYSHIRE & DISTRICT SMALLHOLDERS A friendly group of like-minded people who meet on a monthy basis, with guest speakers on a variety of subjects. New members and visitors are always welcome. We meet at Cobra Rugby Club in Meidod (Sat Nav SY22 6DA).

Tel: Barrie 01691 648406 Email: mmrjd¡btinternet.com NORFOLK SMALLHOLDERS’ TRAINING GROUP NSTG was set up in the late 1980s by a group of volunteers and now has members all over Norfolk (and beyond). www.nstg.org.uk. Tel: 01953 483734.

NORTH SHROPSHIRE AND BORDERS SMALLHOLDERS’ GROUP A friendly group with varied interests – from window boxes to acres. Welcomes new members to their monthly meetings. www.northshrop-smallholder.co.uk NORTH YORKSHIRE SMALLHOLDERS’ SOCIETY This group was set up to help the smallholders of North Yorkshire and the North of England. www.smallholder.org.uk.

NORTHUMBRIA SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION A group of like-minded people from the north-east of England who enjoy the countryside and all that goes with it. The group formed following a smallholders’ course at Kirkley Hall College. www.northumbriasmallholders.co.uk.

ROMFORD SMALLHOLDERS’ SOCIETY They run a very large and popular allotment site in Romford and have been providing allotments for over one hundred years. www.romfordsmallholders.wix.com/ growyourown.

SCOTTISH SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION The Scottish Smallholders’ Association has been established for over 15 years. They are a small group based in the south-west of Scotland, and their aim is to share knowledge, experience and ideas about smallholding, and they welcome anyone with shared interests.

SEVERNVALE SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION A group of people whose main interests are: flora and fauna, the environment, conservation and organic growing. www.severnvalesmallholders.org.uk.

SHROPSHIRE SMALLHOLDERS’ GROUP A non-profit organisation providing members with information and mutual support on all aspects of smallholding, including animal husbandry, growing fruit and vegetables, and general smallholding interests. www.shropshiresmallholdersgroup.org.

SMALL FARM TRAINING GROUP The Small Farm Training Group (SFTG), based in Sussex, aims to enable members to learn better farming, smallholding and horticultural skills.

Members are enthusiasts who want to know how to care for land, livestock and equipment in an efficient and professional manner. www.sftg.co.uk.

SOMERSET SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION The association was set up more than thirty years ago to bring together folk who have an interest in rural activities. Whether you have a flowerpot or a farm, you are welcome to join this friendly group of Somerset-based working smallholders. www.somersetsmallholders.org.uk.

Tel: 07758 827869.

SOUTH WEST WALES SMALLHOLDERS A facebook group page for all those who have a smallholding in SW Wales. You can advertise items for sale, or appeal for wanted items. www.facebook.com/ groups/218380055007087.

STAFFORDSHIRE SMALLHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION A small but lively group of families and individuals who share an interest in the small-farming way of life. www.staffsmallholders.info.

Tel: 01889 881377.

SUFFOLK SMALLHOLDERS’ SOCIETY A non-profit group of like-minded people interested in smallholding, self-sufficiency, allotments, fruit and vegetable growing and animal husbandry on a small scale. www.suffolksmallholders.co.uk.

Tel: 01449 711178.

WEST SUSSEX SMALLHOLDERS’ CLUB A friendly smallholders’ support group serving West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. www.westsussexsmallholdersclub.org.uk.

Tel: 01903 205470.

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Ne xt Month PROPAGATING

A warm welcome to Kate Collyns, who will be taking up the growing under plastic/glass mantle.

This month she’s propagating under plastic and keeping her seeds healthy.

THE PLEASURE OF PEARS Elizabeth McCorquodale considers growing pears in the garden, by looking at the best varieties for eating and cooking.

MOLE CATCHING They may look cute, but moles can wreak havoc in your garden. Heidi M. Sands considers humane and effective methods of making sure your plot is a mole-free zone.

MAKING FRUITY ALES Fruity beers are becoming quite the thing now.

Susan Williams shares recipes for making your own herby beers and fruity ales.

RENEWABLES FOR THE HOME John Butterworth continues exploring the options for harnessing renewable energy around the home in the second part of this article.

INCUBATION Is it time to shift your poultry-keeping hobby up a notch and begin to raise chicks? Terry Beebe puts a cost on producing your own brood or selling your fertilised eggs for others to incubate.

12-MONTH VEG PLAN

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CH AR M R ct: ME AR uy dire F b ME 15 HO ock to ry 20 t a In s Janu gents: 15 30 ewsa ry 20 a In n Febru 5

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We show you ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ to grow, with our 4-page pull-out veg plan.

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