The Summer 2009 No.9

ORGANICThe journal of the Organic GROWER Growers Alliance

IN THIS ISSUE Food Scandal Anyone? The Food Standards Agency (FSA) report is ammunition for those News...... 2 already on the look-out for it, and an irritation to those whose work or house-keeping it seeks to devalue. For the in-betweens it is just another OGA conservation seminar...... 14 food story, an overnight sensation which will soon be superseded and forgotten. People who already buy organic produce know enough about Wakelyns open day...... 16 what it is and why they are buying it to dismiss the report’s conclusions as so much more government (non-organic) rhubarb. The Soil Association Sárpo update...... 18 was rapid and comprehensive in defence, and producers can be thankful, appreciative and, if need be, reassured that it acted effectively on their Pest in focus - thrips...... 20 behalf. In the national press the FSA findings were roundly condemned by many commentators, perhaps most notably in the Daily Mail under the The movable tunnel...... 22 headline “A cancerous conspiracy to poison your faith in organic food”. Internationally the global wires hummed with indignation and disbelief at Gardeners and growers...... 24 the report’s partiality. All in all its credibility has been severely damaged and its impact blunted. Costs comparison...... 27 The least surprising aspect of the case is that the report concluded that there are no nutritional benefits in consuming organic food. They would Selling to pubs and restaurants....28 say that, wouldn’t they? Whatever degree of independence in research and authorship is claimed for the report and whatever independence of Natural Agriculture...... 29 status and composition the Foods Standards Agency proclaims for itself as the commissioner of it, the FSA remains an agency of government. The four wheel hoe...... 30 For the government to say that organic food is nutritionally superior is also to say that non-organic food is nutritionally inferior. It can’t say that Novel Solanaceae...... 32 because its job is to preserve an even keel, rather than rocking the boat by effectively condemning the greatest part of our food supply. Alsia cross profile...... 35 You have to wonder why the study was commissioned in the first place, if only one result was possible. It’s not as if organic food is a threat to Wholesome Food Association...... 36 the well-being of the nation, in the way that (say) fast food might be. You’d have thought that by now, when the trading and processing of What to plant now...... 38 organic food is a mainstream interest, organic and non-organic could live together quite comfortably, as they do on many a supermarket shelf. But Book reviews...... 40 incomprehension, even animosity, has been a feature of the FSA’s attitude

Fieldnotes and queries...... 42

Nature notes...... 43

Events...... 44

Page 1 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 towards organic agriculture throughout its short history. Further signs of this can be found in its work on manure use (see News section) which manages to carry the implication that those who OGA news eat organic food do so at heightened risk of bacterial infection, whereas it is organic farmers and growers who have the greatest understanding of organic matter and take the most responsible approach to its application. All the evidence suggests that it is the Developments within the OGA industrialisation of agriculture, the perils of food processing and I would like to share with you all some of the developments especially the irresponsible use of antibiotics in animal husbandry within the OGA over the summer months. Our direction, I feel, that are responsible for most outbreaks of E.coli and salmonella was set out at conference and confirmed at the AGM at Penpont poisoning. Here is that boat again, not to be rocked. by the addition to our committee of Collette, Patrick and Peter. Looking beyond the headline you can only be surprised that After just over two years we have a committee with the skills to the given conclusion was ever reached, considering that the help us achieve our goals of support and representation. report allows that organic food in general is significantly higher Support comes naturally to us, as the social events we have already in phosphorus and titratable acids, and that organic meat and hosted show but it is the representation part that we need to work dairy products have higher levels of nutritionally beneficial fats. on. We have a world class magazine with a brilliant balance of It is even admitted, but quietly, that the study did not look at the news views and technical advice that deserves to be circulated issue of pesticide contamination, the absence of which is for most more widely. consumers the chief selling point of organic food. If its interpretation of the evidence presented is questionable so too is its authority. As In the last OG Patrick wrote an article on websites and their itself a review of studies made before February 2008 it missed out management and he is now helping to revamp our own to allow on the review of evidence published by The Organic Center in the us to be much more vocal about the topical issues of the day that USA in March 2008, and pre-empted major EU funded research in affect our lives. Alongside the website is the development of a the form of the QLIF study, which concluded in April 2009. TOC forum through which it is envisaged that members and others in particular is extremely critical of the methodology of the FSA will be able to ask questions, access technical information and funded research. While its findings were similar for some of the generally rant on as growers tend to. All of these tools of the nutrients analysed they differ significantly for two critical classes modern age are ours to use. of nutrients of great importance in promoting human health – After two years of floods and lost crops it has been good to enjoy a total polyphenols, and total antioxidant content. The latter was in fair growing season and although the legacy of those two years in fact ignored by the London study. weed seeds have appeared relentlessly throughout the season we

As scientific knowledge constantly expands, scientific findings have crops which is more than we had this time last year. can be disputed to infinity by those equipped to do so - otherwise May the rest of the season be as kind to us all. there would be nothing for academics to do. The rest of us will Alan Schofield, OGA Chair side with whichever conclusion on offer chimes with our instincts, our knowledge and experience so far, or our prejudices. Organic Membership List growers will probably be happy to accept those approaches to the OGA members will find an outline membership list inserted in understanding of food quality, like copper chloride crystallisation, this issue. This follows agreement at the AGM that it’s publication which go beyond analysis and seek to show differences of inherent would be constructive in encouraging contact among members vitality. These, one imagines, would be anathema to the team at and useful in the recruitment of those growers who do not yet the Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit of feature on it. the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who begat the FSA report. That is one difference between the life and habits OGA on Facebook! of the academic and the food producer. Unconstrained by the confines of institution and university (the “narrow tank which you The OGA committee recognises the importance of communication call ‘Thought’ . . .”) and experiencing through our fingertips the both to and within the membership. A re-vamp of the website wonders and uncertainties of daily creation we can better trust in is planned and we are looking for tenders to that purpose. A the understanding of our heart than in the rigidities of reductionist forum on the website has long been envisaged and until that science. We know what goes into the food we produce and can is a reality we have created an OGA group on Facebook. If credit ourselves that belief in its resulting qualities is simply a you are registered with Facebook, please check it out (search matter of observation and common sense. for Organic Growers Alliance) and join in the discussions.

Page 2 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Policy/campaign news Radical rethink? No soil on Planet food, as well as a progress update on the objectives set out in the ‘Food Matters’ report, published by the Cabinet Office in 2008. Thanet? In addition, a consultation has been launched on how best to The UK will need to change the way food is produced and measure our success in creating a sustainable food system, through processed so that we continue to enjoy healthy affordable food indicators such as healthy and informed consumers, and skills in the decades ahead, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and innovation. The food strategy for the future will be published Secretary Hilary Benn said as he published the country’s first later this year, drawing on responses to the consultation. food security assessment. It was launched with an avalanche of http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2009/food-0810.htm information and intent on the 10th August, even before the smoke from the FSA gun had time to clear. Mr Benn told us of the need to Organic ‘mainstream agriculture in “reduce greenhouse gas emissions“, “re-assess the availability of waiting’ water” (‘more crop per drop’… like it?) and best of all “maintain the natural resources of soil, water and biodiversity” There is talk The Soil Association has described a new report by the University of creating a sustainable food system locally and globally and of of Reading, commissioned by itself, as showing that organic the challenges of rising global demand for food ensuring “that the farming has “much to offer” and is “perhaps mainstream way food is produced today doesn’t damage the natural resources agriculture in waiting.” The report, entitled England and Wales which our future food production depends”. under organic agriculture: how much food could be produced?, assessed the likely impact on domestic food supply of nation- The irony of launching a UK food security assessment from wide organic conversion. Thanet Earth, the UK’s largest greenhouse complex, was not lost on the OGA. As Alan Schofield put it “Although we welcome the The key findings of the report are that there would be: government’s initiative on food supply we find it very sad that, at • Cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution a time when food security is being discussed, the minister chooses • Energy intensive inputs to farming would fall, with fertiliser the site of a soil-less system of production to launch a document inputs cut by 95% and sprays by 98%. that talks about the sustainability of our global food supply. ” • More wildlife supported. Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today welcomed the strategy as a change • Jobs in the countryside would increase, including a 73% in direction away from the “leave it to Tesco et al” mentality, increase in farm employment. and the Treasury’s rationale to avoid food production altogether • As organic fruit and vegetable yields compare favourably and just “buy it in”. He should be applauded for his impartial with conventional agriculture, organic farming could, with yet forthright vision, saying “Everything hinges on growing more some adjustment, supply similar volumes as at present, or food. We must grow more horticultural products. We could make even increase output if necessary. a huge change very fast by investing in horticulture, building skills, encouraging farmers to shift.... That’s where I’d put all my • As organic agriculture does not encompass intensive pig money and all my effort.” and poultry systems, chicken, egg and pig meat production would fall to roughly a quarter of current levels, making In a radio interview Mr Benn gave the biggest hint yet that the large quantities of grain available for human consumption. only way of actually achieving the assessment’s aims was through the use of GM technology and seemed keen to commence more • Dairy production would fall by around 30%-40%, unless trials as soon as possible to prove his point: “If GM can make a herds were to be re-established and dairies were to re-open contribution then we have a choice as a society and as a world in parts of the country which have lost them. about whether to make use of that technology and an increasing • While lower yields would reduce the amount of wheat and number of countries are growing GM products. We need to barley produced by around 30%, because far less grain would produce as much food as we can ourselves.” be fed to animals there could be as much wheat and barley Friends of the Earth’s Senior Food Campaigner Clare Oxborrow available for human consumption under an organic system said: “Ministers are still fixated on genetic modification but as there is at present. this isn’t a solution - GM crops do not have higher yields and • A wholly organic agriculture could actually produce more the mythical drought and salt resistant crops still exist only as beef and lamb than at present, with beef production rising by expensive PR promises rather than commercial reality.” 68% and lamb by 55%.

The package also includes an interactive tool called ‘Food 2030’, http://www.apd.reading.ac.uk/AgriStrat/projects/org_exec.html which aims to spark discussion and debate about the future of

Page 3 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Policy/campaign news FSA-Food Safety Watchdog or in action enthusing about GM food technology and organic food doubts, a white knight for distrusted big food. While there may Industry Attack Dog? be conspiratorial roots to the FSA’s formation the current reality On the 29th July 2009 an independent review commissioned by is that food interests with clout still dominate Defra’s thinking in the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was published which claimed the UK and much of western food policy making. E.g. Cargill and to show that there are no important differences in the nutrition McDonald’s are not about to accept restriction of the oil based content, or any additional health benefits, of organic food when intensive grain and meat spiral of production. Rainforest, health compared with conventionally produced food. The focus of the and starvation issues can sing.” review was the nutritional content of foodstuffs. Organic producers are exasperated by this latest attack. “Any The study, which took the form of a ‘systematic review of literature’, public body is paid for by us all, and any trust ceded and misused was carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical is damage to the wider notion of society being for everyone,” Medicine. The team of researchers, led by Dr. Alan Dangour, said Adam. It is difficult to understand why anyone would want reviewed all papers published over the past 50 years that related to campaign against organic farming, unless heavily influenced to the nutrient content and health differences between organic and by commercial interests. The OGA believes we all have a vested conventional food. The FSA said it was the most comprehensive interest in a safe and sustainable food supply. Adam York study in this area that had been carried out to date. Peter Melchett, concluded “There are plenty of regions around the world where Policy Director at the Soil Association, commented: “We are the soil is eroded or destroyed in productive terms and few or disappointed in the conclusions the researchers have reached. The no people can any longer live. Conventional farming techniques review rejected almost all of the existing studies of comparisons currently offer only an assisted passage to Easter Island and we between organic and non-organic nutritional differences. This don’t want to go. We value our soil, our water and our food.” was because these studies did not meet particular criteria fixed A contradictory view to that of the FSA report is given in The Organic Center’s by the (authors).” They also chose not to include results from the State of Science Review: Nutritional Superiority of Organic Foods and is available 18 million Euro, European Union-funded QualityLowInputFood at (www.organic-center.org/science.nutri.php?action=view&report_id=126). (QLIF) project, which ended in April this year. This concluded that: ‘Levels of a range of nutritionally desirable compounds (e.g. IFOAM’S Criticisms and Frequent Misconceptions about Organic Agriculture: antioxidants, vitamins, glycosinolates) were shown to be higher in The Counter-Arguments is available on www.ifoam.org organic crops’ and ‘levels of nutritionally undesirable compounds Eat Seasonably campaign launched (e.g. mycotoxins, glycoalkaloids, Cadmium and Nickel) were shown to be lower in organic crops’. The FSA study did find some A new Defra-backed campaign called ‘Eat Seasonably’ was statistically significant differences (in nitrogen, which was higher launched on 28 May. It aims to introduce people to the benefits in conventional crops, and phosphorus and titratable acids, of seasonal produce and reconnect them with the food they are both of which were higher in the organic crops) but concluded, eating and the seasons in which it’s grown. This builds on the astonishingly, that ‘these are unlikely to be of any public health earlier phase of the campaign, ‘Grow your own’. As well as being relevance..’ Hold on, aren’t nitrates a powerful carcinogen? supported by Defra, the campaign is backed by many of the A recent report from the Journal of Alzheimer Disease linked nation’s favourite chefs including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, nitrates in food to “increased deaths from diseases, including Gregg Wallace and Valentine Warner. Other supporting Alzheimer’s, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s.” organisations include Garden Organic, the Royal Horticultural Society, the National Trust, RSPB, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, The part of the review that looked at putative health effects of Marks & Spencer, Brakes, Pauleys, Global Action Plan, Soil organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs chose not Association, Sustain and the Women’s Institute. to address contaminant content (such as herbicide, pesticide and fungicide residues) of organically and conventionally The National Trust has also recognised that if everyone is to eat produced foodstuffs, or the environmental impacts of organic and seasonally there will need to be a renaissance in UK horticulture conventional agricultural practices. to supply the produce. On the same day as the campaign launch it held a policy workshop on ‘Increasing UK Production of Fruit OGA spokesman Adam York said: “No Organic Grower was and Vegetables’,This was attended by OGA committee members surprised to hear hostility and dodgy science from the FSA. A Pete Richardson and Phil Sumption, and examined the barriers body created to try and calm the public and avoid dealing with to increased production. Conclusions reached on what action the causes of several major food scandals in the 1990’s isn’t government could take to support the industry have been fed going to be one which will stand much scrutiny. It’s first chair back to Defra and Number 10. Sir John Krebs, while looking very new man, was in fact quickly

Page 4 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Policy/campaign news UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and two population diet types – meat or vegan. For each scenario, Simon Fairlie calculated how many people could be fed off one A comprehensive plan to move the UK onto a permanent low hectare of land (on a national average), and what proportion of a carbon footing and to maximise economic opportunities, growth person’s diet this could provide. and jobs has been published by the government. The UK Low “Can Totnes Feed Itself” is the first time these figures have been Carbon Transition Plan plots out how the UK will meet the cut in extrapolated on a real geographical area in real time. Using a emissions set out in the budget of 34% on 1990 levels by 2020. A combination of GIS mapping, census figures and scores of research 21% reduction has already been delivered – equivalent to cutting studies, this is a very thorough piece of work. Many questions are emissions entirely from four cities the size of London. thrown up, and some broad conclusions are reached. Around 5% of the annual emissions cuts between now and 2020 A national diet high in meat and dairy, current eating habits, will be achieved by reducing emissions from agriculture, land use centralised distribution systems and the concentration of people and waste. in urban areas are flagged as being major challenges in meeting For the first time ever there is an ambition for agriculture to cut the food demands of the population from the local area. However emissions. Changes to farming practices can save farmers money there is hope – if sufficient changes are made to our current trends and contribute 6% cuts from current projections by 2020. of food production, distribution and consumption, Totnes can • Support for anaerobic digestion, a technology that turns largely feed itself. waste and manure into renewable energy. This study can, and should, be applied to any geographic area – • Support for energy efficient and low carbon farming. Within indeed Transition Network are working to develop a tool that will the limits imposed by the current EU rules on state aid, the allow people to do just that. Meanwhile this is important reading, government and the Carbon Trust will work to make farming and something that all OGA members should have a natural businesses eligible for its interest-free loans for low-carbon interest in. Search for “Can Totnes Feed Itself” online to download activity. the whole 19 page study as a PDF.

• Agreeing an action plan with the agriculture sector to reduce Jonathan Smith emissions and developing an advisory service to help farmers.

• Encouraging private funding for woodland creation.

• Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill, and better capture of landfill emissions.

Peter Melchett, SA policy director, said in response ‘It is good to see farming included in the first formal plan for tackling greenhouse emissions. But the emission reductions planned for farming are incredibly modest, reflecting the government’s complete lack of a long-term strategy for climate friendly farming. The plan to cut farming emissions by a tiny 6% by 2020 means the farming industry risks having to make massive cuts of over 70% between 2020 and 2050 . . . The fact is there is nothing new in the plan which will do anything to reduce losses of carbon from our agricultural soils. Can Totnes Feed Itself? - a pioneering local study In 1975 Kenneth Mellanby wrote a paper called “Can Britain Feed Itself?”, aiming to discover how self-sufficient the UK could be in food with given land areas and population levels. In 2007 Simon Fairlie published a re-worked version in The Land.

