2016
New beginnings
New beginnings With spring there is new opportunity, vibrant energy heralds new life, inspires renewal & well-being.
Contents Spring at Trill Farm, by Romy Fraser Spring in the Veg Garden, by Ashley Wheeler Bumblebees, by Jolyon Chesworth Spring Renewals, by Anne McIntyre The Year of the Fire Monkey, by Sandra Hill Recipes from the Old Dairy Kitchen, by Chris Onions Recipes from ‘Living Food, a Feast for Soil and Soul’, by Daphne Lambert In Defence of Eating Good Meat, by Jake Hancock Trill Course Programme Staying with Us, by Zoe Haigh
at Trill Farm As everyone at Trill Farm is putting the final touches to our new spring box, I am taking some time off and having a couple of weeks away from the Devon winter. After last years rain I decided to get a boost of vitamin D and a boost to my brain cells. We’ve been in Jamaica attending a seminar given by Iain McGilchrist, a wonderfully erudite and fascinating four days. I’ve come away with a notebook full of notes and quotes but that is really to miss the point altogether. Iain’s final answer to a question from the group was ‘how can we support the health of our brains?’ Apparently it is best to slow down, give ourselves more time, spend time in nature and have one good nap every day. So enjoy good slow food, a glass or two of red wine, and read ‘The Master and his Emissary: the Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World.’ On to Cuba where horses are still used as transport, there is more to discover. Largely as a result of trade embargos agriculture is still largely diverse, small scale, and using minimum chemical inputs. There are changes afoot, but maybe this slower, more personal approach to living is what makes its people happier and healthier. Apparently the level of happiness in the UK is decreasing with our increased acquisition of wealth (generally this equates to accumulation of “stuff”). When I get home I’m going to do that spring cleaning I’ve promised myself, reduce the clutter, take more time to do things with greater care, allow myself to be more creative. Does this make sense? Yes it does! We’re hoping Iain will speak at our next Supper and Conversation. Please join us. Plan to stay and enjoy what Trill Farm has to offer: quiet, nature, dark nights, food from ingredients traditionally grown on the Farm, and of course some inspiration for the year ahead.
SP RING in the Veg gar de n by Ashley Wheeler
The polytunnels have been cleaned, the packing shed has had a revamp, the seeds are being sown and we wait for the ground outside to dry before we start cultivating and planting. We are prepared for the coming season. This year, we are undertaking our first commercial seed growing, for the Real Seed Catalogue in Wales. They are a wonderful small seed company who produce and sell only open pollinated varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers for gardeners and small scale growers. They provide information on each seed packet about saving seeds from that particular variety, encouraging gardeners to save and exchange their own seed. We will be growing chillies, sunflowers, poppies and a turnip called the Giant Limousin Turnip, which just happens to be from where my dad lives in France. The chillies will have to be grown in isolation from other varieties that we are growing – simply by growing them in a different polytunnel. The turnips will be sown in late summer/early autumn and then harvested before winter. We will then select the turnips which look most true to their variety and rogue out any diseased or unusual turnips that don’t show characteristics of the Giant Limousin turnip. The saved turnips will be stored overwinter in damp sand and then replanted in spring allowing them to flower and seed. We will collect the seed and process it, threshing and cleaning it and return it to the Real Seed Catalogue, as with all the other seeds that we will be saving, who will then offer it in their catalogue. It has been a mild, wet winter, and yet again I am thankful for the polytunnels that we have, and the fact that we do not grow much winter veg. The tunnels build up algae on the plastic very quickly over the year, and the light levels inside them are heavily reduced. Usually we get by with using a combination of a pressure washer and a broom tied to a bean pole! I decided this year to treat myself to a window cleaners’ extendable water fed pole with a brush on the end to clean the outside of our
polytunnels. It has worked a treat, and been much easier than the broom, beanpole and baler twine combination. This year we welcome our third trainee – Ellen, who has been volunteering a day a week since August last year. To gain more practical knowledge, I took a student placement at Hestercombe Gardens when I was studying Horticulture. This placement was an invaluable experience – I learnt about dry stone walling, hedgelaying, chainsawing, historical garden design along with much more. The traineeship that we offer is similar in that it is very much about the trainee learning on the job and pushing their own development. Learning practically with a small scale business such as ours gives the trainee a chance to see how things actually work not only with the technical side of growing, but with how to make it ones livelihood. There seems to be a large number of people who have a hunger for learning about agroecological food production, and to be able to offer a short term traineeship feels a great way to share some of the knowledge that we have picked up over the last few years of being growers. The traineeship is also a great way to share the model of how Trill Farm works, which I think addresses very well the issues of access to land. Many new entrants (such as ourselves) find that when they are ready to get going and start a farming or growing business the main limiting factors are accessing affordable land and access to finance. At Trill, when we arrived the garden had already been setup and much of the infrastructure had been established, so we had to make very little investment. It would be great if established estates and landowners could open up their land to new agricultural and horticultural businesses and provide the resources required to support the demand by new entrants into farming and growing like Trill Farm has done for us.
Ash and Kate have created a vegetable growing enterprise, Trill Farm Garden at Trill Farm, supplying the Trill kitchen as well as neighbouring restaurants with fresh, seasonal, varied produce.
If you’re interested in volunteering at Trill contact post@trillfarm.co.uk
BUMBLEBEES by Jolyon Chesworth There are around 250 species of bee in the UK. Of these, 225 are solitary bees, 24 are bumblebees and there is just one species of honey bee. Bumblebees are usually easy to tell apart from the others, they evolved in the Himalayas, and as such are larger and hairier, an adaptation to help keep warm. They are also able to shiver, heating up their wing muscles in cooler conditions to allow them to fly. This means they can fly and forage in temperatures that would keep honey bees tucked up in their hive, making bumblebees important pollinators earlier and later in the season. Honey bee hives may contain up to 50,000 bees, whereas bumblebee nests are much smaller, containing up to around 400 bees. Each nest is ruled by a queen, who lives for just one year. She emerges from hibernation in the early spring and after a long winter needs to replenish her energy by feeding on pollen and nectar rich flowers. This can be a difficult time of year if spring is cool as many plants will delay flowering, it is a sad sight watching the large newly emerged queens buzzing around with nothing to feed on and you sometimes find them lying exhausted and hungry. Assuming they find sufficient food, the next task is to build a nest. Most bumblebees are ground nesting, often using old mouse and vole holes, the queen will secrete wax to form cells in which to lay her eggs, these will all hatch as female workers, who are much smaller and are responsible for gathering nectar and pollen to feed the colony. Towards the end of the summer the queen will produce males, these do not contribute to the colony, they leave the nest and do not return, spending their days and nights outdoors looking
for newly emerged queens with which to mate. In the autumn, the old queen, the workers and the males all die off, leaving the new queens to look for a safe place to hibernate for the winter, often in dead wood or even in your compost heap. They will emerge in the spring and the whole cycle will start again. Bees require pollen for protein and nectar for sugar, by gathering these foods the bees move pollen between plants to enable them to fruit and reproduce. This free service is enormously important, without bees many plants would simply disappear and growing crops would become very expensive as pollination would need to be actively carried out. As there are 24 species of bumblebee, they are able to pollinate a wider variety of plants than honeybees because the different species have different length tongues to access the nectar. Lavender, for example, has deep flowers that the short tongue of honey bee can not penetrate. Bumblebees are also unique in that they can employ ‘buzz pollination’ vibrating their bodies to explode the tightly packed pollen of plants such as potato, tomato, borage and blueberry. When the bee has collected as much pollen as it can fit in to its pollen baskets, it returns it to the nest to feed the young, but not before leaving a scent from its feet to let other bees know not to bother with that flower as it has already been relieved of its edible goodness. Some of the nectar is turned in to honey, which increases the calorific value and shelf life, honey bees of course produce large quantities in order to sustain their vast numbers over the winter. As most bumblebees die off in the Autumn, they only store about a thimble full.