This was a very interesting report that took several hypothetical land management scenarios – organic, chemical and permaculture

Page 5 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Policy/campaign news Sustain to lead UK organic PR sliding scale depending on companies’ turnover. Green & Black’s, OMSCo, Organix, Rachels and Yeo Valley, five of the largest campaign organic companies in the UK, have all committed major funding It was one of the clear messages to come out of the Organic to the Organic UK campaign. The other companies who have Research Centre’s Produce Conference in January that the organic contributed to the campaign so far are Alara, London and Scottish, movement needs to speak with a unified voice and communicate Organico, Organic Farm Foods and Organic Farmers & Growers. its message more effectively. Sustain, an alliance of national For more information: http://www.organicuk.org organisations for better food and farming, is leading the bid to tap into an EU fund available since 2004 for generic promotions, but not previously taken up in this country. Many other countries have Climate Friendly Food – update already taken advantage with promotions in Italy, Spain, France and Denmark. France ran three campaigns recently and saw market Carbon emissions from the food chain in the UK represent as growth of 20% in 2008 allowing it to overtake the UK market in much as 30% of our personal and collective carbon footprint. In overall value. The mission of OrganicUK is to communicate the a country that has committed to reduce its carbon emissions by benefits and values of organic food to a wider audience with 80% by 2050, carbon emissions from the food sector is a hugely the greatest potential for growth via a series of category specific important area to tackle. messages, which demonstrate that organic food and farming can The irony is that in fact farming and growing can be a net carbon deliver against a broad set of dietary, ethical and environmental sequester. Enormous quantities of carbon can be stored in biomass values. The vision is that after a three-year campaign there will and in the soil on farm – indeed research suggests that increasing be a 15% annual increase in organic volume sales by widening soil organic matter by just 1% across every acre of farmland in and increasing per household expenditure. Sustain will ask for the world could start to turn back the carbon clock. Many organic £500,000 a year over three years from the EU, which with match- growers will already be pursuing such practises in their growing funding by the member state, which is a criteria for applications, systems. would bring the campaign’s total to £3m. Catherine Fookes, who Climate Friendly Food is a community interest company that will is coordinating the bid, said “We are hoping that the levy boards offer a comprehensive and free online carbon calculator to organic and the organic industry will club together. The organic industry farmers and growers later this year. By entering data about your needs to speak with one voice to boost sales in a recession.” The business, you will be able to see a detailed breakdown of your promotion will target “ABC1 Female Main Shoppers aged 25–54” carbon emissions and how much carbon you are sequestering on - 12.4% of total population. New buyers in particular represent the your land. greatest potential for growth. The aim is to raise as much funding as possible in the form of pledges from farmers and growers, Having done this calculation, Climate Friendly Food will then offer wholesalers, processors and retailers. Pledges are requested on a businesses the chance to enter its low-carbon food certification scheme. A low-cost scheme based on farmer-to-farmer inspections, this will Fresh and be the first of its kind in the world and European Commission Agriculture and Rural Development will enable consumers to make positive authentic choices to help lower their carbon footprint.

The carbon calculator and certification scheme will be launched at an event on October 12th near Totnes, Devon.

Organic apples are picked from trees grown in More details will appear nearer the soil enriched by manure and other organic matter. time, but for more information visit Production of organic apples combines tradition and modernity: varieties adapted to local conditions, www.climatefriendlyfood.org.uk. annual cover crops of mainly legumes to provide further nutrients and orchards surrounded by hedges with nests in order to increase biodiversity Jonathan Smith and natural enemies to pests.

Good for nature, Placeholder Good for you. Logo

www.organic-farming.europa.eu

Promotional poster from the European Commission - www.organic-farming.europa.eu

Page 6 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Market/business news One in five UK shoppers remain Triodos now has the UK’s only dedicated organic banking team. Simon Crichton has joined the bank as Relationship Manager loyal to organic - organic agriculture, bringing the total number of organic 19% of all UK shoppers are maintaining their level of purchasing specialists to four. of organic goods and a further 9% say they will buy more organic food when they have a bit more money to spend, according to Organic and ethical sales grow at new research from ‘international food and grocery expert’ IGD. Tesco

However 10% of shoppers say they have found other products Sales of organic, premium and ethical food ranges have increased that are cheaper but still provide the same perceived benefits. in Tesco stores despite the recession, the supermarket has A further 8% are focusing their expenditure on fewer organic revealed. Since last November sales of its organic produce rose products where they think it really makes a difference. Another 52%, while there was 3% growth in its ‘Finest’ range of fish, meat 8% say they are not sure what organic stands for anymore, while and poultry foods. Fairtrade produce was up 15%. Some of the 41% have never been interested in buying organic. most popular products over the last two months included organic baking potatoes (up 59%), organic mince beef (+60%) and organic According to Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD’s chief executive, medium cheddar (+70%). A key factor in the sales growth has “There remains a strong core of dedicated organic shoppers – been the supermarket’s various promotional measures (paid for nearly one in five of the UK population – who are maintaining by their suppliers) - such as “buy one get any other free” - that support, regardless of the economy. Even better news for the have been used, especially for the Finest and organic ranges. organic movement is that these supporters tend to be younger “While it’s too early to say that we are seeing the green shoots and more affluent - supporting our view that the organic market of recovery from the recession, rising demand for our ethical and is experiencing a dip rather than a collapse. premium food brands are offering optimistic signs,” Tesco pillar “There are still challenges however. Those that have drifted away brands senior marketing manager Stephanie Stewart said. have not performed a U-turn on ethics – they are finding value for their values in, for example, products that meet high animal Profitability of organic tunnel crops welfare standards, local foods and Fairtrade. Organic Eprint 15896: Dybek, Mr Konrad (2009) Profitability of “The organic movement has the opportunity to win back at least twelve small-scale organic vegetable crops grown in a greenhouse some of these shoppers and to increase sales among their existing in the North East of Scotland. customers. By communicating the full range of benefits in a clear The paper examines the profitability of twelve polytunnel and compelling manner, they will enable shoppers to weigh up vegetable crops grown for an organic box scheme in Scotland. the value for themselves.” All inputs attributable to specific crops, labour in particular, The Soil Association estimated the value of the organic market at were recorded during the 2008 growing season and expressed in £2.1bn in 2008, representing just over 2% of UK food sales. monetary values. Costs of tunnel construction and maintenance have also been included. Based on sales data and inputs, annual Organic lending grows despite it all net margins were calculated. Assuming the cost of labour as Triodos Bank has launched a new initiative that aims to increase £7.25/hour only five of twelve vegetables were profitable. Results the UK’s organic cereal market by 10%. The Bank has pledged to varied from £25.20/m²/year profit for cucumbers to a £9.70/m²/ lend £5 million at market-busting rates to support cereal farmers year loss for batavian lettuce. The average for all the crops was a converting to organic production. profit of £3.38/m²/year.

Despite the hard times Triodos is now lending more money than ever to organic businesses - an increase of 25% in 2008, with even greater growth expected this year. In just the first quarter of 2009 lending has grown by a further 20%. and the bank now lends Growers of a wide selection a total of £36 million to hundreds of organic food and farming of fruit trees for all situations businesses. SOIL ASSOCIATION LICENCE No. G5594

Ian Price says, “We’re seeing unprecedented interest from organic food and farming businesses. Despite the credit crunch, our experience is that the sector is still hungry to grow.” FruitDetailed catalogue Trees available 01905 841587 And it has expanded its team to meet this growing demand. Lower Walcot Farm, Walcot Lane, Drakes Broughton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 2AL www.walcotnursery.co.uk

Page 7 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Food safety news Manures guidance published damage. Ponds used to recycle irrigation water have been deemed unsafe and bulldozed. This almost hysterical reaction seems to The Food Standards Agency has published guidance on have little basis in science. A two-year study found that less than managing farm manures to help reduce the number of one-half of 1 percent of 866 wild animals tested positive for E. coli consumers that get food poisoning from ready-to-eat crops. The O157:H7 in Central California. Removal of ponds and therefore guidance aims to provide UK growers with practical advice on more pumping of groundwater can open the aquifers to saltwater how to reduce the risk of contamination of ready-to-eat crops intrusion. Removal of vegetative buffers destroys one of the chief when using farm manures to improve soil fertility. This follows a means of preventing pollution entering watercourses. Michael consultation process, which the OGA contributed to.. Adherence Pollan, of UC Berkeley, author of ‘In Defense of Food’ said, to the guidance is on a voluntary basis and complements the “Sanitizing American agriculture, aside from being impossible, is Codes of Good Agricultural Practices. foolhardy. You have to think about what’s the logical end point of The guidance covers: looking at food this way. It’s food grown indoors hydroponically.

• The selection of land on which ready-to-eat crops are grown.

• Management of manures and slurries before application to land.

• Timing of applications of manure (including fresh manure from grazing animals) and slurry, in relation to production of ready-to-eat crops.

• Prevention of contamination of growing crops and reduction of risks during and after harvest. http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/jun/ manures Food safety goes mad in the US. In California in 2006 E.Coli present in a spinach crop left 4 people dead, 35 with acute kidney failure and 103 hospitalised. More than $100 million has been paid out in settlement of lawsuits resulting from contamination of spinach and lettuce, in itself only a fraction of the lost sales involved. Since then the striving for ‘safe’ foods has lead to a scorched earth policy. Large growers have instituted a quasi-governmental programme of protocols for the safe growing of leafy greens, called the “leafy greens marketing agreement.” A food safety bill proposes to take this nationwide. The bill would Photo: Phil Sumption Phil Photo: give new powers to the Food and Drug Administration to regulate Coriander - Banned in the USA all farms and produce in an attempt to fix ‘the problem.’ It would require consideration of farm diversity and environmental rules, but would leave much to the FDA. Large produce buyers have been taking the agreement further, compiling “super-metrics” sr-images.co.uk that farmers must follow if they expect to sell their crops. These Web-site design, development, hosting can include bare buffer strips, elimination of wildlife and strict by someone that understands your business rules on water sources. To enforce these rules, retail buyers have Low-cost, scalable solutions sent forth armies of food-safety auditors (many of them trained in indoor processing plants) to inspect fields. Restrictions imposed Simple sites with static pages include not allowing children younger than five on farms for fear of Database-driven dynamic sites with Con- contamination from nappies. Dick Peixoto, who farms organically tent Management Systems in the Pajaro valley, California, had to rip out his predator strips Web: http://websites.sr-images.co.uk of fennel and coriander and replace them with sterile buffers. He E-mail: [email protected] also had to destroy crops 30 feet either side of squirrel and deer Tel: 0121-288-2181

Page 8 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Research and innovation Disease management in organic based feeds, leading to passage of nutrients in manure in a form that may be more easily taken up by plants. This increase in plant brassica transplants uptake is accompanied by reduced nutrient flows off cropland A new project on disease management in organic brassica seed into the surface water system. and transplants is being funded by the Horticultural Development Sources: Zhongqi He et al., “Solution and solid state P-31 NMR Company (HDC). The two-year project will aim to evaluate a characterization of phosphorous in organic and conventional range of organically acceptable brassica seed and transplant dairy manure,” poster “Technical Abstract,” Soil Science Society treatments for their efficacy and cost effectiveness in controlling of America annual meeting, October 2008. common soil and seed-borne diseases. The treatments tested will include microbial inoculants and suppressive composts that are http://www.organic-center.org/ currently available for use in the EU. It is anticipated that the A new concept in polytunnels – work will benefit not only organic but also conventional plant raisers and growers by exploring alternative options for disease the wind-assisted, air-supported management that reduce disease levels and improve the quality tunnel. of brassica transplants. The project number is FV 352 and will be a Airstream Innovations was founded by David Chelf in the USA collaboration between Plant Health Solutions, Warwick-HRI and to capitalise on the world’s first wind-assisted, air-supported and Garden Organic (HDRA). ventilated structure, which he invented. The structure, called For more info contact Steve Roberts [email protected] an Airhous, is essentially a bubble kept constantly inflated by funnelling wind from all directions into towers at one end of the house and into the house itself. Multi-span houses are defined with gutters anchored to the ground for the length of the house. The house is held down by its frame rather then held up by it. 1½ hp automated fans regulate the airflow within the house, keeping it at about three miles per hour which is optimal for plant respiration and photosynthesis. The cost of the system including installation is about $2 per square foot. A 45,000 square-foot Airhous in Lewes, Delaware has withstood 60 mph winds and two-foot snowfalls. The dynamic structure ripples and absorbs the energy. The flexible design means that the houses can be configured to cover existing crop stands or unusual shapes. The

Photo: Garden Organic Garden Photo: company has developed an automation system for the vents and plans to develop a net to go over the fans with a screen small enough to keep out tiny pests like thrips and aphids. Benefits linked to manure from For more information go to: www.airstreaminnovations.com organic dairy farms For a video type Airhous into a Youtube search. A team of USDA scientists working at the New England Plant, Soil, and Water Laboratory in Orono, Maine have reported preliminary results suggesting that manure from cows under TOP QUALITY SOFT FRUIT PLANTS

organic management may replenish soil fertility and protect All bare- root plants grown in healthy isolation water quality more effectively than manure from conventionally STRAWBERRY PLANTS - Certified Organic – PHPS Elite managed cows. Certificate Honeoye, Pegasus, Hapil, Cambridge Favourite, Alice, Symphony, Florence, Sophie. Available Feb – May. The team found that phosphorus was present in at least 17 RASPBERRY CANES - Certified Organic– PHPS ‘A’ Certificate different forms in the tested manure. In manure from organic Malling Jewel, Julia, Tulameen, Octavia. farms, phosphorus was present in more complex, tightly bound (also 4 other varieties conventionally grown) BLACK/ RED/WHITE CURRANT , GOOSEBERRY & JOSTABERRY chemical forms that result in it being released more slowly, a BUSHES– Certified Organic. All 1 year bushes, grown from PHPS positive factor in increasing plant uptake and reducing losses to Certified Stocks.

surface and ground water. WELSH FRUIT STOCKS The most likely explanation is differences in the animals’ diets. BRYNGWYN, KINGTON, HR5 3QZ Tel/fax - 01497 851209 Email - [email protected] Cows on organic farms consume much more grass and forage- www.welshfruitstocks.co.uk

Page 9 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Research and innovation

New solar-powered tractor to reduce Robocrop in-row weeder wins gold agricultural emissions award A recent study suggests that a solar-powered, agricultural The vision-guided in-row vegetable weeder, developed as a result electric vehicle, the ‘Multi-purpose Solar Tractor’, could avert of a Horticultural Development Company (HDC) and Defra- 23.3 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, compared to a funded HortLINK project, has taken gold in this year’s Royal conventional vehicle. The vehicles will be particularly suitable Agricultural Society of England (RASE) machinery awards. The for Mediterranean countries where sunlight is plentiful. Robocrop weeder, manufactured by Garford Farm Machinery and developed in partnership with Tillett & Hague Technology, The researchers, working under the EU RAMseS Project, have uses mounted video cameras to help it distinguish crops from produced a complete energy system for farmers consisting of weeds. In trials, the machine achieved weed control of 98.5 per a bank of photovoltaic modules to provide renewable energy, cent without any other forms of weed control. Using similar a multipurpose, battery-powered tractor capable of doing the image analysis techniques to those used on their inter-row hoes, work of a conventional light tractor of up to 40 hp, and a set of Robocrop InRow analyses images of the crop immediately in batteries to store energy. As well as powering the tractor, the front of the weeder. Applying a predetermined grid and best fit energy can be used around the farm or sold to the electricity grid. logical deduction techniques individual plants are pinpointed and tracked through the image. The weeding rotors are then The tractor is a light truck with sixteen on-board lead acid synchronised to work around each individual plant, the rotor batteries powered by a 12kW electric motor. The batteries are speed being continuallyadjusted to take into account plant charged with power from the 10 kWp photovoltaic modules. spacing variations. The InRow rotors are then followed up by The vehicle can transport a load of up to 1 tonne; agricultural a set of inter-row cultivation units to complete the all round equipment can be attached for watering, spraying and harvesting cultivation process. Performance is 2 plants per second per row. crops and it has a top speed of about 28 mph on the road. It is Garford managing director Philip Garford told Hort Week “When said to be especially suitable for work in large greenhouses we were developing the machine we thought most of the interest where exhaust fumes from a standard combustion vehicle would be from organic growers, but now well over half is from are a problem. A prototype of the whole system has been conventional growers who don’t have enough herbicide tools for assembled for testing at an olive farm in Lebanon, where the their crops.” solar radiation for the photovoltaic modules is suitably high. www.ec-ramses.org

Machinery tales? Last year we asked for accounts of your remarkable or favourite hand tools (published in OG 6, Autumn 2008). This time around we are keen to pass on your enthusiasms for powered and tractor-mounted equipment, to be published in the next (Autumn) issue. Whether it’s home- built, adapted or purchased, do tell us about that special bit of gear that you wouldn’t be without! Photos and/or diagrams possibly essential and definitely welcome. Copy by October 16th please.

Please contact the editors: Tim Deane: [email protected] Phil Sumption: [email protected] Photo: Garford Farm Machinery Farm Garford Photo:

Page 10 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Pesticides and Environment

Aminopyralid Update The minutes of the ACP meetings are in the public domain and can be viewed at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/acp.asp?id=743 It is now just over a year since Dow AgroSciences Ltd, the Alan Schofield wrote to the chairman of the ACP on behalf of the company that manufactures herbicides containing aminopyralid, OGA - “The reinstatement of approval for Forefront and Mileway voluntarily withdrew their approvals for the product. This has (formerly Runway) is nothing short of an act of environmental meant a temporary suspension of sales of all products containing terrorism on gardeners and commercial growers who, through aminopyralid. (see OG#5) the best practice of returning organic matter to the soil will once It was brought to our attention by John Shobbrook, a former again live in fear for the well-being of their crops, and in some chairman of the Sandwell allotment group who were particularly cases for their livelihoods.” affected the first time round, that Dow are going through the We think that it is wrong that a useful resource should be motions of obtaining new approvals for the product. At the turned into a dangerous waste product and are not convinced May meeting of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) that these measures would prevent contamination or the reinstatement of approvals was considered. Members of the restore confidence in manure. John Shobbrook has started ACP noted that there were outstanding questions and, subject to a an e-petition which we urge all to sign up to and encourage satisfactory resolution of these questions, were minded to advise friends and customers to do the same. This can be found at: the minister to reinstate these approvals. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/aminopyralidban At the June meeting the ACP advised that the approvals could Please write to your MP. www.writetothem.com be reinstated subject to rigorous conditions of the stewardship scheme. The committee believes this would prevent the supply of The Soil Association have informed us that they will write to manure containing residues. Hilary Benn on the subject.

The main points of the stewardship proposal:

• The herbicide will be sold only in large containers to make the product too expensive for casual users. It would be illegal to pass on any of the chemical for use by someone who isn’t a registered user and hasn’t received appropriate training.

• There will be specific compulsory training in supply and use of products containing aminopyralid at supplier and user level. Users/suppliers must sign to say they will use/ distribute the product in accordance with the training and instructions.

• Names of suppliers/users are to be kept on a database which should mean tracking misuse is easier. This list would be made available to authorities investigating cases of misuse.

• Information on the instruction leaflet to be more rigorous. For instance any manure produced must be disposed of on the

site and not passed on to anyone else. Sumption Phil Photo: Courgettes showing ‘cupping’ - classic signs of aminpyralid damage. Taken at the • Summary of information in picture format will be attached NSALG allotment at the Royal Show to the container. • Contractors will have to sign up to all the restrictions that a More weedkiller woes distributor would. They will also be required to inform the farmer of the restrictions and ensure that the farmer signs the Korean scientists have shown that chronic, low-level exposures stewardship document. to atrazine in rats can lead to insulin resistance, obesity, and heightened risk of diabetes, especially when such exposures • The product will only be approved for the grazing market. It are coupled with high-fat diets. They also observed that “ATZ will be illegal to make hay or silage from treated grassland. (atrazine)-usage and obesity maps [in the U.S.] show striking This will be highlighted in the stewardship document signed overlaps, suggesting that heavy usage of ATZ may be associated by the farmer. with risk of obesity.”

Page 11 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Pesticides & more Good Gardeners Association - National Growing Experiment French researchers have found that pesticides applied to crops can take many years to sink down through the ground and reach 2009 groundwater. This means that they may still be entering aquifers Three schools, one college and 25 GGA members across the even after agricultural application has stopped. Eight years after country are taking part in trials to compare the effects on the application it could still be found in spring water at concentrations nutritive value of carrots grown in different soils around the above the threshold for drinking water. country. This has long been an aim of the GGA and has now been made possible by the recent receipt of a legacy. Two Evidence of the toxicity of glyphosate is also building up with distinct experiments are being run – half of the participants new research showing that it can disrupt sex hormones at are testing organic and non-organic seed of the same variety infinitesimal doses. Researchers at Caen University in France (Chantenay Red Cored) while the others, using the same recently confirmed the lethality of glyphosate and Roundup organic seed, assess differences in effect of no-dig and digging. formulations to human cells at minute concentrations. The The first samples are now being received. Institute for Science in Society (ISIS) have called for a global ban. http://www.isis.org.uk/Ban_Glyphosate_Herbicides_Now.php Possible differences in germination, taste, minerals and sugar content will be examined in the carrots whilst the soil is tested Court of Appeal overturns pesticides for available minerals, micro-biology and humus levels. In ruling addition paper chromatography is being used alongside these other tests to provide an overall picture of quality. Georgina Downs’ victory against crop-spraying policies was This technique, originating in the biodynamic movement, is overturned following an appeal by the Environment Secretary. believed to capture and show the many thousands of processes Last November she won a historic and landmark High Court and substances that are present in soil and crops. victory against the Government over its fundamental failure to protect people in the countryside from pesticides. The judges The association believes this to be a first for any gardening in the appeal court ruled that the government was following organisation and sees the trials as an important element in its guidance that gave priority to human health. Lord Justice Sullivan aim to educate through nutrition research and to learn about said that the regulatory framework for pesticides required that a the best way to grow food for nutrition. All the same, it has balance be struck between the interests of the individual and the no preconceptions and recognises that results may or may not community as a whole. Defra was entitled to conclude that it had show a positive link between soil life and nutritive quality. achieved that balance by compliance with the terms of a directive Matt Adams, director of the GGA, told us that - which ensured priority is given to the protection of human health, “In the first case, we could learn how important soil life is to the court found. Georgina Downs stated, “I think this may well go long term human health because it has the ability to optimise down in history as being the most bizarre and inaccurate judgment the uptake of essential nutrients from soil to crops. To promote to have ever come out of the Court of Appeal.” She vowed to fight better health it could be suggested means adopting a more on. www.pesticidescampaign.co.uk caring attitude towards nature and the soil by everyone who Spanish organic strawberries wishes to safeguard their future health. damaging wetlands “In the second case, we could learn that despite all our best theories soil life has nothing to do with nutrition. This would According to the Spanish ministry of agriculture, organic farming be of equal interest. Whatever our gardening methods there is a in Spain registered 33 % growth last year, headed by the dry common belief that something home grown is always going to region of Andalusia. In the Huelva province alone, 1,040 organic taste better than something shop bought (even if it’s organic). farmers cultivate almost 186 km² of organic land, half of which Could this description hold further clues as to what exactly is in the nature conservation region Donana. A report states that are the essential nutrients we need for health? This idea has the widespread growing of organic strawberries in the region is a knock-on effect because it challenges what we commonly drawing off the ground water. A single kilogram of strawberries believe nutrition to be by suggesting there is something more . needs 115 litres of water. “The wetland areas are slowly but surely . . We shall just have to wait and see.” drying out,” says Felipe Fuentelsaz from the environmental organization World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). Results will be announced at this year’s AGM on 16th October 2009. To find out more about the work of the Good Gardeners Association contact it at -

4 Lisle Place, Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire, GL12 7AZ (01453 520322) www.goodgardeners.org.uk

Page 12 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Other news

Order in bulk – and save! Phil Stocker couldn’t explain why the voting figures were not made public (the OG suspects oversight, or perhaps a sense of The Soil Association is offering reduced packaging costs for bulk embarrassment) but he is happy for us to print them here. As he purchases of its ‘not for profit’ sustainable packaging range. says – the downside is the small number of SA producer members/ “In recognition of rising costs and tighter margins, we are licensees bothering to vote, but the upside is that would-be board keeping prices as low as possible,” says Maria Glendinning of Soil members shouldn’t have to do a great deal of canvassing in order Association Sales and Services. “But we can offer further reduced to get elected. costs for bulk purchases. Cash flow for individual businesses Elected (numbers of votes): means that bulk purchasing is not always possible – so we are Pete Richardson - 40 encouraging local growers to consider joining together to place Oliver Dowding - 27 packaging orders.” Guy Dibble - 20 “Our packaging service is a ‘not for profit’ service, offering quality Not Elected: products to small businesses which comply fully with organic standards. Following customer feedback, we are developing a Haydn Evans - 17 clear compostable salad bag, as well as a new coated delivery box Tim White - 15 range – contact us for further details!” Rodney Hall - 10 Nick Walton - 8 To discuss bulk purchases – or to find out more about the SA’s Paul Dovey - 6 range of bags, sacks, boxes, stickers and tape – call 0117 914 2446 Chris Downward - 6 or email [email protected] Mark Komatsu - 5 Grower queries F&G board elections Richard Allen - 4 An OGA member has raised concerns with the conduct of the poll Machinery for applying quality held in late May to elect three new members to the SA Farmer and Grower Board. Rodney Hall, of Bickham Farm near Exeter, who compost to benefit row fruit himself stood as a candidate, feels that the process lacked fairness WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has been and transparency. supporting commercial trials of quality compost within the fruit sector since 2004. The trials, which have demonstrated the When the list of board members was released in early August it significant benefits to fruit growers of using quality compost revealed that all three existing members who had stood for re- as a mulch, have had some dramatic results and led to the election had indeed been re-elected. The list also includes two widespread adoption of compost throughout the industry “recently co-opted” members, giving a total of fourteen board in south-east England. It has just published a booklet on the members in all. Rodney takes particular issue with the absence of practicalities of applying compost to row fruit, including any published voting figures to justify the re-elections and expresses sourcing suitable machinery and with advice developed from some anger that he and other unsuccessful candidates had been feedback from growers. It can be downloaded from their website passed over when it came to co-opting additional members, a http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/4400_WRAP_ process he characterised as “election by the Soil Association”. Machinery_Leaflet_WEB.e96a59f3.7371.pdf The OG contacted Phil Stocker, the SA’s Director of Farmer and Grower Relations, who said he has some sympathy with Rodney’s point that existing board members had an advantage in the contest US Organic Vegetable Production due to their inevitably higher profile and greater range of contacts. Guides In defence of possible shortcomings in the conduct of the poll he told us – “ given all the time and cost issues which never go away New York State Department of Agriculture has produced we just wanted to keep the process as simple as possible. One some useful guides to assist farmers who are transitioning improvement might be to provide a template for biographies so (converting) to organic and also selling to processors. The new that at least candidates are prompted to give the same range of guides provide information on how to grow organic carrots, information - this might make decisions fairer and more accurate”. peas, snap beans, and cucurbits (including winter squash and He explained that the purpose of co-option was to ensure good cucumbers) for processing. The guides may be downloaded at: regional and enterprise coverage and that the board itself made http://nysipm.cornell.edu/organic_guide/. the decision as to who to co-opt, but agreed that the information on which such decisions were based could be insufficient.

Page 13 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 OGA Integrated Conservation Seminar, 18th May Tolhurst Organic Produce

There are few professions where human beings have a greater opportunity to integrate natural biological processes to the benefit of both biodiversity and productivity than they do in organic horticulture. Current conventional thinking might suggest the encouragement of biodiversity on farmland is a bolt-on nicety, afforded to some by means of government grant schemes. Conversely, at this OGA seminar Iain Tolhurst set out to demonstrate a practical, systems-based approach to habitat management that is central to his way of growing.

After a welcoming cup of coffee and introductions we learned of the many habitats represented at Hardwick. The estate includes several hundred acres of mixed deciduous woodland perched on the southernmost edge of the Chilterns (comprised of chalk and flinty moraine deposited during the end of the last ice age). Species rich calcareous grasslands rich in wild orchids are also present while flood-plain water meadows never touched by the plough have been shown to host 145 species of flora. Top predators such as raptors are indicative of a healthy ecosystem. Hardwick can boast at least nine resident and visitor species - little owls, sparrowhawks and red kites nest only yards from the Walled Garden. Some species are less welcome - muntjac deer, badgers, pigeons and a healthy rabbit population are also present.

The term ‘conservation’ was discussed and deemed too ‘protective’ for our needs. In its place ‘Functional Agricultural Biodiversity’ seemed an apt term on which to centre the day’s discussions. Needless to say the soil is the key starting point for a healthy ecosystem, with green manures, crop residues and applications of compost promoting diverse biological populations. Tolly stressed the importance of a long fertility-building period where soil is left uncultivated for at least two seasons. This enables huge numbers of earthworms to develop and for insect populations to thrive. This first part of the seminar was followed by a tour of the holding.

In the Field in the first year. The strip is then left to mature until the tussocks need regenerating or invasive species such as trees appear. Hedgerows and Margins Annual Pollinator Strips Hedges are managed as both a habitat and a source for firewood These provide a vital refuelling point for nectar feeders such as and hazel beanpoles. Stretches are laid, coppiced or mechanically bees and hoverflies. Tolly has experimented with various mixtures trimmed on a five yearly basis. Branch wood is left to decompose of grass and flower species. Among those used Phacelia is a cheap in situ forming a ‘living mulch’ rich in fungi and ground dwelling and vigorous component which looks fantastic in full flower. creatures. Weed species such as alder are cleared to promote diversity and consolidate stock proofing. These hedges, in Cover crops combination with an at least two-metre wide rough grass margin play host to a wide range of creatures, from fruit-eating birds to Green manures, such as crimson red clover are allowed to flower minute wasps that parasitise cabbage white caterpillars. Both providing huge quantities of nectar, these are duly mown before the fields are rabbit fenced, a necessary investment given the setting seed. Tolly’s policy of ‘managing mess’ is apparent with destructive nature of these creatures. Badgers no longer dig up last season’s sweetcorn stems left standing to provide cover for the fence as they are provided with specially designed gates . birds. Brassicas are left to flower thus maintaining both pest and predator populations and keeping pests to manageable levels. Tolly has planted a range of tree species along the western border of his top field. Cherry plums crop well on the flinty ground, a sweet-sour interlude before the slower growing species take over. Another hedge was thinned drastically to let in more light and has regenerated with real vigour. The lower field margins occupy poorly drained areas and here quick growing native willows have been planted as a source of firewood and cover. Beetlebanks Grass strips divide two acre plots and provide cover and breeding ground for beneficials, most notably beetles, which can number some 1000/m². Tolly recommends using a mixture of tussock forming species like timothy and cocksfoot in combination with lower growing fescues. These are sown in September and cut only Photo: Iain Tolhurst Iain Photo: Hedgelaying at Hardwick

Page 14 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Elsoms Seeds the start of better crops

• Quality organic seed for professional growers.

• Field vegetables and salad crops.

• Independent UK seedhouse For details of our range of seeds see our website www.elsoms.com and see our new organic catalogue. Please contact us if you require a hard copy.

Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 1QG Telephone 01775 715000 Fax 01775 715001 www.elsoms.com e-mail

Photo: Iain Tolhurst Iain Photo: Beetle bank at Hardwick [email protected] In the Garden Even in such an intensively cultivated garden no opportunity is missed for improving the agro-ecological value. Nettle beds are employed in the garden to provide an early food source for emergent ladybirds and hoverflies in the form of the nettle aphid. The tops are slashed down twice a year but the hollow stems remain as winter refuge for a variety of useful insects. Similarly bean haulms are left in place as winter habitats. Lower growing cover crops like yellow trefoil and Kent white clover are used as part of a relay cropping system which maximises ground cover.. Attractant species of annual flowers are planted in the edges of the plots and bring in hoverflies and other nectar feeders. The lower part of the walled garden falls down to an old leat and water garden which makes a perfect habitat for amphibians and these help to keep slugs at acceptable levels. Voles, shrews and mice populations are kept in check by the resident pair of sparrowhawks.

This day at Hardwick gave us a great example of how at little cost and with gentle conscientious management we can all encourage biodiversity for purposes which are commercial and aesthetic as well as environmentally beneficial. Growing Green Call 01386 551187 or by Iain Tolhurst and Jenny Hall (published by the Vegan Organic Network) offers a more detailed appraisal of the management visit www.warkscol.ac.uk techniques used to create a healthy organic system. James Clapp

Page 15 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Organic Research Centre Open Day, Wakelyns Agroforestry – June 18th

Wakelyns is not only the base for Martin Wolfe’s innovative is 3-4 years of cropping and then fertility-building, though they are agroforestry system (see OG#5 for more details) but is also the still discovering the right rotation to fit the farms fertility ‘holding’ Suffolk outpost of The Organic Research Centre –Elm Farm. The capacity. The arable land is light and irrigated from the River Thet. annual open day included talks from ORC staff, local farmers and Chicken manure is used from the chicken enterprise. Companion others on farm businesses and organic markets, reducing energy planting with birdsfoot trefoil in the module is practised with the and emissions on farm and an opportunity to see innovative brassicas. They have seen tangible improvements in soil quality research projects on fertility building and wheat breeding. after the fertility-building leys, with fields previously thought of as not cultivable when wet now workable and productive. A croissant and coffee made a very civilised welcome to Wakelyns on a glorious sunny June day. A nice change to the ubiquitous Andrew Charlton, of Abacus Organic Associates and an organic Duchy Originals! Wakelyns is truly an oasis in the arable desert farmer at Hedley Poplar Farm, chose not to talk about his farm but of rural East Anglia and it was a pleasure to see the maturing of set out his agenda for the future, formulated during long hours on Martin Wolfe’s agroforestry system. the tractor. Growers (and farmers) have their 1). More co-operation. Organic farms are often physically isolated and run the risk of becoming inefficient (e.g. lacking specialist kit). say There may be opportunities for organic and conventional farmers After the croissants, we all gathered inside to hear local organic to work together. For example, organic cereal crops are often farmers and growers ‘have their say’. First up was John Sanderson ready earlier and drilling tends to be later. of South Elmham Hall. Farming 450 acres of mixed arable, sheep 2). Comprehensive organic resource. There are great research and a beef suckler herd, a third of which is organic, John explained facilities in the East of England but often they are not interested in how the farm had diversified. The farm has three areas of ancient organics. There is a need to enthuse and engage potential converters. monument, which were attracting a number of visitors. Starting off by putting in car parks and paths it was soon realised that the 3). Transition – the long game. Organic farmers should get visitors were an untapped resource. A barn was converted into involved. Most towns in the East of England have a transition a visitor centre which now has a restaurant using local produce, group and food is often central to that. organic where possible, with a full-time chef. Visitors asked if the 4). An organic farming turnkey solution. Many would like to be produce was organic, and this prompted the conversion. part of the organic farming movement but might need nurturing. Chris Negus of Breckland Organics at Church Farm, Shropham, Andrew talked about Speedwell Farming Ltd., (which launched on outlined their journey from large-scale growers of conventional the 9th July) of which he is a director, and described it as the first carrots and parsnips supplying retailers to organic growers with organic contract farming business. www.speedwellfarming.co.uk their own box scheme. The journey started when they were asked by the retailers to supply organic carrots and parsnips nine years Agrarian Renaissance ago. They were growing on other land as well as their own and Tim Waygood talked about Agrarian Renaissance which he decided that rather than try to find land with exisiting organic founded 18 month ago. Its purpose is to combine elements of status they would convert their own farm. Once they started organic farming, permaculture, biodynamics, care farming and conversion they fell victims to the supermarkets’ rationalisation youth socialisation into a replicable model that can transform a of suppliers and their contracts were finished. This blow led to farm into a site where reconnection of people with land and food them selling the business but they retained the land, which was takes place. The idea is to replicate the success of Church Farm, then rented out. Eventually they took the plunge to start their own Ardeley near Stevenage, where a rural community enterprise hub box scheme on the 515-acre farm. The farm comprises 250 acres has been set-up. of arable land, 70 acres of permanent pasture, 15 acres reservoir/ nature reserve, 30 acres woodland and 150 acres which is let for The organic arable market free-range chicken production. The whole farm is wildlife rich. It Andrew Trump of Organic Arable talked about the volatility of was under Countryside Stewardship and is now signed up to the the market and the lack of control which comes from being linked OELS and HLS schemes. Conversion was completed in October with the conventional market. This he likened to ‘hanging on to 2008. Vegetable cropping has increased from 5 acres in 2007 to 75 the tiger’s tail’. Farmers should seek opportunities to de-couple in 2009. This includes 12 acres of carrots, 0.5 acres parsnips, 35 sales from the commodity markets by building relationships e.g. acres brassicas, 13 acres leeks and 6 acres sweetcorn. The rotation with livestock producers and millers.