Bumblebees have suffered over the decades with changes in agriculture resulting in the loss of around 97% of our wildflower meadows, as well as hedgerows and areas of rough ground. Two species have become extinct and others have declined enormously in number. There is also much debate about the effects of pesticides on bees, especially neonicotinoids, often used on oil seed rape crops, and the EU placed a moratorium on the use of these pesticides in 2013 due to concerns they were causing damage to wild bee populations. In 2014, Syngenta, who manufacture the pesticides, applied to the UK Government to remove the ban, they later withdrew the application but in 2015 the Government did lift the ban on use in a number of areas across England after a plea from the National Farmers Union. Whilst the rural landscape may not always be the welcome place for bumblebees that it once was, there are a number of landowners who really value their bees and the pollinating service that they provide for free. Many farmers plant pollen and nectar rich flower boarders around fields (an activity subsidised by EU grants) and some are going further and restoring large meadow areas and using alternatives to pesticides. However, you don’t need to have large areas of land to help bumblebees, there is much you can do in your garden. Select a range of plants that provide nectar and pollen rich flowers from early spring through to autumn. Spring flowers such as bluebell, bugle, comfrey, pussy willow, mahonia and flowering currant will give the queens coming out of hibernation the energy needed to build their nest. Summer flowers such as borage, thyme, allium, sweet
pea, aquilegia and campanula will provide lots of energy for the workers, busy tending the nest and feeding the young. Buddleia, cornflower, cosmos, honeysuckle, lavender, sedum, echinacea and nasturtium will provide food through late summer, giving the queen the energy to produce males and the next generation of queens. Try to avoid the use of pesticides, some garden pesticides contain neonicotinoids, and be careful when turning compost heaps or burning dead wood piles in the winter, as they may contain hibernating queens. The Trill Trust is very pleased to be working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust this year, who are running a course on bee identification and gardening for bees, if you want to find out more about bees their website (bumblebeeconservation.org) is a great place to start. With their help, we hope to set up a bumblebee monitoring project here at Trill to see what species we have and what we can do to help support them. In the meantime, we will be keeping a close eye out for the first queen of the year to emerge on the farm.
Jolyon Chesworth is Director of Education of The Trill Trust, having previously worked for 15 years as a marine ecologist, conservationist and educator for wildlife conservation organisations. He is passionate about providing opportunities for people to re-connect with nature.
SPRING RENEWALS Anne McIntyre In nature spring is a time of new life and regeneration, and similarly for us it is a time to wake up and throw off the lethargy of winter. Drinks for spring need to be able to renew our energy and vitality and at the same time detoxify the body of toxins accumulated from the sedentary habits of the winter months. Certain foods and herbs such as watercress, dandelion leaves, young nettle tops, cabbage and leeks have the remarkable ability to do just this.
Welsh Dandelion Beer This traditional Welsh recipe makes a beer that is excellent for quenching thirst and is not very alcoholic. The combination of the bitterness of dandelions and the pungency of ginger is perfect for our purposes in spring. The bitter taste stimulates the function of the liver, the great detoxifying organ of the body, while the ginger’s pungency has the effect of revitalising the whole system, improving digestion and absorption while ensuring the removal of toxins and wastes.
225g young dandelions plants 4.5 l water 15g root ginger, sliced and bruised 1 lemon, zest and juice of 450g demerara sugar 25g cream of tartar 7g dried brewer’s yeast Dig up complete young dandelion plants, wash them well and remove all the fibrous roots, leaving the main tap root. Place in a large saucepan with the water, ginger and lemon rind. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and pour on to the sugar and cream of tartar in a fermentation bucket. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Start the yeast following the instructions and
add it to the lukewarm water must with the lemon juice. Cover and leave in a warm room for 3 days. Strain into screwtop bottles. It will be ready to drink after 1 week and, if stored in a cool place, will keep for about a month.
Tuscan Spring Tonic 1 serving Ever since the 17th century celery has been popular with the Italians. In fact, the old French name for celery is sceleri d’Itlai. Wonderfully aromatic, celery blends well with the rather similar taste parsley, the pungency of garlic and the sweetness of carrot to make this thick, highly nutritious vegetable juice. Perfect as a spring cleanser, celery, parsley and carrots all have diuretic properties, aiding the elimination of toxins via the kidneys, while garlic invigorates the whole body, disinfecting and cleansing as it goes.
250ml 125ml 1 1
carrot juice celery juice garlic clove handful of fresh parsley parsley sprigs to garnish
Blend all the ingredients together in a liquidizer or food processor. Serve with a garnish of parsley.
Nettle & Cabbage Soup
Cabbage – Brassica
The abundant chlorophyll in nettles gives this soup a wonderfully vibrant colour that makes you feel healthy just looking at it. Bursting with vitamins, minerals and trace elements, it nourishes and cleanses at the same time. An antiseptic, a diuretic, a tonic of the liver and a laxative, cabbage makes an ideal spring tonic, explaining its ancient reputation for purifying the blood. Similarly, nettles stimulate the liver and kidneys, cleansing the body of toxins and wastes, and restores vitality to the system.