Page 16 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 EASI Laurence Smith (ORC-EF) gave an update on the Energy, Emissions, Ecology and Agricultural System Integration (EASI) programme. Looking for a Career Audit reports have been produced from four pilot farms outlining Change? energy and emission hotspots, energy input and output figures In Between Jobs? and recommendations on how to make improvements. Some ideas Want to Develop your Career? he gave where improvements could be made included; Our Foundation Degree in • Heat accumulators for Aga stoves (domestic energy use was Landscape And Amenity Management often high) could be for you! • Improvements to farm vehicle use efficiency through attention to tyre pressures and lowering revs. Top-Up to a Full Honours Degree • Improving grain drying and storage. Available.

• Saving energy through reducing energy-intensive operations such as de-stoning. Other Horticultural Courses available at Easton College: National Diploma in Floristry Talking about the potential for renewable energy on farms, Laurence National Award in Garden Design stated that farm woodlands are an underutilised resource. The use National Diploma in Landscape of woodfuel systems can encourage the maintenance of woodland Horticulture and also provide an income (£50-70/t for well-seasoned wood). National Award in Organic Horticulture Anaerobic digestion has potential for increasing the efficiency of RHS courses slurry management and the digestate can make a good fertiliser, National Diploma in Arboriculture but capital cost is still a major issue. Connection to the grid is still For Further Details: difficult in some areas. RDPE funding is currently available though www.easton.ac.uk 01603 731292 Easton College, Easton, Norwich, NR9 5DX. there is still a need for more grant funding. On farm wind turbines are possible where average windspeeds are above 5m/s. There is a windspeed database on www.berr.gov.uk Wakelyns tour Postgraduate Diploma & MSc in After a very nice organic and locally sourced lunch, we all jumped on to trailers for a ‘farm walk’ and a chance to see the agroforestry Organic Farming system in action. Sandwiched in between the rows of trees were various trials on wheat populations, fertility-building mixtures (see SAC offers this high-level postgraduate course on a part-time, on-line distance learning OG#7) and novel cereals. basis, allowing you to study the course in your Phil Sumption own home or workplace. The course aims to enhance businesses and careers in Farm Management, Consultancy, Inspection, Certification, Marketing and Research. Topics covered include: • Organic Crop Production • Conservation • Soils and Nutrient Cycling • Food Quality • Organic Forage and • Marketing Livestock production

Applications are invited for entry in Sept. 2009.

For further information please contact us or take a look at the postgraduate course pages on our web site. Contact: Dr Norman Stephen e: [email protected] t: (01224) 711132

Photo: Phil Sumption Phil Photo: www.sac.ac.uk/learning Martin Wolfe at Wakelyns

Page 17 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Blight resistant potatoes – Sárvári Research Trust Open Day – 14th August

The Sárvári Research Trust (SRT) is a not-for-profit company mating might be surviving in the soil over many years to infect based near Bangor in North Wales. The aim of the trust, formed new crops. A project ‘Keeping up with the evolving blight’ is in 2002, is to study late blight and select new blight-resistant Sárpo a collaboration with Teagasc (The Irish agriculture and food breeding material, originating from Hungary, for commercial development authority) and AFBI (Agri-Food and Biosciences use in the UK. The first two varieties to be accepted onto the U.K. Institute, Belfast). Work with Bangor University is in progress National List were Sárpo Mira and Axona. Four new varieties to develop plant extracts for organic blight control. SRT are were awarded national listing status in June and were launched at also testing new tomato varieties for resistance to blight and the this annual open day. These are particularly exciting due to good preliminary results are ‘very exciting’. flavour, cooking quality and niche market opportunities. The day The new Sárpo varieties provided growers with the chance to see how the new varieties and other clones performed in yet another challenging blight year. Sárpo Una Potatoes for the future This second early has good foliage-blight resistance for an early variety and excellent tuber blight resistance. Tubers are rose- David Shaw, Director of Research at SRT, introduced the day by pink with a good skin finish. Flesh is white in colour and low stressing the contribution that Sárpo potatoes can make to low- in dry matter making it useful for boiling, gratin and as a salad. carbon farming in the UK. Not only are they highly resistant to If left to mature, it yields heavy crops of long-oval tubers, useful new strains of late blight but also they are able to give high yields as early bakers. Trials have found good resistance to powdery without chemical inputs. Growing Sárpos can lighten the carbon scab, potato virus Yo, dry rot (F. sulphureum), black dot, silver footprint of growing potatoes, through reduced use of sprays for scurf and skin spot. blight and aphids. Deep roots confer drought resistance (Mira is Sárpo Shona being grown for this reason in North Africa), vigorous growth requires less weed control and their ability to grow in marginal Sárpo Shona is a blight resistant and virus Yo resistant, white- conditions reduces nutrient requirements. Long dormancy also skinned variety with early-maincrop maturity. The short foliage means that they can be stored in ambient conditions for longer is dense and weed-smothering. Tubers are short oval and can be without refrigeration. prepared in most ways due to their medium dry matter content. Independent variety trials show tubers to have good resistance Dr Shaw likened the to black dot and black scurf. It is named after the wife of Adam breeding of potatoes for Anderson (who first brought Sárpo potatoes to the UK). blight resistance to an arms race. He said that the Kifli new aggressive Blue 13 Kifli is a long, white-skinned variety with outstanding flavour strain of blight which they when prepared as a freshly harvested, loose-skinned potato. identified in 2005 was now Plants show medium resistance to late-blight and high the dominant strain in the resistance to virus Yo. Kifli is best planted early as it is a slow UK. It has knocked out starter. Maturity is early maincrop. The crop can be harvested many varieties previously gradually over a long period as larger, more mature tubers still thought to be resistant. Lady have excellent flavour. Kifli has good resistance to splitting and Balfour, for example, is now bruising, to blackleg and to PCN Ro1. “just about as susceptible as any other one.” Blue Danube

The SRT was involved in a Blue Danube is a plant with purple-black stems, shiny dark project flippantly referred foliage and spectacular blue-skinned tubers of good shape to as “the love-tunnel and skin finish. It is an early maincrop with medium foliage- project”, funded by The blight resistance and good tuber-blight resistance. It has good Potato Council which asks resistance to virus Yo and to leafroll virus, blackleg, dry rot ‘What happens when the (F. coeruleum) and PCN Ro1. Flesh is white and of medium blight fungus mates?’ There dry matter content. Referred to last year as Adam Blue, it was is concern that resistant named in a competition which was won by David Shaw’s oospores produced by daughter Annie (!). David Shaw at the Sarpo trials on Anglesey

Page 18 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Selection and multiplication of Sárpo varieties Commercially Simon White, the SRT Trials Manager, talked about trials and the available resistant process of selection and listing of new varieties. Selection is not cultivars just about blight resistance but yield, appearance and cooking characteristics are also important. The trials are conducted to EU standards on a conventional farm on Anglesey. The Blue 13 strain Axona is introduced to the trial as soon as blight is detected on the farm. Percentage of foliar blight foliar of Percentage Early varieties are planted later than the maincrops so that they are Sárpo Mira maturing at the same time. Less than four weeks after inoculation all the non-Sárpo varieties approached 100% infection while most of the Sárpo varieties were still green and growing strongly. It was Days from observation of first symptoms clear that Sárpo do get infected under the heavy blight pressure of the trial but the small amount of disease has little effect on yield. Gloria #12 Sárpo Una Getting new varieties onto the National List is an expensive and time-consuming process with no guarantee of success. To be

Orla added to the list, a variety must be distinct, sufficiently uniform #16 and stable (DUS) and have satisfactory value for cultivation and Earlies Duke of York use (VCU). The four varieties submitted had to undergo 2 years of testing at SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) and Percentage of foliar blight foliar of Percentage NIAB to satisfy these criteria. Now that they have been accepted there is a need to multiply them up rapidly to ensure sufficient quantities are available to meet demand. Low aphid numbers and Days from observation of first symptoms few ware crops in the vicinity are a requirement for successful seed growing. Scotland is suitable but so also is Wales, especially as the varieties are naturally very virus resistant, so can be grown at

Robijn lower altitudes. SRT have a project funded by the Welsh Assembly Kifli Government to encourage Welsh farmers to diversify by growing

Blue Danube Sárpo seed potatoes. Full training and agronomy advice is provided and there is a guaranteed market. This year about 10ha of Newly listed

Bintje seed potatoes are being grown and all Defra field inspections have maincrop Lady Balfour Sárpo Shona been passed. Five potential new growers have been identified and more growers are required for the coming years. The requirements Sárpo Mira Percentage of foliar blight foliar of Percentage are that the land must be tested and shown to be free of PCN, have had no potato crops for at least five years and that no other potato crops should be grown within 50m of the seed crop. Days from observation of first symptoms

There is one more Sárpo variety that is going through the listing them very successfully to the amateur market. He does not believe process at present. The trial included other promising seedlings that Sárpo potatoes have been treated with due respect and the with early or early maincrop maturities. We were shown some vertical integration of the potato industry has meant that it has quite beautiful and uniform whites that appeared to be yielding been more difficult to breakthrough into the commercial market. well. There is a continual need to bring in new varieties to trial He feels there has been a lack of understanding of how to grow from Hungary as there is no guarantee that the present Sárpo’s them properly as many growers cut off the foliage as soon as resistance will continue for ever. Simon said “at present there is they see the lower leaves yellowing and developing black spots nothing from any other breeding programme that is resisting Blue as nutrients are recycled within the plant. Alan said that Sárpo 13 like the Sárpos.’ Mira is an indeterminate variety that will keep growing until it is killed by frost, with a steady increase in size and in dry matter. Growing Sárpos However tubers are better harvested before they get too large. He Speciality potato seed supplier Alan Romans gave his experiences recommends gardeners harvest one plant every few weeks to find of growing Sárpo potatoes. Alan has been involved in the Sárpo out when to cut off the foliage. Then harvest should be delayed story from the beginning and was able to persuade seedsmen for three weeks to allow skins to thicken and blight spores to die. Thompson & Morgan that these potatoes were incredibly Phil Sumption important. They have taken them on and continue to promote More info on SRT website www.sarvari-trust.org

Page 19 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Pest in focus - Thrips

Thrips are known colloquially as “thunder-bugs” or “thunder- Life cycle flies” because they appear in swarms during thundery weather. There are around 3,000 species spread throughout the world, with Thrips have eggs, larvae, pre-pupae and winged adult life stages. over 150 kinds being found in the UK. The most familiar species The adult insects are 2mm long, slender and tapered with two are cereal thrips (Limnothrips cerealium and Limnothrips denticollis) pairs of wings. Onion thrips spend the winter in sheltered areas of and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci), both being relatively large dark plants, such as remnants of allium plants left in the field or on the coloured species and hence easily seen with the naked eye. crowns of lucerne and clover. In the spring winged adults emerge Western flower thrips Frankliniella( occidentalis) are major pests of and search for suitable host plants. Their life cycle can be completed protected crops e.g. cucumber, pepper and many herbs. They are in 14 to 30 days, reduced to 10 or 11 days when temperatures are smaller and lighter in colour than cereal or onion thrips. As well as over 30°C. Eggs are laid singly in plant tissue and hatch in 5-10 feeding damage on leaves and fruit they can also be responsible for days. Larvae then feed for several days on the youngest leaves at spreading the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, which affects tomatoes the top of the plant before becoming pre-pupae. The pupal stage and other solanacae. The most damaging for us organic growers follows in soil or leaf litter. The adults may live up to 20 days with are the onion thrips and this article will concentrate on them. one or two generations a year in the UK. Though alliums are the preferred host thrips,can be a problem in several other crops, such Onion thrips attack the leaves of allium crops and are more as cabbage, celery, tomatoes, beans, and cucumber and can be noticeable and serious on leeks, due to their cosmetic effect found on almost any crops and weeds. - reducing quality, marketable yield and necessitating extra trimming. They are probably the most serious pest problem in leek The population dynamics in the UK are poorly understood. Work production in Northern Europe. Damage is characterised by white at Warwick HRI found that peak numbers of thrips were captured or silvery flecks on the leaves causing the plant to look unsightly. usually during July-August, whilst the numbers on plants often The thrips feed on the leaves, rupturing the surface cells so that peaked in late August-September. They also concluded, in a they appear silvery-white from the reflection of air trapped inside Defra-funded report, that it is difficult to predict accurately the the ruptured tissues. Leaves may later become distorted or blasted timing of peaks in numbers using accumulated day-degrees. and can wither and die. The damage to the leaves can provide an Thrip populations can occasionally explode due to migration from entry point for plant pathogens while thrips themselves can carry nearby vegetation that is mowed, harvested, or is drying up. plant pathogens on their mouth parts from one plant to another. Risk and monitoring The presence of thrips is easily detected by visual inspection of the crop, although their damage is more easily seen than the insects themselves. Adults can also be monitored by the use of yellow or blue sticky traps. The presence on traps can’t really be used to predict infestation numbers on plants but it can give an advance warning of impending colonisation.

The risk of losses is largely dependent on the time of intended harvest, with late summer and autumn harvested leeks most at risk. There is some evidence that leeks can outgrow damage after the peak of thrip feeding has passed and populations decline. Management Strategies Thrips over-winter in the soil and ploughing in crop debris can help control them, as can separating allium crops by space and time (rotation). They are not good flyers, but can move long distances on the wind. Younger plots should be planted upwind of older plots, relative to prevailing winds, to make it harder for the thrips to find the new plantings. Adequate irrigation throughout the growing season is important as drought stress can increase the susceptibility of onions to damage and because the pest thrives in hot dry conditions. High

Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Georgia, of University Jr., Sparks, N. Alton nitrogen levels may encourage them and it is possible that a lack of Smaller, tan thrips on left is the onion thrips (Thrips tabaci). Larger yellowish thrips on the right is the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis).

Page 20 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 adequate soil calcium gives rise to higher populations. The choice of for weed control. Intercropping could be a promising possibility cover crops can affect the number of over-wintering thrips, according for reducing populations in leeks. A research project found a to American literature. ATTRA recommends that susceptible crops significant decrease in the number of adult and larval populations should not be planted following wheat or rye, which provide them of onion thrips developing on leeks when intercropped with with excellent over-wintering sites. clover, compared to leeks cultivated on their own.

A German research project in 2003 investigated the use of biological control in the field of Thrips tabaci on onions, leeks and chives on three sites, compared with a chemical control. They found that a fungi plus nematode treatment ‘PreFeRal+Nemaplus’ gave a significant reduction in both the number of thrips per plant and the frequency of infestation in onions. In leeks the fungi+nematode combination was also effective, with the treatments ‘Nemaplus’ and ‘Mycotal+Nemaplus’ producing 20% higher yields than the control. Researchers at Warwick HRI applied foliar sprays containing nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) to small plots of leek at 100,000 nematodes per m2 but found that it did not reduce the numbers of adult thrips or larvae. Breeding for thrip resistance

Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Georgia, of University Jr., Sparks, N. Alton Research at the Swiss Federal Research Station has indicated that Close-up of thrips feeding damage on onion leaf breeding for thrip resistance in leeks is possible. There has been some research to show that tolerance to their feeding, rather than Crop covers can also be used, either fleece or fine mesh (0.17mm resistance to actual infestation, can be an important resistance x 0.37mm mesh will exclude thrips), but as with other crops the mechanism involved in reducing damage to onion crops . A covers need to be in place before the pest is present. Monitoring wide range in tolerance to feeding injury was demonstrated, using traps can be useful here. If nothing else, it may be independent of the population of thrips on plants. Plant worthwhile covering leek transplants, to ensure clean seedlings architecture can also influence thrip population levels. In onions, prior to transplanting to the field. cultivars with flat-sided leaves and a compact growth point

Natural predators include ladybirds, hoverflies, predatory mites (where the leaves are closely compressed) protect them from and spiders and these should be encouraged. Unfortunately thrips natural enemies, weather, and insecticides. Conversely - round, feed under close-fitting leaves and down in the leaf sheaths where openly spaced leaves reduce thrips’ hiding places. they are difficult for predators to access. Naturally occurring Phil Sumption fungal diseases can also devastate thrip populations. Under Phil is currently working as part of the research team at Garden Organic on Organic Pest and protected cropping conditions biological controls, such as the Disease Management - A practical guide for Organic Farmers, Growers and Smallholders, predatory mites Amblyseius, can be used. which will be published by Crowood Books in the New Year The novel insecticide spinosad (Tracer), produced by fermentation of soil-borne actinomycete bacteria, is effective against thrips and is approved for use on leek crops. There may be a risk of insecticide resistance developing if Tracer is used intensively and exclusively. In order to get restricted practice permission from a certifying body details must be provided of why the product is needed and how the risks to key beneficial insects (such as bees) will be minimised. Research Thrips are colour-sensitive and there is inconclusive evidence that coloured (e.g. blue) mulches may be effective in their control. Researchers in Louisiana conducted a study to see whether aluminium-coated mulch would repel the pest. Black plastic was spray-painted in the field with aluminium paint. The reflective mulch repelled 33 to 68% of the thrips. If you can find a source of blue or reflective mulch it might be worth a try if mulching anyway Photo: Garden Organic Garden Photo:

Page 21 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 The Movable Tunnel Richard Manchett was the Field Trials Manager at HDRA from 1997 to 2003 when he moved to the South West of France. He provides 40 families with veg each week, all year round, through the French equivalent of a CSA. He farms about 1.5 ha including about 800m² of polytunnels. After putting up his initial 400m² of tunnel in 2003 he was intrigued by the idea of increasing the area under plastic by using mobile tunnels. The following article gives an insight into his experiences of building his first mobile tunnel.

• Saving of money and energy – expensive cooling and heating systems are eliminated.

I had about 50 m by 30m on which to construct my project. Having Many of you will have come across Eliot Coleman’s book ‘The found a second-hand tunnel 40m long and 10m wide not too far New Organic Grower’. Having read the chapter on movable away I decided that it would suit my needs to make two tunnels tunnels I was immediately enthused to have a go myself and 18m long side by side. The section of the hoops was 60mm, giving taking note of the author’s parting comments at the end of the the tunnels plenty of structural rigidity. chapter I came up with a few design alterations of my own. The approach I took was to mount the whole tunnel on two The advantages of a mobile tunnel are clearly laid out in Eliot’s parallel rails which run on rollers fixed to posts concreted in the book, but for those of you not familiar with his arguments I will ground (rather than have a fixed rail that the tunnel runs along). summarise them before giving a technical resume of my project. This means that when the tunnel is not in place weed control is • More natural soil conditions – the soil is exposed to the much easier between the foundation posts. There is also a cost natural elements for part of the year. saving as less than half the rail has to be bought.

• Wider crop rotation – long term green manures can be The first job was to put in two parallel rows of foundation tubes. included without sacrificing greenhouse cropping potential. I used an auger (borrowed from the local machinery ring) mounted • Better sanitation – artificial and palliative approaces can be behind my trusted Massey to make holes 30cm in diameter and avoided about 70cm deep. These I spaced every 2m along the whole length that I wanted to move the tunnel. I found some 25mm diameter steel pipe at a scrap yard which I cut into 1m lengths and placed these in the holes with the top of the posts projecting about 10cm above the surface of the ground. A (temporary) tensioned steel wire gave the alignment before the posts were concreted in place. A tractor mounted cement mixer made the job very easy indeed!

I chose a double roller with a screw thread to support the weight of structure. The advantage of using a roller with a screw thread is that adjustments can be made to allow for the foundation posts not being put in exactly level. It also has the added bonus of allowing the rollers to be removed when the tunnel is displaced so that wayward mowing or cultivating does not damage them. A nut was welded to the top of the foundation post to accommodate the threaded portion of the roller.

Steel U-section just slightly wider than the double roller (40mm) was used as the rail. Three sections of 6m rail gave me the desired

Page 22 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 length of 18m and became the base for mounting the hoops. Sections of tube that could accept the hoops were welded onto the rail at 2m intervals. The rollers fortunately had an 8mm hole through their axis and, with the rail sitting in place on the rollers, the rail could be drilled and an 8mm diameter bolt passed through to stop both vertical and longitudinal movement. With the rails securely in place, all that was left to do was to mount the tunnel in a conventional manner.

When these securing bolts are the tunnel moves remarkably easily. It is possible with just two people but as the rails need to be guided onto the rollers as they arrive at each foundation post the job is easier with four. The tunnel has already withstood extremely strong side winds without showing any signs of moving.

Despite the man-hours involved (sorry, didn’t count them but lots!) I am very pleased with the end result. It has also become a bit of a talking point, not only with my neighbours but further afield with students from an agricultural college coming to visit. Apart from a bit of welding, there is nothing too complicated about taking on a project like this and I thoroughly recommend it. Richard Manchett VEGETABLE & FLOWER SEEDS www.amap-segala.org (in French) A MASSIVE range of both, old favourites & new and exciting vegetable & potato varieties, including organic and unusual.

Tuckers Trustworthy Seeds – The Value for Money range Contact us for a FREE GARDEN CATALOGUE & / or GROWERS BROCHURE Available by Mail order or online at: WEBSITE:www.tuckers-seeds.co.uk EMAIL: [email protected] TEL: 01364 652233 FAX: 01364 654211 Photos: Richard Manchett Richard Photos:

Page 23 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Gardeners and Growers

The following article is an extract from the draft of “Gardeners and Growers”, a chapter in Philip Conford’s book The Organic Network 1945-1995, due to be published by Floris Books in 2010. The author welcomes corrections to any factual errors it may contain.

The HDRA is the supreme success story of British organic gardening – in fact, if measured purely in terms of numbers, of the British organic movement as a whole. As it was not formally established until 1958, let us look first at how organic gardening was promoted during the 1940s and ‘50s. Already in existence for nineteen years when the Soil Association was founded, the National Gardens Guild (NGG) was chaired for a quarter of a century by Lady Frances Seton, one of the Association’s founder members. It stated its aims as: “To grow flowers and vegetables in urban areas and villages. To plant waste spots and waysides with flowers, and to unite all classes in restoring living beauty through gardening”. Since the NGG was founded the year after the General Strike, one wonders if its implicit purpose was, through the creation of flowerbeds, to avert any further threat of revolution. One might also discern the prospect of “guerrilla gardening” in the second of its aims, though Lady Seton and her fellow guild-members would, surely, always have asked permission first. The NGG’s publication The Guild Gardener was a highly-regarded horticultural journal with an emphasis on organic husbandry, exhibiting impeccable organicist “care for the problem of increasing soil fertility to produce the maximum of W. E. Shewell-Cooper pure health-giving foods for plants, animals and men”. 1 in Hertfordshire (to which he moved in 1960) enabled members to see the practical application of his methods. By 1960 he had W. E. Shewell-Cooper been awarded the OBE, George VI having requested him to write Sir Albert Howard’s work inspired gardeners as it did farmers, a book on the royal gardens, and could boast, among various among them W. E. Shewell-Cooper, a prolific writer of horticultural honours, of being a Chevalier du Merite and a Doctor and Fellow books. Before the Second World War, Shewell-Cooper was of Vienna University’s Horticultural College. Later in his career, Superintendent of Swanley Horticultural College in Kent, met Shewell-Cooper’s relations with some of his organic colleagues Howard while in that post and started reading his work. In 1948 and with the Soil Association became problematic. Alan Gear he bought a 12-acre estate at Prior’s Hall, near Thaxted in Essex, recalls that Shewell-Cooper and Lawrence Hills simply could not where, the Soil Association journal Mother Earth tells us cautiously, endure each other’s company; Hills was convinced that Shewell- he ran “what he claims was the first organic horticultural Cooper was plagiarizing HDRA material for his own magazine college”2: the Horticultural, Educational and Advisory Bureau and in 1971 the HDRA Council threatened to expose this. Gear and Training Centre, with four specialist instructors for a dozen considered Shewell-Cooper pompous and obsessive, but always students and an advisory service run by post, visit and lecture. very interesting. Shewell-Cooper clearly had a talent for what we Shewell-Cooper used no inorganic fertilisers, but generated one would today term “networking”, and for gaining publicity; John hundred tons of compost annually from vegetable wastes, straw, Wheals, Soil Association Treasurer during the 1970s, believed goat manure, applied mulches, sedge peat and fish manure. He that his skill at marketing himself in fact ensured that the organic was particularly interested in “no-dig” techniques of cultivation. message reached a wide audience.3 His students went on to hold horticultural posts in various parts of the world. A Soil Association Council member, Shewell-Cooper J. L. H. Chase founded his own organisation, the Good Gardeners’ Association J. L. H. Chase was a specialist in gardening with cloches, which (GGA) in 1955 – it still runs today – aiming to encourage organic his father had invented in 1912, and wrote books on his methods methods among private gardeners. He published a monthly for Faber and Faber. Chase began experimenting with organic newsletter, and the gardens at Thaxted, and then at Arkley Manor methods in 1942, was one of the Soil Association’s founder

Page 24 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 members and later served on its Council. He was, inevitably, influenced by Howard, and to his gardens at St. Ann’s Hill, The “compost king” Chertsey, in Surrey, came Laurence Easterbrook, Eve Balfour, Another important figure for organic gardeners was Arthur the bio-dynamic pioneer Ehrenfried Pfeiffer and the nutritionist Bower, the so-called “compost king”, a commercial grower H. M. Sinclair, among other organic notables. At his 1954 Open at Wisbech in the Fens from 1912 to 1964 and subsequently Day, he was able to point to the success of organic methods, as his a consultant horticulturalist. His interest in organic growing own results were still steadily improving after ten years without stemmed from a chance meeting with Sir Albert Howard at a farm chemical fertilisers. What was disparaged as “muck mysticism”, machinery show in 1941, the story of which Bower amusingly he believed, would become the textbook knowledge of the next recorded. Howard visited Bower’s holding several times to advise generation. He was a friend of the herbalist Juliette de Bairacli him on farmyard manure and composting, and Bower was so Levy and his nurseries helped her by undertaking various convinced by the results “written on the land” that his farm went experiments. The recently-established HDRA exhibited at Chase’s all out for composting. For Bower, the practice came first and Open Day in June 1960. Chase continued to be actively involved in the philosophy later, deduced from empirical evidence, and he the organic movement through to the 1980s, contributing articles believed that scientific investigation of such results would put to on South American agriculture and environmental problems to flight all accusations of “moonlore, muck and magic”. It should the Soil Association journal, and speculating on the prospects for be emphasised that Bower was chairman of his county’s NFU “Agriculture in the ‘Eighties”. He spoke at an IFOAM conference horticultural committee and a highly respected market gardener in the summer of 1984, advocated the benefits of seaweed and whose holding, during the 1950s, was inspected by a host of left a legacy to the Soil Association after his death in the early growers and advisory and research officers.5 1990s. Chase is one of those who, though now largely forgotten, provided an important thread of continuity from the early years The Soil Association and gardening right up to the dawning age of organic consumerism.4 Despite the HDRA’s success, Soil Association publications continued to feature gardening columns, written at various times by Brian Furner, Roy Lacey, H. E. Witham Fogg and Arthur Barritt. Brian Furner, of Erith in Kent, gardening correspondent for the Soil Association in the 1960s and ‘70s and a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, had rejected chemical methods in 1950, his outlook transformed by his reading of Balfour, F. H. King and other organic pioneers, particularly Sir Albert Howard, whose widow Lady Louise he met and conversed with. Furner depended for his livelihood entirely on his lectures and writings about the food crops he produced, which therefore had to be of high quality. Around the mid-1970s, Furner was replaced by H. E. Witham Fogg, a founder member of the HDRA who served on Mr. J. (later Lord) Wilmott (centre, arms folded) the Minister of Supply, visiting its Council for the first ten years. The Grange, Chase’s experimental grounds.Chase is the tallest figure on his right. Arthur Barritt, the Soil Assocation Quarterly Review’s gardening correspondent in the early 1980s, was an advocate of the virtues of seaweed as a fertiliser who had worked for the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS), after which he returned to his previous occupation of fruit-grower. He had been convinced of the superiority of organic produce on grounds of taste. Barritt was succeeded by Roy Lacey, who favoured organic gardening primarily on moral grounds. The organic pioneers had objected to exploitation of the soil, a stand still valid in the 1980s, said Lacey; but there were now other factors lending further force to the moral argument. By gardening inorganically and buying fertilisers and chemical forms of pest control, you were stepping on to the agricultural treadmill of production, where the drive to increase output at all costs destroyed the health of the soil. Organic methods aimed at optimum production and, as Schumacher had put it, demonstrated non-violent humility towards the complex harmony of the natural world. In 1988, the publishers David & Charles brought out Lacey’s Organic Gardening, the first book Advert 1949 Advert

Page 25 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 to be given the Soil Association’s official stamp of approval and the Soil Association Quarterly Review in 1979, originally calling it one which “firmly point[ed] organic growing in the direction “ecological perennial horticulture”. It was a logical development of of the latest scientific understanding, ecological awareness the forest farming system he had worked on with J. Sholto Douglas and technological advance”.6 The year before Lacey’s book and one which would concentrate on the use of perennial plants appeared, Geoff Hamilton’s Successful Organic Gardening had and on controlled systems of plant association, or “ecological, been published. With Hamilton, we enter the era of the organic symbiotic systems of organically intensive cultivation”. Hart gardener as media celebrity; Bob Flowerdew and Monty Don defined a forest garden as “a system which imitates the multi- would follow in his wake. storey structure and diversity of the natural forest, in which every single plant has some useful function to perform”. All very well, Jack Temple one might think, for those fortunate enough to own land in a While figures like Geoff Hamilton helped take organic gardening spacious county; but by the mid-1990s Hart’s methods were being into the main stream, Jack Temple, a market-gardener in Surrey, applied in inner-city areas too, “spearheading a rural invasion of headed in the other direction. Temple had apparently suffered the townscape” in North London and Birmingham. 8 ill health as a young man, until early in the 1940s he became a Philip Conford professional grower using organic methods. During the 1970s he became gardening correspondent of Here’s Health magazine, 1. John S. Blackburn, Organic Husbandry: A Symposium, 1949, p.145. and he spoke at the Soil Association’s Ewell courses on biological 2. Mother Earth, Oct. 1960, p.344. husbandry; in the mid-1980s he produced the Here’s Health Guide 3. Interview with Alan and Jackie Gear, Snettisham, 10.10.2006. Interview with John to Gardening Without Chemicals. He was a friend of Alan and Wheals, Bentley, 12.10.2006. Jackie Gear until he – in their phrase – “went nutty”, going down 4. Mother Earth, Oct. 1954, p.9; Soil Association Quarterly Review (SAQR), June 1980, p.3 the route of a particularly bizarre form of alternative healing.7 and June 1985, pp.24-25. In 1984 he helped sponsor the Festival of Mind, Body, Spirit and, 5. Mother Earth, Apr. 1957, pp.845-50. towards the end of his long life – he died in 2004 – became a guru 6. SAQR, Mar. 1985, p.22. Living Earth, Jan.-Mar. 1989, p.30. to Cherie Blair: a tragic anti-climax for someone who had for more 7. Interview with Alan and Jackie Gear. than 30 years demonstrated the viability of organic horticulture. 8. SAQR, Sept. 1979, p.6. Robert A. de J. Hart, Beyond the Forest Garden, 1996, p.23, 22. Robert Hart To conclude this section, there is one other gardener, of a specialist nature, who Organic should be mentioned: Robert A. de J. Hart, advocate and practitioner thinking of forest farming and The Soil Association is delighted to announce gardening. Originally the re-launch of its journal, Mother Earth a journalist, Hart had been much affected Mother Published twice a by his grandmother’s year, Mother Earth will Photo: Graham Burnett www.spiralseed.co.uk Burnett Graham Photo: Earth complement both Organic Volume 1 Christianity and his Robert Hart in 1997 Spring 2009 Farming and Living Earth, own interest in Gandhi with in-depth comment and analysis on the intellectual, and Kagawa. From the latter, a Japanese Christian reformer political and practical known as “the Japanese Gandhi”, he learned the importance of issues of the organic fodder-bearing trees as a means of combining conservation with movement, as well as celebrating the philosophy food production. Hart also became familiar with the writings and successes of the organic pioneers. of the organic pioneers: Howard, McCarrison, Stapledon and, Essays on sustainable food and farming philosophies and principles particularly, H. J. Massingham. As a journalist, he decided to Soil association (producer) members can subscribe to concentrate on the issue of world hunger and, in order to gain Mother Earth for just £12 practical experience of food production, bought a smallholding 1/7/09 10:47:48 Mother Earth 8ppthrowoutvB.indd 4 in Somerset before moving to a farm near Church Stretton in Shropshire. In the mid-1980s he started a self-sufficiency To subscribe, please call 0117 914 2447 project on the western side of Wenlock Edge, which became an or email [email protected] example of agroforestry, influenced by the “Keyline” system of Australian farmer P. A. Yeomans. Hart had floated this idea in

Page 26 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Costs, costs, costs - how much have they gone up? A comparison between organic and non-organic vegetables

Recent research work at Garden Organic (formerly HDRA) Percentage increase per ORGANIC NON-ORGANIC has analysed the costs and gross margin development in key year horticultural crops over several years. We used the published data in the farm management handbooks and then ran our own Marketable Yield 0.5% 1.0% calculations. The comparison given here has the very latest costs Price 9% 6% from the 2009 Organic Farm Management Handbook (Lampkin et Output (£/ha) 10% 7% al.) and, on the non-organic side, the ABC Agricultural Budgeting Variable Costs (£/ha) 9% 6% and Costing book from May 2009 and the 2009 edition of the Farm Gross Margin (£/ha) 18% 13% Management Handbook (Nix, 2009). Obviously these are only Variable cost analysis: standard costs and gross margins and may be very different from Seed, Transplants 18% 2% your individual growing experience, but by comparing them with Fertilisers 0% 51% the data in 2003 we can work out an average annual change in Crop Protection 13% 6% costs, which could also be applied for further planning. Weed Control 11% 6% A new benchmark? Other Production costs 3% 2% Packing, Drying 2% 4% As we all have experienced, this 6-year period covers years of Transport 7% 1% exceptional changes to food and fuel prices and is certainly very Market Commission 10% 7% different to the 6-year period prior to 2003, when prices, costs and the Casual Labour 22% 3% whole economic climate was much more stable, or dull - depending how you look at it. Therefore we think it is very interesting to publish Variable costs analysed and discuss this data as benchmark for future change. An interesting result is also found when variable costs are further 9% every year analysed. Cost drivers (defined as increases greater than the average variable cost increase of 9% per year) within organic horticulture are Did you know that on average organic prices increased 9% seed and transplants (18%), crop protection (13%) and weed control every year for a selection of 19 organic field scale vegetable crops (11%), while market commission is related to price. However the (beetroot, calabrese, different cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, main issue for organic horticultural businesses is the cost of casual courgettes, leeks, different lettuces, onions, parsnips, different labour with a whopping 22% rise each year. Non-organic has only potatoes, swedes, sweetcorn . . .)? one major cost driver, which is fertiliser, with an average annual