“Doctor of the poor” and “a gift from heaven” are eulogies from the days when the cabbage was recognised as a panacea for all ills. High in fibre, low in calories, rich in vitamin C and a good source of bioflavonoids, potassium, folic acid and the B vitamins, this vegetable has a wonderful ability to detoxify the body, cleanse the skin, renew energy and promote feelings of wellbeing.
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and chopped 2 leeks, washed and sliced 100g cabbage, chopped 1.2 l vegetable or chicken stock salt and freshly ground pepper 2 handfuls nettle tops, washed 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander ground nutmeg, to garnish Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook till soft. Add the leeks and cabbage, cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, adding the nettles for the last few minutes. Remove from the heat and blend. Add the parsley or coriander before serving and garnish with nutmeg.
Next Herbal Medicine course 21 & 22 May 2016 trillfarm.co.uk for more details
Strange as it may seem, the ancient Egyptians built a temple to honour the cabbage. The Greeks went one step further and passed a law that made stealing cabbages a crime punishable by death. Pythagoras apparently promoted the practice of eating raw cabbages every day, particularly to cure nervous or mental disorders. Ancient cultures were also quick to discover the cabbage’s welcome power to combat the debilitating effects of headaches and hangovers. Juices or soups are the best way to sample the healing properties of cabbages, whether they are the green, white, red, Savoy or Chinese variety. Raw cabbage blended into a juice is very beneficial, particularly for peptic ulcers. The juice can generate intestinal gas, however, causing bloating or flatulence. Red cabbage has the most vitamin C, while Savoy is a richer source of beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. Cabbage contains sulphur, a contributor to its characteristic smell during cooking. When putting cabbages into a soup, drop a piece of stale bread into the water to eliminate the smell. Add some lemon juice and an aromatic spice, such as cumin, to complement the cabbage flavour.
Only buy cabbages that look fresh with crisp leaves, firm heads and a good colour. Avoid any that have wilted leaves, cracked heads or that seem to have signs of insect damage.
“Last evening you were drinking deep So now your head aches: go to sleep Take some boiled cabbage when you awake There’s an end of your headache.” Tsar Alexis of Russia (1629-70)
Healing qualities OF CABBAGE • Cabbage stimulates the immune system and the production of antibodies, and is an excellent remedy for fighting bacterial and viral infections, such as colds and flu. • The sulphur content of cabbage is probably responsible for its antiseptic, antibiotic and disinfectant actions, particularly in the respiratory system. • Raw cabbage juice promotes the healing of ulcers, both internally and externally. Mucilaginous substances protect the lining of the digestive tract from irritants, and an amino acid, methionine, promotes healing.
Anne McIntyre Anne runs a one year course in experiential herbalism at Trill Farm, using the herb gardens and hedgerows to teach the practical side of using herbs.
• Bioflavonoids and antioxidant vitamins A, C and E afford some protection against tissue damage, degenerative disease and premature aging from free radicals. • Cabbage juice makes a soothing, antiseptic gargle for sore throats and a mouthwash for mouth ulcers.
T he y e ar o f t h e fir e m onk e y by Sandra Hill The second new moon after the winter solstice marks Chinese New Year. In Western Europe this time of year is celebrated as imbolc in the celtic calendar, or candlemas in the Christian – a celebration of the return of the light, which falls at the beginning of February. Chinese New Year is the official ‘beginning of spring’ when we move from the dark cold days of winter, dominated by the water element, into a time of growth symbolised by the wood element. This transition is mediated by the element of earth, which controls these ‘gates of the year’ or ‘cross quarter days’ as they are known in the celtic calendar. Chinese astrology follows a 60 year cycle – the 12 year cycle of Jupiter, symbolised by the 12 animals, multiplied by the five elements. So this year is not only attributed to the monkey – an event which takes place every 12 years – but to the fire monkey – a one in 60 year occurrence.
Sandra Hill, acupuncturist, teacher and publisher, has worked with Romy for over 15 years establishing courses in various aspects of natural medicine and co-writing The Roots of Health. In 2003, she became a trustee of The Trill Trust.
Monkeys are quick and intelligent; impatient and often a bit naughty. The monkey king from the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West, was punished for stealing peaches of immortality from the Queen of Heaven – he had no respect for the rules, particularly those of religious hierarchy. But he was perceptive and cunning, and could cut through delusion and illusion. Paired with the element fire, the monkey’s intelligence is sharpened; fire is able to discriminate and refine… but it is also related to the heart and to compassion. The year of the fire monkey gives a chance for movement and change, after what might have felt like a time of inaction and inertia. It is energetic and agile, and capable of transformation. The year of the fire monkey is a great time to initiate new projects, maybe even to take a leap into the unknown… but make sure that you are using your intuition. Monkeys can get into trouble!