For similar crops non-organic prices increased by 6% every year. increase of 51%. We all know fossil fuel derived fertiliser has gone (Note that all figures presented are rounded, but all calculations up but 51% per year or 300% over the last 6 years is quite something! are made with full 15 digits). According to the handbooks used the And it is clear that if this trend continues only for the next 10-20 average yield increase per year is 0.5% in organic and 1.0% in non- years then fossil-fuel fertilisers will be 1000% above current values organic. The average increase in variable cost was exactly the same as and that will be “the end of conventional farming as we know it.” for prices: 9% and 6% respectively in every year. Because organic had Individual crops higher price increases, despite lower yield increases the total output of organic crops increased by 10% every year (non-organic only 7% We don’t have space to look at the data for individual crops, but ). With this and the fact that variable costs equate on average to two the average for all crops presented here is a good indication of thirds of the output the resulting increases in gross margin are much in how individual crops have performed. Higher then average gross favour of organic - 18% every year versus 13%. This shows that gross margin increases are found in organic beetroot, cabbages and margins have kept up with cost increases and that it was possible for lettuces and (non-organic) in French beans, calabrese and carrots. both vegetable sectors to increase profitability on a gross margin level. Onions and swedes have seen above average gross margin growth Although other fixed cost and further overhead costs (not recorded in both cases. The other crops are average or below but gross in farm business handbooks) have gone up too, it is likely that the margins were increased in almost all crops, the only exception bottom line has also improved. These clear signs of a healthy industry being organic early potatoes and non-organic parsnips. (both organic and non-organic) should give confidence for growers to Please do comment if you think your growing costs have been invest and expand, for young people to study horticulture and enter very different from these figures and discuss these results! the industry and for banks to lend money. Ulrich Schmutz Horticultural economist at Garden Organic, Ryton. [email protected]

Page 27 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Selling to pubs and restaurants

The frustrations of weather, weeds and dodgy seed are as nothing Closer inspection revealed greenhouses overflowing with trays compared to the unpredictability of dealing with chefs! If you are a of multi-coloured seedlings, as though for pricking out . . . but chef reading this, don’t take it personally because I do understand actually for micro-leaves! The ‘new salad’, tiny twists and curls of that you are in a tricky position of creating pretty-looking dishes colour and subtle flavour, yet nothing to really chew on and fill the of quality rather than quantity, for customers who want to pay stomach. And certainly no volume for worthwhile sales! Speaking the least and on behalf of owners who want to pay even less, for to the chefs afterwards, they were enthusing over these seedlings ingredients with the highest possible looks and (perhaps) flavour. and also, I discovered, would pay £70/kg for them. But I did not rush home to create beds of micro-leaves. Is that organic growing? Last year a large new restaurant opened close to here and the owner brought her chef out to see what I might have for sale. The quantity of vegetables used by catering outlets is an important They were passionately wanting fresh, local, tasty produce and issue here. Why are plates so often full of expensive meat and quite understood that my prices might not always be the lowest. fish, with just a token garnish of greens and carrots? Is it because Yes, they realised that nurturing of soil and plants, then picking, of preparation time, or because customers are perceived as not packing and delivering vegetables requires much precious time! valuing fresh vegetables? Whatever the reason, it does mean that the quantities we can sell are often quite small, unpredictable and Once the restaurant opened in July, all went well and I delivered also fiddly to prepare. This spring I have struggled to sell spinach, lots of salad and other seasonal delights on a regular basis. Until except to a delicatessen making quiches. Restaurants prefer the one day in October the chef left a message that they would not less tasty chard, for the colour of its stems. require any more salad, even though he had been raving over the flavour and quality of it just the day before! I later discovered that Another aspect of selling to pubs and restaurants is the tricky the owner had been overspending on waitresses and had decided stand-off between chefs who sometimes ‘want all you can offer’ to cut costs by making salads from cheap lettuce with fancy and then order it, and owners who wince and complain when dressings, which suddenly left me with a surplus of unsold salad presented with the bill. I find it almost impossible to talk prices and feeling sore - until three weeks later the phone rang again and with chefs or to have conversations with both them and owners at they re-ordered, because of (I later discovered) so many customer the same time, so I am left completely in the dark as to what they, complaints about tasteless leaves! collectively, really do want.

So there is a happy ending to this episode, but it illustrates the Often the public stance of pubs and restaurants is to buy local, yet unpredictability of dealing with catering outlets, especially their menus always seem to offer french beans and broccoli, all year for organic growers whose prices are not the lowest. Whatever round! Presumably because of the ease and predictability of buying anyone may say, price is important, and we are competing with from wholesalers who deliver regularly, as opposed to dealing with food that is often mass produced in dubious ways. Unless we can growers’ varying, seasonal changes to vegetable production. offer produce with truly unusual qualities that a customer will Salad leaves are perhaps an exception here and they are my main notice (and hopefully comment on after the chef has done his success with caterers. I can offer them almost year round and as work) we cannot rely on far as the chefs are concerned it is a product that doesn’t change repeat orders. too much, even though the leaf-ingredients vary all the time with A further aspect of dealing seasons and weather. They can feature Charles Dowding salad with chefs is that they are on their menus and know that it is always there, as reliably as often more concerned with those Kenyan french beans. Its flavours shine through on the plate artistry than with food. This because no cooking is involved . . . there must be a lesson here! hit me when looking around Charles Dowding Raymond Blanc’s organic garden at Le Manoir in Oxfordshire in September 2006. The vegetable garden was less than half full of vegetables, and there were almost no salads! How odd, at a time when every last inch of my own gardens was full of something tasty.

Page 28 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Natural Agriculture

The principles and practices of Natural Agriculture were developed in Japan in the early decades of the 20th century by Mokichi Okada to foster a renewed understanding of the harmony that exists among the natural elements of the earth. “The main principle of Natural Agriculture is an over-riding respect and concern for Nature.”

for the entire web of life. While Natural Agriculture may use natural compost such as leaves and grasses, it does not use manure because it does not believe this benefits the natural soil. When compost is used, local materials are encouraged, and they are used not as a nutrient but to keep the soil moist, warm and soft. The principle belief is that everything needed by the plant for growth is already present in the soil.

One of the chief practices of Natural Agriculture is seed saving. Once the crops are mature they will yield their own seeds. According to Natural Agriculture, home-grown seeds from Natural Agriculture crops are the best seeds to use for the following year’s crop. Each year the ability to harvest seeds will improve, as will the purity and the adaptability of the seed to the The soil is cultivated in its natural state without the addition local environment. The second-year seed will be better than the of foreign elements. If properly cared for, soil provides better first-year seed. nutrition for plants without the addition of chemical fertilizers, which prohibit the soil’s natural energy from being transferred to One of the goals and commitments of Natural Agriculture farmers the plants. is to bring physical, mental and spiritual benefit to people, helping those who have health problems as well as mental and emotional According to the philosophy of Natural Agriculture, plants challenges. The ingestion of food grown by Natural Agriculture respond to the thoughts, emotions and deeds of the people brings a balance to the bodily systems that ultimately affects one’s who care for them. The more conscious the farmer is of the whole well being. interrelationships within nature, the more he or she is able to play a part in fostering the balance and harmony needed for healthy We have natural agriculture projects in America, Canada, plant life. For this reason, it is advised that the farmer send love to Germany, Italy, the Phillipines, Taiwan, Africa, Brazil, and plants and the soil. England. You can find more information at www.shumei-na.org .

Natural Agriculture has a broad, philosophical approach to If you are interested in visiting our model farm at Primrose agriculture and aims not only to produce health benefits but also Cottage, Highwych Road Sawbridgeworth, CM210HH or in aid in fostering the well-being of entire ecosystems and of the finding out more about Natural Agriculture, please contact Shinya whole individual, mental and spiritual as well as physical. It grew at [email protected] out of a vision of the interrelationship of all life. Farmers using the Shinya Nakamae, assistant director of Shumei Natural Natural Agriculture method base each decision on consideration Agriculture UK.

Page 29 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 The Four Wheel Hoe - built from the ground-up The Four Wheel Hoe is a pedestrian weeding machine developed for smaller-scale growers and farmers to give them the results produced by tractor mounted hoes, results which I felt existing wheel hoes were failing to deliver.

Wheel hoes are not a new idea. Planet Junior wheel hoes may hoe design was not up to the job and that a complete re-think, Ltd. Weeding Steam 2009 © Hoe Wheel Four The have been around for more than a century, with there having from the ground-up, was required. However, if a completely been a number of other manufacturers over the years such as new design was required the first question was where to start? I Jalo and the modern Glaser and Maxadyne hoes. However all concluded that it was the hoe blades that were the fundamental of these wheel hoes share the same basic design - of a wheel, or component so it had to start there. pair of wheels, at the front, supporting a toolframe to which the The three main machine-hoe blade designs are A L and T, so-called handles and blades and other tools attach, i.e., there has been as they reflect the shape of the blades (there are other designs e.g., no change to the fundamental design since the first wheel hoe. D (stirrup) hoes that are used on hand and pedestrian hoes but they In comparison, tractor mounted interrow hoes have undergone cannot work on a machine for a range of reasons, mainly because significant changes since re-emerging after they disappeared at they don’t self clean). Each design has a number of pros and cons. the dawn of the herbicide era. Modern hoes typically operate at The L hoe is the standard for close-to-crop work as the landside forward speeds of 10 kph with top speeds of double that possible, protects the crop from soil movement but the disadvantage is they while hoeing tens of metres of crop, with only a few centimetres need lateral adjustment for small changes in crop size otherwise gap between the ends of the blades, achieving 100% weed kill the cutting edge will damage the crop. The A hoe is standard for without blocking for kilometres at a time. A typical wheel hoe is covering large areas of soil but can’t work close to small crop plants often an exercise in frustration with the user having to constantly because the soil flows off the ends of the blades, which if these are push and pull the hoe to clear the blades, redo lengths of row too close the row can bury and kill the crop. However, this is not because the blades were too deep, in the wrong place, etc., etc., etc. a problem for larger plants as the blade it can get underneath the I felt that there was no reason why there could not be a pedestrian crop foliage weeding more soil. The T hoe (a name I coined for hoe that was just as effective as its tractor mounted brethren. want of a good description) which is uncommon, both on machine If this analysis was correct it indicated that the standard wheel and hand hoes, has attributes halfway between the L and A hoes. It can get close to crop plants, but not quite as close as an L because there is some soil burst at the blade tip, but as the leg is in the centre of the blade like the A hoe, the blade can slide under crop foliage so it needs less lateral adjustment. This also means it can hoe the soil between larger plants that an L blade hoe misses. These issues and others swung the choice of blade to the T hoe.

Having plumped for the T hoe the finer points of blade design needed to be finalised, such as the rake and sweep angles. Surprisingly there is very little in the scientific literature or pre-herbicide weed management books about hoe design.

Standard wheel hoes, Glaser From the scant literature that does exist and taking a strong (top left), Planet Jr (bottom lead from the ‘Rolls Royce’ of hoe blades, the Nicholson left), Jalo (right) Webb (above, top right) rake and sweep angles needed to be

Page 30 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 about 15° and 55° respectively to prevent scrubbing while mound of soil a few centimetres high along the crop row can kill minimising lateral soil flow along the blade yet maximising 100% of the weeds in the crop row. Better still mini-ridgers can cutting action, soil shatter and self-cleaning of residues. kill the close-to-crop plants which high-tech intrarow weeding To achieve maximum weed kill, hoe blades need to cut weeds approaches cannot, plus the kill is not dependent on hot dry weather as with most other weeding techniques, as the weeds are killed by depriving them of light rather than by damaging them. This means mini-ridges can kill weeds in soil or weather conditions too wet for knife blades to work well. Mini-ridgers are my favourite example of KISS (keep it simple stupid) technology. They consist of two pieces of flat metal bar welded or bent into a right angle, attached to the bottom of a leg which is then attached to a toolbar. I can’t conceive of a simpler machine, yet they are highly effective, reliable, cheap and very easy to make. By having different height The three primary machine hoe designs, blades different height ridges can be reliably and consistently A blade (top left), L blade (top right) , T blade formed as they can only push a stream of soil sideways that is (bottom left). as high as the blade, i.e., excess soil flows over the top. With through, or as close to, the hypocotyl as possible, otherwise they very shallow blades, ridges of only two to three centimetres just root prune the weeds instead of killing them. Therefore, the can be created, so even direct seeded crops can be ridged. best depth control achievable would be required for the T hoes Putting mini-ridgers onto the Four Wheel Hoe was therefore if they were to achieve their full potential. Existing wheel hoe a no-brainer, because in combination with the T hoes it means designs are incapable of this as the user controls the blade depth that, as long as the weeds are small, 100% weed control can be via the handles, while also using the handles to steer and push achieved in one pass using one machine pushed by one person! the hoe at the same time, an utterly impossible task! Fortunately, Mini-ridger blades, shallow and unlike hoe blade design, the engineering solution to this is very medium (left) and mounted behind well established - mounting a tool between two axles gives a brush hoe (below). optimum depth control. Using two axles, and thus four wheels, is easy to say but somewhat harder to implement while also meeting all the other design requirements for a pedestrian hoe such as simplicity, low weight, low cost, ease of use etc. Also to make a truly elegant machine most components have to perform multiple jobs. For example the frame, which is the main structure of the hoe, is also the mounting point for the wheels and tools as well as being the means of changing hoe width. Being able to With the fundamentals worked out, the rest of the job was adjust the size of the crop gap without inadvertently changing making sure the design was as refined as possible, for instance the depth of the blades was also a crucial aim, as there are few by ensuring that the handles were ergonomically correct, so they things so frustrating as needing to change the horizontal position would be comfortable to use for hours and even days at a time, of a hoe blade only to accidentally change the depth because one and that the hoe would be easy to adjust by using only one size bolt controls both settings. of bolt/nut on the machine so that only one spanner is required to assemble and fine-tune. I also wanted to future proof the hoe With modern tractor mounted hoes, interrow weed control is as far as possible so that it is easy to add additional tools to the now pretty straight forward and excellent results can be achieved. hoe, or use it for jobs that I had not though of - the same as a Therefore, the ‘holy grail’ of physical weeding has moved to the tractor is used to power, pull and lift many different attachments. intrarow and particularly the close-to-crop weeds that exert the The result is a true labour of love, with hundreds of hours of largest competitive effect. While there are some amazing machines pondering, thinking, drawing, testing and refining, to produce a such as www.garford.com rotating disk intrarow weeder and the unique machine that I hope will make weeding on smaller farms www.visionweeding.com intrarow flame weeder, a high tech and holdings easier, more effective and even possibly a pleasure. approach is not practical on a weeder propelled by human muscle! To find out more please visit the website www.physicalweeding. Ironically there is a technique, called mini-ridges, which, if you com/fourwheelhoe . Happy weeding! catch the weeds when they are very small, can out-perform even these very expensive high-tech approaches. It works because when Charles ‘Merf’ Merfield weeds are small, burying them under a few centimetres of soil is Merf originally studied horticulture at Writtle College before helping Ian Nelson sufficient to kill them, even though they are undamaged. Therefore found Sunnyfield Organic Farm, then moving to New Zealand managing as long as the crop is significantly larger than the weeds, which organic farms and gaining a Phd in Organic Crop Production. He is now for transplanted vegetables is guaranteed, then creating a small involved in organic research, crop production and mountain hiking.

Page 31 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 The Solanaceae - novel crops with high potential A Wealth of Resources was grown in the UK, the majority of which was potatoes; this amounts to only 0.6% of total land area, compared with 1,820,000 The Solanaceae, or nightshade family, is a diverse group of ha of wheat - over 7% of total land area. Added to this, there flowering plants with a worldwide distribution. The family is of have been no new nightshade crop introductions for commercial medium size, with around 90 genera and somewhere between cultivation in the UK for about 300 years! 3-4000 species. The greatest concentration of genera and species is to be found in Central and South America, with half the total Solanaceae species with novel crop number of species and three quarters of all the genera found there. potential for the UK The economic importance of the nightshades is enormous and, Nightshade crops are well-suited to protected cropping or in 2007 alone, 33 million hectares of nightshade crops were sheltered outdoor cultivation. They require little attention and cultivated worldwide, producing almost 515 million tonnes. The low input once established, and give high yields for relatively majority of this total is contributed by the well-known potato small surface areas. In addition, long cropping seasons and high which is the most economically important member of the family market value mean that many are potentially lucrative novel and comes fourth in annual world production for all food crops. crops suitable for organic growers.