Recipes from the Old Dairy Kitchen by Chris Onions
Wild Garlic Capers Trill’s wild garlic grows deep in the forest, close to the river and when it awakens in spring it transforms the forest floor to green and fills the air with its pungent aroma. The leaves make wonderful pestos, butters and are a great addition as a dressing for a wild spring salad of dandelion leaves, pennywort & ground elder. The roots are also edible, scrubbed, poached in milk and warmed in good butter. Once the leaves fully grown the plant goes to flower and after the flower comes my favourite part, the seeds. To pick the seeds wait until the petals begin to fall, this is when they are full of flavour and packed full of juice. I love to gently sauté these little flavour bombs in butter and serve them with pollack and lemon. This recipe allows us to preserve them for later in the year. It also means that we can add to the larder of native ingredients. They’re salty, sour & delicious! After collecting the seed heads, simply snip off the small seeds, don’t worry if there’s a little stalk left on the seeds, it’s all edible. Firstly in a non-metallic container generously sprinkle the seeds with sea salt, cover the container and place in the fridge. Leave the seeds for 2 weeks to cure.
After 2 weeks empty the seeds into a sieve, the salt will be wet but can be reused. Wash the salty seeds under the cold tap. Allow to drip dry for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make your pickling liquid. For 200g of seeds you will need roughly 250ml pickling liquid.
200ml 100g 1 1 1
cider vinegar sugar of your choice bay leaf (optional) pinch of black pepper sprig rosemary (optional)
Boil all the ingredients together. Add the seeds and return to the boil then quickly pour into sterilised jars and seal immediately. Store in a cool place for 1 month before using. They will last for 1 year.
Sill or Pickled Herring I have taken this recipe from my time in Sweden. Glasmastarsill is a simple dish of pickled herring, one of very many varieties. It’s eaten throughout the year and always has a central place at the Easter & Christmas table or Julbord as it is known. On the Julbord there may be as many a ten different types. These may include dill, sweet mustard, orange and even a Bloody Mary base! I have chosen to share this basic glasmastarsil recipe as I love them and we have good quality herring coming into southwest waters in March. They are perfect to eat on top of the Trill Wild Garlic Crackers with boiled eggs, sour cream and black pepper. The herring can be bought pre-salted but if you have fresh fillets it’s a simple process to salt or cure them.
70g 900ml 450g 450ml 70g 2 tsp 3 7 1tsp 1 1
sea salt water + 225ml water herring fillets (cut into 2cm slices) cider vinegar sugar black peppercorns cloves whole allspice brown mustard seeds red onion (peeled and finely sliced) small carrot (peeled and finely sliced)
Firstly make the brine by heating up 900ml of water with the salt. Stir to dissolve then allow to cool to room temperature. Put the herring into a non-metallic container and pour over the cold brine. Refrigerate overnight. Make the pickling liquor by simmering the vinegar, spices, sugar and remaining water for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Sterilise some jars with tight fitting lids and allow to cool. When the fish is cured begin to layer up the jar with fish, then onion and carrot, then fish and so on until the jar is full. Carefully pour over the pickling liquid including the spices. It’s best to wait for a day or two before eating. They will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Join our team for a delicious organic lunch Every Wednesday at 1pm MORE DETAILS AT TRILLFARM.CO.UK
Nettle Panna Cotta with Asparagus & Radishes Serves 6 as a starter The great British chef David EverittMatthias inspired this dish. His restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage was the first restaurant in the UK to feature many wild and unused native ingredients, serving them with flair and sound technique. In his spring dish of panna cotta he uses the wonderful jack-by-the-hedge, otherwise known as garlic mustard. I swap this and instead use fresh young nettle tops. I like to garnish the dish with garlic mustard and other spring shoots. The raw asparagus and radish bring a welcome crunch at this time of year.
Panna Cotta
100ml 400ml 3g 200g
milk double cream powdered agar agar nettle tops (pick only the top 4-6 leaves) salt, black pepper & nutmeg
Asparagus & Radishes
400g asparagus (trim off the woody base and shave length ways) 10 radishes (sliced into thin discs) 4 tsp finely sliced chives 75ml good quality olive oil baby wild leaves (garlic mustard, dandelion, pennywort, ground elder, sorrel) 1 lemon (juiced) salt & black pepper
To make the panna cotta Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a good spoonful of salt. Cook the nettle tops for about one minute until just tender. Drain them and plunge into iced water. This stops the cooking and keeps them bright green. Drain again and allow to drip dry, wrap in a tea towel and squeeze out the excess water. The water makes a great base for a spring soup. Reserve the nettles. Bring the milk and cream to the boil, whisk in the agar agar, keep whisking continuously for 20 seconds as the mixture simmers. Add the cream mixture and the nettles to a food processor and blend until smooth. You want to do this quickly to keep the bright colour. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Pour into your ramekins to set. For the salad, gently toss together all the asparagus salad ingredients in a bowl and correct the seasoning. When plating the dish keep plenty of volume in the salad, it gives a great visual effect. Serve with the Trill Wild Garlic Crackers.
Chris Onions runs the Old Dairy Kitchen. He caters for all our events, courses and farm lunches, produces delicious treats for our shop and teaches with the Trill Trust. Chris also hosts his own monthly dinner series, and teaches on our Grow, Cook, Make, Mend project.
spring foraging walk 20th MAY trillfarm.co.uk for more details
Recipes from
Living Food – a feast for soil & soul By Daphne Lambert (out soon) Radish, carrot, nettle & lemon juice
Quinoa with Spring herbs & asparagus
Serves 1
Serves 4
6 radish 2 carrots scrubbed handful nettles 2 slices of lemon
350g asparagus 3 tbsp olive oil 2 onions finely sliced 3 leaves of lovage finely shredded 225g quinoa 450ml vegetable stock 1 large handful of herbs: parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil, rocket, fennel or whatever you have, roughly chopped 25g butter or splash of olive oil 1/4 tsp salt black pepper
Cut the carrots, plus the radish and lemon if necessary, into pieces that will fit the funnel of the juicing machine. Feed in the nettles then lemons, radish and carrots. Drink at once.
Daphne Lambert is an award winning chef, author and founding member and CEO of Greencuisine Trust. She is an expert in the field of health and nutrition. Daphne teaches the seasonal Living Nutrition courses at Trill Farm. See www.greencuisine.org for more details. Next LIVING NUTRITION COURSE 15th - 17th APRIL trillfarm.co.uk for more details
Break the coarse ends off the asparagus and discard. Cut off the spears and plunge into boiling water for 1 min. Strain, (keeping the liquid to use as stock), refresh in cold water and set aside. Cut the stalks into 1cm pieces. Bring the stock to the boil, season with salt and pepper. In a thick bottomed pan gently cook the onions in the oil with an equal amount of water. When softened and the water has evaporated, add the lovage, asparagus stalks and quinoa. Stir well then pour on the stock and cook for 15 mins - the quinoa should be cooked and all the liquid absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the asparagus spears, herbs and butter or olive oil.
SPRING SPROUTING Sprouts are very easy and inexpensive to grow plus they are packed full of nutrition. During the germination process the seed springs into life and the nutrition becomes more readily available. Enzyme inhibitors, phytates and oxalates present in every seed, nut or grain are removed. Starches are converted into simple sugars. Proteins and fats are broken down into an easily digestible form and vitamins are created. Sprouted seeds are nutrition powerhouses. Sprouting increases vitamin B content, especially in grains including B2, B5, and B6. Carotene increases dramatically – sometimes eightfold, and the vitamin C content of a sprout can be really significant. All edible grains, seeds (with the exception of the deadly nightshade family – tomatoes, aubergine, potatoes and peppers) and legumes (with the exception of kidney beans) can be sprouted. The following are the most common seeds used for sprouting:
Sprouted Seed Salad with Hemp Dressing
1. Grains: Wheat, kamut, millet, spelt. 2. Seeds: Alfalfa, radish, sunflower, buckwheat, quinoa, broccoli. 3. Legumes: Mung bean, lentils, aduki beans, peas, chickpeas.
In a bowl combine the sprouts and the fennel.
Alfalfa sprouts are one of the easiest sprouts to grow, they are particularly high in anti-oxidants crucial in supporting the immune system. Research has shown that broccoli sprouts have a far higher concentration of potent health promoting compounds than the mature broccoli head. Sprouted peas are packed full of disease fighting compounds and are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and enzymes.