Nightshades provide us with a wide variety of resources Solanum. Across the world there are 25 staple crop species of such as: food and crop plants (eg potato, tomato, capsicums), Solanum, including the potato, tomato and various eggplants. In ornamentals (eg Petunia, Nicotiana, angel’s trumpet), medically addition, there are 50 or so species of semi-cultivated food plants useful substances (eg alkaloids, capsaicinoids and steroids), which are found close to human settlements, around 50 species of insecticidal phytochemicals (from Withania, Nicotiana), edible wild relatives of domesticated crops, and approximately traditional medicines (from bitter tomato, Cestrum, etc), 100 edible species collected from the wild. Certain of these are recreational substances (eg tobacco, snuff) and psychoactive either too prickly, have fruits with a very high seed to pulp substances (from Datura, Latua, etc). They are also a source of ratio, or have “acquired tastes.” Many others have horticultural deadly poisons, such as belladonna (from Atropa belladonna) potential which has, as yet, been overlooked in the UK. and mandrake (from Mandragora officinalis). Numerous solanums produce fruits with a wide variety of shapes, Food Crop Potential colours, flavours and textures, many of which are exquisite. There are 7 species with strong novel crop potential and these can be Europeans have a wary attitude towards nightshades, largely grouped as: “exotic eggplants”- S. aethiopicum (scarlet eggplant) because of their connection with poisons and sorcery. In fact, and S. macrocarpon (gboma eggplant); “out of hand fruits”- S. when the brinjal eggplant reached southern Europe in the betaceum (tomate de arbol), S. muricatum (pepino dulce), S. fourteenth century it became known as mala insana (the “mad quitoense (lulo), and S. sessiliflorum (cocona); and “berries”- S. apple”), because many believed that eating it would cause scabrum (huckleberry). Several of these give impressive yields insanity! When the tomato was first introduced from the New of fruit, eg the pepino dulce which can yield up to 5kg and the World it was given the sinister epithet “wolf peach” In the lulo up to 9kg per plant. Many are also quite robust, such as the eighteenth century this was incorporated into its scientific tomate de arbol which can easily grow to 2.5m high in one season. name, which became Solanum lycopersicum.

Around 34 species are commonly cultivated for food around the world; these comprise 25 species of Solanum, 5 species of Capsicum, 2 species of Physalis and 2 species of Lycium. Assuming that there are around 3500 species of Solanaceae, this still only represents less than 1% of the total. Many others are semi-cultivated or collected from the wild, mostly across the tropics. Solanaceous crops are vastly under-represented in this country and only 4 species are cultivated on a commercial scale in the UK: Solanum tuberosum (Irish potato), S. lycopersicum (tomato), S. melongena (brinjal eggplant) and Capsicum annuum (sweet peppers and hot peppers). The latest figures available (2008) show that a total area of 139,400 ha of nightshade crops Photo: John Samuels John Photo: Pepino dulce: also known as the melon pear

Page 32 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 The aji and the rocoto are still relatively unknown in the UK, and their faster growth rates and tolerance of relatively lower temperatures mean that they have high novel crop potential for British growers.

Of the remaining capsicums there is one semi-cultivated variety, C. annuum var aviculare, with round (chiltepin) and long (chilpiquin) forms. Another 20 or so species are collected from the wild for food, e.g. C. chacoense (quitucho) and C. cardenasii (ulupica). All of these examples have novel crop potential, but small pods and slow growth

Photo: J Moschopoulos J Photo: rates mean that they are best suited to the amateur enthusiast. Lulo: fruits attain 3cm diam and have a distinctive lime flavour

Over the last 25 years or so several attempts at commercial production of some of these species have been made outside of their region of origin, e.g. in the Netherlands (pepino dulce) and New Zealand (tomate de arbol). Small quantities are available from time to time in the UK via specialised importers. However, all examples are grown using conventional techniques and sell at inflated prices. During the recent “superfruit” epidemic, for example, London department stores offered imported pepino dulce at £4.99 each and tomate de arbol at £17.50 per kg! Photo: John Samuels John Photo: Unfortunately, such crops are often harvested before they are horticulturally mature, in order to survive extended cold storage and air travel. They consequently never reach biological maturity and their organoleptic quality suffers enormously.

Capsicum. This genus consists of around 34 species of Latin Rocoto: yellow and red cultivars showing typical black seeds American origin. The 5 commonly cultivated species include the

ubiquitous Capsicum annuum var annuum which is cultivated the In recent years there has been a surge of interest in the spicy world over and has pungent (hot pepper) and non-pungent (sweet capsicums, and several “chilli farms” have been set up around pepper) forms. In addition C. frutescens (tabasco), C. baccatum var the UK. These outlets rely on rapid seasonal turnover of small pendulum (aji), C. chinense (habanero) and C. pubescens (rocoto) volumes, and extremely high prices which, if calculated per are cultivated in various parts of Central and South America, kilogramme, range from £17.00 (“aji limon”) to £95.00 (mixed the Caribbean and elsewhere. Over the last few hundred years, varieties). At the time of writing there are no major certified various parts of the world have adopted their preferred type organic producers of hot peppers in the UK. Chilli farms remain of hot pepper. In the 19th century, Louisiana, in the southern largely of interest to the enthusiast and mediate their sales more United States favoured highly-flavoured forms of C. frutescens. In or less solely via the internet. Not surprisingly, imported fresh a short time, the world-famous “Tabasco” sauce was developed, chilli peppers are a major form of competition for these specialist using a cultivar originally from Mexico. The habanero and scotch growers. However, even conventionally produced cultivars such bonnet cultivars of C. chinense were naturalised in the Caribbean, as “bird’s eye” chillies grown in East Africa may sell at up to particularly in Cuba and the West Indian islands, respectively; £39.00 per kg in some supermarket chains. Imported, dried chilli their particularly pungent flavours seem to suit the palates and products also achieve a buoyant price in the UK, and range from cuisines of these regions. £26.00 per kg (Mexican “Serrano”) to a remarkable £400.00 per kg Impressively powerful (Assamese “Bhut Jolokia”)! The initial cost of equipment and the “Jolokia” cultivars of the large volumes of fresh crops needed have so far deterred most UK same species have been growers from adopting this form of processing. grown in north-east India and Assam for many Physalis. Physalis is a genus of the New World and China years. They have recently with approximately 75 species, around 8 of which are known to become popular in the be edible and generally referred to as husk tomatoes, or ground USA and Europe and cherries. There are 2 commonly cultivated food species. The most P. peruviana have earnt the reputation familiar is , the Cape gooseberry, cultivated across of being the hottest chilli Andean South America and grown on a lesser scale elsewhere, P. philadelphica peppers in the world. whilst , the tomatillo, is widely cultivated in Photo: John Samuels John Photo:

Aji : pungent flavour with a hint of citrus

Page 33 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Mexico, Guatemala and parts of South America. A third species, Lycium. Of around 80 known species of Lycium around P. alkekengi, the Chinese lantern plant, is known in the UK as an the world only 2 are commonly cultivated: L. chinense ornamental, but edible forms are cultivated in parts of Cuba. There and L. barbarum, both known as the goji berry or Chinese are also four semi-cultivated species which appear as tolerated wolfberry. The main regions of production are China and Tibet. adventives on farmland in parts of Latin America and may be Goji berries have recently been endowed with “superfruit” status harvested, e.g. P. pubescens, the hairy husk tomato. In addition, because of their high anti-oxidant and mineral content. 100g of dried there is one species, P. angulata, the cut-leaf husk tomato, which is berries may contain up to 163% of the adult recommended daily collected from the wild in parts of lowland South America. intake of vitamin C. Many wholefood stores began selling them a year or two ago, and dried goji berries now retail at a staggering £70 per kilo! The USDA has expressed serious concerns over pesticide residues (including organophosphates) in berries produced conventionally in Asia. On this basis they are one of the most lucrative novel solanaceous crops for organic production for the UK market.

They are scrambling perennials which will happily grow outdoors, but for fruit to set and ripen effectively, full shelter from the extremes of the British climate is advised. Spineless forms can be grown in rows and, if they are pruned hard every year to encourage side-shoots, a hedge- like form will develop, making berry collection easier. Fruits may be harvested from late July to November. Goji berries: high in vitamin C

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, USGS Starr, Kim & Forest Photo: Wild Physalis: food for free Future prospects The husk tomatoes all produce the characteristic inflated calyx, or In order to evaluate the full novel crop potential to be found husk, which serves to protect the developing fruit and may aid in within the vast wealth of resources of the Solanaceae (and other wind dispersal of the seeds. Many species become quite woody plant families) more feasibility studies and growing trials need to after a while and can be grown as perennials if they are provided be conducted in the UK. Discussion groups and conferences help with adequate protection over winter. The Cape gooseberry will to broaden the awareness of “novel crops” in the UK (eg: Eden grow well under polythene in the UK, and will produce many Project-Focus on Fruit, December, 2007; East Malling Research fruits per plant. Plants that have their roots restricted in large pots Association-Novel Crops Day, October, 2008; West Dean Gardens, or tubs will produce fruit earlier, thus helping to extend the season. PlantNetwork Conference, 6-8 October, 2009). Hopefully, this Individual fruits are normally quite small and the overall mass of interchange of ideas will proliferate. fruit per plant can be relatively low. However, some cultivars such More detailed horticultural literature is urgently needed, as there as “Gaillo Grosso” bear berries which are up to 3cm across. are very few publications on novel nightshade crops available. Producing up to 2kg of fruit per plant, the tomatillo gives a reasonable “The Prolific Pod,” written by the present author, will be available yield for a small plant. This favourite ingredient of spicy salsas can towards the end of 2009, and covers the whole range of capsicums be grown successfully outdoors in the UK, provided a sheltered suitable for cultivation, including novel types for the UK. position is available. Plants start fruiting from early August onwards and will often remain palatable until mid-November, or until the John Samuels, Incredible Crops, Cornwall - john.samuels@ first frosts. They will eventually die back, but in the following virgin.net spring a new population will John Samuels is a trained botanist and plant taxonomist and has been researching regenerate successfully via plants in the nightshade family since the 1980s. In 2006, the “Incredible Crops” seed from discarded fruits. The project was set up with the aim of researching and trialling novel nightshade crops present availability of UK-grown suitable for organic production in the UK. He has assisted with research into food tomatillos is very limited, but security and sustainable horticulture at the Eden Project, Cornwall, and was some specialist outlets sell small recently invited onto the UK research team of the international “PBI: Solanum” volumes at up to £13.00 per kg. plant biodiversity project. John lives in West Cornwall with his family, a dog, two This makes it a novel crop worth chickens, two cats and three horses. serious consideration. Tomatillo: popular in Mexican cuisine

Page 34 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Life on the Edge - A portrait of Alsia Cross Market Garden My first taste of growing came from my dad’s back garden: start up. We also believe that organic food should be affordable for double digging in the winter dusk with blackbirds flying to roost, ordinary people. This low risk ethical combination has inevitably and harvesting potatoes. Even now, lifting the first earlies feels given low returns. It might be sustainable for the planet and our like finding buried treasure. customers, but we were knackered!

After studying and working in the environmental sector, the idea Starting a family has made us consider our own welfare more of organic growing appealed as a way to produce food sustainably seriously. After some difficult years early on, we have paid with benefits for wildlife and people. It felt (and still does feel) like off our loan, improved yields and efficiency and have invested the most positive and meaningful way to make a living. Initially, I more to save time and energy. This year we bought a large sheet worked for two and a half invaluable years growing on an organic of enviromesh for all our brassica transplants. How (and indeed farm in Wiltshire. Then in 2002, Becky and I bought 15 acres of why) did I ever cut and fit 2000 collars against root fly, never mind wild windy West Cornwall from a family friend. flags and black cotton for pigeons and all that hand picking of caterpillars! We’re in danger of becoming sensible. Half our holding is wet willow, ash and sycamore coppice, providing fuel for all our heating and winter hot water. The rest I now farm four days a week, Becky works one and we employ a consists of two fields open to the wind. Windbreaks grow slowly; friend for half a day in the summer. This provides an income of ash, Italian alder, sycamore and Monterey pine seem the most around £7000 p.a. Becky is also a freelance writer and editor and successful species to date. Our soil is part thin black granite soil earns another £7000. With tax credit, the ends just about meet. and part alluvial clays and silts. If we had a huge mixing spoon Eventually, we hope to plant an apple and plum orchard. And we could make an ideal average soil. Where are the Cornish giants to experiment with other fruit and nut trees. And we still need a when you need them! pond, and a track through the wood and a new building and . . . We cultivate around 1.5 acres of mixed vegetable beds, two 54 ft I wonder what I’ll say in another seven years. polytunnels and a small area of fruit bushes. We use a small 1960s John Watson tractor and basic second-hand implements to manage the beds. All hoeing, weeding and transplanting is done by hand and we Who’s next? raise all our own transplants in nursery beds and soil blocks. We’d like to feature a grower self-portrait regularly. Fertility is provided by two-year grass/clover leys, green manures Volunteers - please contact the editors for simple guidance. and some local horse manure. We also raise three weaners as a means of processing vegetable waste and weeds into fertile soil [email protected] (not to mention sausages). While I have some concerns about [email protected] surface compaction, deep soil structure seems unaffected and crops thrive.

The holding lacks mains water and electricity; connection to either would be very expensive in this remote location. Instead, we collect water from a large shed roof and have sunk a solar powered pump alongside a stream bed to collect groundwater. The combination is just sufficient for polytunnels and transplanting but allows for no outdoor irrigation.

Despite the limitations we grow a wide range of vegetables and salads sufficient to supply 35 boxes for 40 weeks a year. A local café and restaurant buy our surplus and there is almost no waste. Demand tends to be greater than supply and we have not advertised for years.

Our own ethos has been to stay small and avoid large debt, though we did borrow some money to

John Watson and Becky Hayward with their daughter Martha at Alsia Cross Market Garden

Page 35 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Ten Years On - Reflections on the origins and development of the Wholesome Food Association When we first met, in 1985, two for the small and local is needed. A standard that is based on trust of the things we found that we and commitment to the objective of producing wholesome food, shared were a deep love of the yet is not bogged down with red tape and exorbitant costs. Earth and an appreciation for The government sector is influenced by enormously large and healthy food. Both of us, we powerful business interests who operate by the golden rule - he also discovered, had learned our who has the gold makes the rules. These multinationals stuff early lessons in food production their shoddy goods onto our store shelves. GMO corn, soybeans, from our grandfathers, Sky on and potatoes are being shoved down the throats of the European a farm in Indiana, USA and Union by the World Trade Organisation. Therefore, citizens who Marian in a WW2 ‘victory want to continue to strengthen their bodies with clean, wholesome Marian and Sky McCain garden’ in Plymouth, Devon. food must stand together in close support for the organic farmer. Both grandfathers grew things pretty Wholesome food must not be just a commodity left to the much the organic way because in the 1940s, before the unholy management of market forces or food will be completely controlled matrimony between agribusiness and Big Pharma, there was far by the mighty few and we shall be offered to eat only what makes a less reliance on chemicals. profit. We must not let this happen.” [Sky McCain, May 1999] Something else we shared was the dream of rural self-sufficiency that later took us to thirty acres in the foothills of the Australian Alps and more hard, physical work than we had ever imagined. The ‘O’ word

Those years taught us much, including the fact that ‘self- There were some problems at the beginning. On the eve of our sufficiency’, like ‘independence’, is a myth. In truth, we were launch, we received a call from someone at the Soil Association who never more dependent than during those years—more totally, angrily told us we could not use the ‘O’ word and threatened legal inescapably and directly dependent on the sun, on the rain, on action. One presumes that he had heard we were using organic the soil and on the oil that enabled us to live in such a remote growing methods. We naively imagined we could simply ask location. We were never more interdependent either—with each people to follow the organic regulations. But then we would have other, with our neighbours, our local community and all the other had to write our own or insist that people purchased the UKROFS organisms with which we shared that land. document. And passing on the frequent derogations would have been onerous. Neither option was acceptable, since we would then By the time we moved to Hartland (Devon) in 1999, we had be asking people to incur additional costs to farm organically yet to become used to growing a lot of our own food and sharing the do so without the organic premium for their goods. surplus. Soon we met others who were doing likewise and who were, like us, committed to organic principles and together we Because of the need to keep costs really low and to avoid the ‘O’ formed a growers’ group. A shop in the village was happy to have word, we have always suffered from an inability to state clearly what local supplies of organically-grown produce, but we couldn’t call we were asking for. How do you explain to people that you want it ‘organic’ unless we applied for official organic certification. That them to grow organically when you can’t use the word ‘organic’ for cost way more than our little group could afford. fear of offending those who have paid a lot of money to use the word legally ? (And how do you explain to customers, in just one sentence, So we decided to create our own label and the Wholesome Food that your veggies have no nasty chemicals on them and are more or Association was born. After a while it spread and became not just a less identical to organically-grown ones but are not ‘organic’?) Most label for the local growers of Hartland but an inexpensive, grassroots, people have at least a vague idea what organic food means, even eco-label for producers of wholesome food all over Britain. if they have never heard of EU regulation 2092/91. But what does Our founding philosophy was expressed with these words: ‘wholesome food’ mean? We simply could not afford the advertising that would differentiate us from the Red Tractor, Freedom Food, “Small is not beautiful in our capitalistic system. Organisations LEAF, etc.—labels supported by large organisations with paid staff tend to outgrow their usefulness and become self-serving. writing grant submissions. So we decided to require our affiliates to Although the organisations that control certification enable the sign a pledge that they have produced what they are selling according large grower to enter regional and national markets, the cost is to our carefully-worded list of principles and then to display both prohibitive for the small, local growers. A new symbol standard pledge and principles at the point of sale.

Page 36 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Local groups by way of farm gate, veg/meat/fruit box distribution, farm shops and of Our biggest disappointment was the failure of the local group course farmers’ markets. Meanwhile policy with which we began. Originally we asked all potential we continue to expand the services affiliates to join—or start—groups, reasoning that local WFA we offer, such as a free Web page for groups would provide mutual support and advice, a discussion affiliates who lack websites, and, more forum and a means for generating co-operation and community recently, online social networking. One action, just as our own group in Hartland had done. They would of our directors, Phil Chandler, author also help to ensure that WFA Principles were upheld and would of “Barefoot Beekeeping,” has implemented our sustainable bee- hopefully prevent the criticism—still levelled at us sometimes— keeping initiative. And through our third director, Matt Adams that we do not have the backing of an inspection process equivalent (of the Good Gardener’s Association) we have an interest in to that of the Organic Certification bodies. We did not lay down leading edge research into the relationship between soil health, any rules for frequency or format of meetings, nor how groups growing methods and nutritional food quality should be run, although we did send out a detailed description of Recent climate change revelations plus the energy crunch have how to start and manage a local group. sealed the fate of the exploitative global food economy. There Sadly, the group requirement had to be dropped when we found that are long waiting lines for allotments and the ‘back to the land’ few people would attend meetings and even fewer would organise movement is back in fashion. Public interest in organic local food them. Furthermore we received frequent telephone calls from people is high despite the economic downturn and not everyone is opting wanting to join but unable to find others to start a group. for the cheaper supermarket brands.