Serves 6 75g 75g 50g 50g 2 3
sprouted sunflower seeds sprouted lentils sprouted alfalfa sprouted broccoli fennel bulbs, diced handfuls lambs lettuce
Hemp dressing 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp orange juice 8 tbsp hemp oil 8 leaves wild garlic roughly chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 orange, zest of salt & pepper
Whisk all the ingredients for the hemp dressing together, add to the sprouts and fennel and gently toss together. Divide the lambs lettuce between six bowls and pile on the sprouts.
Variations Use any sprouted seed combination. Use any seasonal green leaves. Replace the wild garlic with three cloves of bulb garlic.
I n De f e n c e o f e ati n g g oo d m eat Obse rvat i o ns fro m Jak e Hanco ck , l ive sto c k far mer
HOW TO BUY OU R MEAT If you want to buy beef & lamb reared at Trill, contact us or email chrissy@wessexconservationgrazing.co.uk
Over the last couple of years it has been very interesting to hear that there has been significant change in the dietary advice we are being given by the majority of the scientific community. Essentially there appears to have been a u-turn over our received 20th century wisdom in several key areas. These being: 1) There is no longer clear evidence that heart disease can be caused by dietary cholesterol, saturated fat, red meat and dairy products. 2) Indeed many of the fats and proteins available from animal sources are valuable for health, and not easily found from other sources. 3) There is however growing evidence that processed meats (especially bacon, ham, cured meats and sausages) are bad for us, particularly in terms of bowel cancer, strokes and heart disease – this is due to the types of salts used in their processing and curing. The advice is to reduce these types of meat. 4) There is a growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes, and this is best controlled by avoiding sugar. By association, highly processed starch intake should also be reduced, especially white bread, white flourbased products, and too much pasta, all of which are rapidly converted into high blood sugar levels by the body. On the other hand, fats and proteins are slow-release forms of energy less likely to contribute to this problem. For me this new advice may allow people to be more open minded with respect to incorporating red meat (beef and lamb) back into their diet. There are several reasons to consider this. I think it is really important news for people thinking of their health and the ethics of what they eat, particularly because there has been a major shift during the second half of the twentieth century towards eating chicken (which
had become seen as one of the only healthy meat options) and pork, which is often highly processed in the form of bacon, ham and sausages. This new research may encourage people that it would be fine, indeed healthier, to shift their protein intake back in favour of beef and lamb. In my mind this could help making ethical healthy choices, because of welfare issues surrounding cheap pork and chicken in particular. For example the majority of eggs available in our shops are from batteries (sorry I must now call them “enriched cages”) or relatively intensive free range systems (up to 6000 birds), the vast majority of chicken meat is produced in “broiler houses” (tens of thousands of birds in a shed), and the majority of pork is produced from sows kept in farrowing crates, all of which are highly questionable on welfare grounds, to say the least. There is also the issue that pigs and poultry are fed on 99% grainbased rations, which effectively diverts crops that could fed to humans (and need to produced on fertile land) into animals. This is a more inefficient way to feed the world’s population, and so should not be the mainstay of society’s protein intake. Beef and sheep on the other hand can be reared extensively on poorer land (not suitable for crops), and potentially deliver wildlife benefits at the same time. I don’t plan to give up bacon and salami altogether, or for that matter eat more meat. However, if purchased from the right sources (grass fed and organic) I do feel we can feel more confident feeding the family beef and lamb as a healthy option and one that often has less environmental or ethical baggage than many other forms of protein production.
Following roles at the Soil Association and National Trust, Jake took on the tenancy of Trill Farm in 2010, where he runs 40 Devon and Angus suckler cows, and about 160 Exlana and crossbred breeding ewes.
Course programme 2016 The farm enterprises and products we sell help to support The Trill Trust, the education charity that runs all the public courses and education work based here. Using Trill Farm as its beautiful classroom, the Trust aims to enable people to adopt a health and sustainable lifestyle, that demonstrates respect for our natural environment.
Basic Home DIY
Beekeeping
April 23, May 13 & July 15
September 15
Gives the confidence to beginners to tackle those small but important jobs around the house.
A foundation course for aspiring apiculturalists.
Living Nutrition Beginners Carpentry
May 20, 27 June 3, 10, 17 August 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 September 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28 A five day course to the learn the basics: tool care and proper use, make basic joints, and use your new skills to make a bench to take home.
THE ART OF SOAP MAKING
May 14 - 15 A hands on workshop making your own soaps tailored to individual preferences and skin type, using plants gathered from our gardens. Leave with a collection of soaps and the skills to carry on crafting at home.
Spring: April 15 - 17 Summer: July 1 - 3 Autumn: September 16 - 18 Winter: December 2 - 4 Explore the relationship between land, food, health and vitality, and leave with seasonal recipes and cooking skills to share at home.
Eco Home Building & Renovation
May 9 - 12 Have you ever dreamed of building your own low impact affordable home, extending your existing home or building a garden-room? This in-depth course will allow you to get started turning these dreams into reality.
Herbal Medicine
Basket Making
Spring: May 21 & 22 Summer: July 16 & 17 Autumn: September 10 & 11 Winter: October 22 & 23 Identify and forage for seasonal herbs, understand their medicinal properties and uses, and learn to create a range of preparations for health and well-being.
Family Camps
May 28 - 30 & July 23 - 27 Nature connection camps for families of all ages. Forage, light fires, star gaze, meet the wildlife, wander, create and dream.
Spoon carving
June 11 - 12 A whole weekend crafting spoons and other utensils with Hatchet and Bear. Learn new skills - or hone existing ones, while camping, eating fire cooked food and breathing lungfuls of fresh Trill air.
NATURAL BEAUTY
July 16 Learn the techniques involved in producing beautiful, functional baskets, and leave with a completed work of your own.
Summer BBQ Cooking Class
August 6 This one-day workshop is a celebration of deep smoky flavours, exquisite summer vegetables, the rituals of fire and sharing a meal outdoors with friends.
Fermenting & Preserving
September 13 & October 1 A practical course in quick pickling, smoking, lactic cultures and ferments to turn the last of the summer’s harvest into sweet and sour delights.
Preparing & Cooking Game
July 15 & September 3
October 15
Learn to create a range of skincare products including creams, balms and natural toothpaste, using hedgerow herbs and pure plant based ingredients.
Learn skills include skinning and gutting, plucking and jointing on pheasant and rabbit. Tackle a whole deer, learn joints and recipes, and make sausages to take home.
Live well, be inspired, gain new skills, learn from nature.
S TAYI NG wit h u s by Zoe Haigh
We see ourselves as custodians of the land, rather than owners of it. As such we want people to get the most out of it, being able to slow down and spend time reconnecting with nature. There are so many beautiful spots on the farm that those of us who work here full time get to enjoy – some obvious, others hidden, some you wouldn’t know were so spectacular at just the right time of year. Its great to share these places with visitors. People coming to our Wednesday Farm Lunches join us on a tour of the enterprises – seeing how we make soaps, our carpentry workshop, herb gardens and vegetable growing. People who are staying with us a bit longer on one of our residential courses or as guests in our B&B have a bit more time to explore, and might visit the ancient woodlands full of bluebells in the spring or enjoy the fabulous views across the valley as they take the footpath up to the
To arrange a stay or plan a visit Contact us on 01297 631113
top of Trinity Hill. The secluded campsite is a brilliant place to step back into nature – badger and bat spotting, roaming the old railway line bursting with berries in the autumn or taking a dip in the pond (my personal favourite activity on summer lunch breaks!). Of course our volunteers that stay with us for a month at a time get to really explore Trill and find all the hidden nooks and crannies – the secret stepping stones out to the island on the lake, the rope swings over the streams, cooking lunch on a fire in the woods or foraging in the far flung corners of the farm.
The best things in life are shared, so we invite you to come and share this beautiful corner of the world with us, however you decide to visit! Zoe coordinates the courses and hospitality at Trill, and manages the office.
THIS TRILL SEASONAL BOX WAS A GROUP EFFORT Trill ceramics are made by Fran, Graham and Romy Chris has made the wild garlic crackers Daphne baked the Easter biscuits Sandie presses the apples and matures the cider vinegar Ruth crafted the veg row markers Fran coordinates the seasons boxes Jane keeps the accounts immaculate and the rest of us in order Lou tackles processes and organic certification Tamsin brings our ideas to life, from the first creative seed to the final product Photos by Beki beRnstein Brochure design by Tamsin Loxley Printing by Axminster Printers
To find out more about our lunches, products, wholesale enquiries, B&B and campsite or to volunteer with us please get in touch via post@trillfarm.co.uk
For more information about our education programme at Trill, including booking farm visits and tours for your school or group, joining a course or enquiring about our leadership programme for young adults, please contact mail@thetrilltrust.org
Musbury, Devon, EX13 8TU 01297 631113