Local groups would have provided particularly good backing As demand grows, we hope eventually to see an affordable, local, for the Pledge, since people are less likely to cheat if they know organic symbol structured around a grassroots economic model. that they would be letting down their friends, neighbours and Meanwhile, the WFA is doing its part to inspire change. We are colleagues by doing so. thoroughly convinced that it is not unbridled growth, technofixes, centralised rule and individualism that the world needs now, but The WFA pledge a wholesale realisation of our total dependence on Nature and on the Earth and the importance of co-operation at all levels. We Despite the lack of formal inspection processes (or the peer must re-embrace our interdependency with all others, human and review system practised by CNG, our counterpart in the USA, non-human, within our bioregions and our local communities. by which farmers are required to inspect each others’ farms) Sky and Marian McCain or even of local groups, we believe our pledge system is still an effective guarantee of integrity. The WFA Pledge is a public declaration of our producers’ growing or production methods. We apologise to our readers and to Sky and Marian for not doing what we Plus the information provided on the Pledge can be verified by intended to do, which was to illustrate their article by providing some details of any customer by personally visiting the growing area. In fact we a few WFA affiliates. The WFA’s website carries a comprehensive directory of require our affiliates to maintain an ‘Open Gate’ policy and to have producers who are signed up to the pledge. This is well worth a look, especially an open day at least once per year. We believe this constitutes a if you’d like more detail on the sorts of holding within its current ambit. much higher level of security than an annual inspection, and in http://www.wholesome-food.org.uk/ any case is perfectly satisfactory in a local context.

Starting the WFA has proved to have been a good idea. But for us, the most important thing is that it is far more than just another eco-label. Not only does it champion and assist the small and local producer, but it has a grass roots economic policy. Farmers nowadays are suffering largely because they have lost their local market. Many of them realise this but lack the vision and the economic vitality to create local structures such as alternative marketing and distribution systems that will lure people away from the supermarkets and encourage them to support their local economies. We keep WFA fees low—charging just enough to enable us to do some national advertising, attend a show now and then and provide free labels to producers in reasonable quantities. The money that producers save on fees they can then spend on local advertising and marketing activities. We encourage local retailing

WFA at Quest 2003 with the Reeves family

Page 37 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 What to plant in September and October John Overvoorde of Delfland Nurseries shares his thoughts based on 30 years of plant propagation experience. With an abundance of salads and vegetables to harvest at the cauliflower-like heads. You need to plant this before the end of moment it’s hard to remember what a struggle it can be to fill September or it won’t get enough cold units to produce heads. boxes with home-grown produce throughout the Winter. Onions Brassicas There is a type known as Japanese overwintering onions which Autumn is the time to plant Spring cabbage – these can be mature from the end of June next year. They start to ‘bulb up’ from harvested early as ‘Spring greens’ or left to form a pointed head. May, so you can sell them as bunching onions whilst the tops are We recommend ‘Duchy’ for planting up to mid September; it is still green. Plant in early October as multi-sown modules or sets. a strong grower and resistant to splitting. From mid September There is also a Salad onion – Winter-hardy White Lisbon. Don’t to the end of October ‘Duncan’ is a better bet as it is less prone to forget garlic can be planted in October. bolting over Winter. All of the following can be grown in unheated glass or tunnels There is also a round-headed variety ‘Spring Hero’. It is not the apart from the outdoor lettuce varieties. (Spring cabbage can also neatest of heads but it does have a sweet taste. be grown inside). ‘Pacifica’ is an over-wintering calabrese which produces many Oriental Vegetables small, green sideshoots over a long period after the main head has been cut. However in our experience, if you plant ‘Ironman’ in Varieties of pak choi vary in height from 3 inches (8cm) to over March under fleece, it will catch up or overtake ‘Pacifica’ planted 2 feet (60cm). They can be harvested from baby-leaf size through in September. ‘Ironman’ also produces secondary shoots. to mature whole heads. If they suffer a check they may bolt, but even then you can harvest the flowering shoots. Tall F1 hybrid If you’ve left it too late to plant white-sprouting broccoli, you could varieties from Sakata include ‘Joi Choi’ with white stems and ‘Mei try ‘Nine-Star’, a short-term perennial producing approx 6-9 small, Qing Choi’ with green stems (both only available as untreated seed). There is also a dwarf green-stemmed type: ‘Yang Qing Choi F1’ (untreated seed).

A new F1 variety called simply ‘Red’ (from Kings) is suitable for full-size production as well as baby leaf. The leaf colour changes from dark green with maroon veins to dark maroon with green undersides when mature (untreated seed).

There are many types of mustard. ‘Red Giant’ is a reliable broad- leaf type; ‘Green-in-Snow’ is tolerant of severe weather but seems to be more prone to bolting than ‘Red Giant’. ‘Pizzo’ is another popular variety with a broad, serrated green leaf (available from CN Seeds).

A relatively recently introduced group have attractive, deeply dissected leaves. They are mainly suited for baby leaf and include ‘Golden Streaks’, ‘Ruby Streaks’, ‘Green Frills’ and ‘Red Frills’.

Mizuna is easy to grow, versatile and productive with a mild flavour. Mibuna has a slightly stronger flavour and long, strap- like leaves rather than the feathery leaves of Mizuna. Komatsuna is a leafy Japanese vegetable; easy to grow, hardy and productive. If you are seriously thinking of growing a wide range check out “Oriental Vegetables’ by Joy Larkom.

Another plant that often gets a mention is Texel or Texsel Greens (Brassica carinata). We have grown it in our garden several years running and it rapidly runs to seed, so needs to be harvested small.

Page 38 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Leaf Beets OUTDOORS PROTECTED Perpetual spinach is a reliable source of CROP VARIETY SOW PLANT HARVEST SOW PLANT HARVEST leaves right through to May. Chard ‘Bright Lights’ is also excellent and has fantastic coloured petioles including white, pink, red, tunnels glasshouses tunnels/ orange and yellow. True spinach is better glasshouses grown from seed rather than modules or Spring cabbage Duchy by 14-Sep before Xmas up to 1-Mar up to 1-May blocks. ‘Giant Winter’ is a good variety for Duncan by 1-Nov March & April up to 1-Mar up to 1-May Spring Hero by 14-Sep March & April No No No sowing in September, available from King’s Calabrese Pacifica by 1-Oct March & April No No No as organic seed. Ironman by 1-Aug November No No No Winter Salads Broccoli Nine-Star by 1-Oct May No No No Onions Japanese Oct June No No No

There are a few lettuces that are hardy enough Winter-hardy White Oct March & April No No No Lisbon to grow outside over Winter, but early Garlic Messidrome Sep-Oct July-Aug No No No plantings under fleece in March may well Pak-choi Joi Choi F1 by early Sep November catch them up. ‘Winter Density’ is a semi- Joi Choi F1 AYR AYR AYR cos type with dark green very crisp foliage; Mei Qing Choi F1 by mid-July October ‘Arctic King’ and ‘Valdor’ are butterhead Mei Qing Choi F1 by early Oct early Dec Yang Qing Choi F1 by early Sep early Nov types for growing outside during the Winter. Yang Qing Choi F1 AYR AYR AYR

Chinese mustard Red Giant by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR Last but not least there are there are Green-in-snow by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR traditional species such as wild rocket, Pizzo by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR

Winter purslane (aka claytonia or miner’s Golden Streaks by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR lettuce), lamb’s lettuce (corn salad or mache) Ruby Streaks by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR and land cress (sometimes called American Green Frills by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR Red Frills by 1-Sep before Xmas AYR AYR AYR AYR land cress). Even conservative eaters like Mizuna by 1-Oct Nov Onwards AYR AYR AYR

Jill’s father have been converted to these; Mibuna by 1-Oct Nov Onwards AYR AYR AYR they are easy to grow and respond well to Komatsuna by 1-Oct Nov Onwards AYR AYR AYR repeated harvesting. Texel Greens AYR AYR AYR AYR AYR AYR Leef Beet Perpetual Spinach by 1-Oct March/April by 1 Nov by 1 Nov Feb For polytunnels and Chard 'Bright Lights' by 1-Oct March/April by 1 Nov by 1 Nov Feb True spinach Giant Winter Aug-Sep Oct - Dec Aug-Sep Oct - Dec glasshouses only Lettuce Winter Density Oct March/April No No No Several lettuce types are possible including Arctic King Oct March/April No No No Valdor Oct March/April No No No ‘Fenston’ (butterhead), ‘Piman’ (red oakleaf), Fenston 05-Oct 10-Oct Xmas

‘Arran’ (Little Gem) and ‘Kismy’ (green Piman 05-Oct 10-Oct Xmas

Batavia). Chicory is also suitable e.g. ‘Glory’ Arran 05-Oct 10-Oct Xmas (frisee) and ‘Fiero’ (treviso type). Kismy 05-Oct 10-Oct Xmas Chicory Glory 05-Oct 10-Oct Xmas

Tunnels should be planted by 5th October. Fiero 05-Oct 10-Oct Xmas For unheated glass, plant before 10th Wild Rocket by 1-Oct Dec AYR AYR AYR AYR October in most areas; you can keep planting W. purslane by 1-Oct Nov-Mar by 1-Nov by 1-Nov Nov-Mar Corn salad by 1 Oct by 1-Nov except Jan-Feb AYR AYR AYR AYR until the end of October but it’s risky. Water Land cress AYR AYR AYR AYR AYR AYR AYR the plants in well and get them rooted in. Get the soil uniformly moist, almost to The information in this table is for general guidance only. Performance depends on many factors including soil type, location and weather. field capacity. After that, water only when necessary and on days when you can be There are pictures of most of the varieties named in the table on our mail order website sure the crop will be completely dry before www.organicplants.co.uk. John will happily talk through your requirements if you nightfall. Keep tunnels/vents open as much give him a ring on 01354 740553.. as possible - plenty of air movement helps to BOX AMNESTY – do you have any of our boxes or know reduce disease. someone who has? Please give us a call. The fewer new boxes These crops should mature around we need to buy, the better for the environment (and the lower Christmas time; start planting again in our prices!) January.

Page 39 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 ubiquitous cheese dish or simply softening it up in steam or water Book reviews and that may actually lift it onto another, probably welcome plane without adding overmuch to the preparation and cooking Riverford Farm Cook Book process. So it is with all the subjects covered – decent and often by Guy Watson and Jane Baxter. Fourth Estate, inspiring recipes and sensible suggestions that can only add to the pb, 421 pgs, £16-99 value of the vegetables themselves and may well let you see them This book has received surprisingly little in a new light. attention from the organic media (such as it The second element comes in the form of a quite lengthy preamble is) since its publication last year. Elsewhere or introduction to each of the vegetables and fruits covered. The it has been acclaimed, specifically with object of these is to give the reader, who as a box customer may two recent awards from the Guild of Food know very little of the reality of growing vegetables, an insight into Writers. I should admit at the outset that the character of each. This may include a little history explaining I share the food writers’ enthusiasm for the crop’s historical development, its breeding and its current its rich and quite elegant mix of recipes, status, deserved or not, in the market place. It says something information and knowledgeable opinion. Provided any antipathy about the growing of the crop, its difficulties and idiosyncrasies to the Riverford phenomenon can be overcome, organic growers and what it’s actually like to produce and market. It makes in particular should find within it much to engage them and much forthright assertions as what the author believes is its true value, that resonates. There are three main elements to the book. It is, as as opposed to the value that fashion and marketing have placed the title says, a cookbook - both a practical and an appetising one. on it. Where there are markedly different types within a crop, for It’s also a guide to the vegetables themselves, saying something instance with lettuce and squash, each is briefly described and about their growing and their different natures. Then, underlying assessed to bring clarity to what may otherwise be a confusing the rest, are asides, passages of polemic and short essays that really picture. The introductions conclude with sensible advice on serve to explain why we take the trouble to grow the vegetables storage and basic preparation. Here, to give a flavour, is a little of in the first place, why our customers should eat them and even what Guy Watson has to say about leeks – why the world should be thankful for our work. The recipes have “Leeks were the first crop I grew on a substantial scale and been compiled by Jane Baxter while the text is indubitably Guy to this day they remain an important staple for us . . . They Watson’s own – it could hardly be anybody else’s. Although tested my back and my organic resolve during my early days the book is implicitly addressed to Riverford box customers this as a grower and, what with the escapee that always seemed to shouldn’t reduce its value to others, while for box growers it be decaying under the car seat, plus the pervasive odour on provides a very good illustration of how to talk to your customers. my clothes, they kept me celibate through my first winter . . . “ The recipes are all of dishes cooked by Jane Baxter, at first in the The third element is interleaved throughout (the man’s opinions staff canteen and for the fortunate children of a local primary will not lie down) but is most obviously displayed in what the school, and since 2005 in Riverford’s Field Kitchen restaurant. introduction calls “occasional rants”. These are not indexed but Some have come from fellow chefs, some from box customers crop up at intervals throughout the book. Of course they are aimed and a few are the proprietor’s – Guy Watson owning up to having at the enlightenment of the customer, but they also serve the himself “briefly harboured fantasies of becoming a chef”. Most are obvious purpose of allowing the author to give voice to twenty- Jane’s own creations and show the skill and inspiration of a chef five year’s worth of observations on the truths of the natural who after long training and practice in some of the world’s better- world and the myriad lunacies of its human element that are known restaurants now creates unpretentious but exceptional surely inescapable to any but the least reflective organic grower. dishes from simple and honest-to-goodness seasonal ingredients. You might call it a self-indulgent offloading of obsessions – but That’s not to say that the recipes themselves are necessarily simple for me it is these acute and heart-felt passages that make the book in execution, though most are, but they all use ingredients that sing and give it an underlying validity of truth. Along the way both grower and box customers can readily have to hand, i.e. the multiple retailers are consistently hammered (this obviously is common or garden vegetables, with the additional constituents an obsession, and the story he traces it back to is a good one) and mostly flavourings and spices. Some are for side dishes where the those who would treat organic as something exclusive are given a vegetable in question predominates. Others offer a main course good going-over – with the addition of more protein or carbohydrate in the form of meat, fish, cheese, lentils, pasta etc. Cauliflower, for instance, “Britain is a class-ridden society where people increasingly appears with potatoes and split peas as a dal, combined with define themselves by what they eat [but] you don’t have to be Stilton as a soup, with pasta and anchovies as a main course, and rich or posh to enjoy your food . . . Yes, organic should mean coated with gram (chickpea flour) and crisply fried as a starter quality, provenance and animal welfare but the organic I aspire to or side dish. These recipes are followed by several suggestions is also affordable, enjoyable and accessible . . . “ for ways to treat cauliflower that extend its range beyond the

Page 40 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Within this book are some of the best and most direct arguments slash and burn agriculture. Worryingly, it has a confusing section for organic agriculture that I have seen anywhere, set down with on pesticides - confusing firstly because it is not clear whether these an honest conviction that make you realise that while Guy is a are being recommended or not and, secondly, because despite prominent and successful businessman he is also, first and at root, mentioning methiocarb and methaldeyde it does not include ferric an organic vegetable grower - phosphate as a molluscicide (probably one of the more useful organic interventions in a polytunnel). The book does contain “For most converting farmers there comes an epiphany some useful tips on garden polytunnel siting, construction and when they realise they have got the relationship wrong; maintenance and it’s a shame that it does not go into more detail that organic farming is not about replacing ammonium nitrate in these areas. More construction diagrams and photographs with chicken shit, pyrethrum with soft soap, or herbicides with would have been very helpful. When I made my first foray into flame throwers; that the conflict is unnecessary and ultimately polytunnels I can remember being confused about French and self-defeating, and that the key to organic farming is observation, Spanish tunnels. No mention is made of either and yet the authors empathy and understanding rather than power.” describe a Keder house ( which I confess I have never heard of and The book is well written, with a lively, easy and colloquial style. is surely considerably more obscure) as the Rolls-Royce of tunnels. You can take it that it has been well edited. It is nicely, even Apparently you can jump up and down on them! I would guess deliciously produced. The photos of the farm and its vegetables that their misleading assertion that a polytunnel “ is simpler to erect are warming or beautiful or both, and the illustrations of the than most flat-pack furniture” is an attempt to encourage the novice dishes are not excessively pornographic. It’s not a substitute for gardener, and perhaps this is their target audience. Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book but it is a damn fine cookery book, Richard Plowright even though if you want to know about aubergines or peas (which Riverford customers presumably do without) you’ll have to look A Forest Garden Year with Martin elsewhere. Some may find Guy’s assertions to be over-the-top or even, given his prominent position in the organic market, in Crawford bad taste. I would say rather that - in speaking so much truth 49 minute DVD, Green Books. about the commercial growing of vegetables, about the difficulties £14-95 that growers face in the teeth of weather and wildlife and about It is not always easy for growers to find the distortions of the crazy market system – he has done organic time to sit down and watch a DVD, but this growers a very considerable service. Those who make use of the simple DVD in which Martin Crawford Riverford Farm/SDOP free field crate scheme, now I understand talks and walks us through a whole season in his Devon forest being rolled out across the entire country, should certainly buy this garden is worth finding time for. Martin gave up commercial book to salve their consciences. The rest of us can do so without organic growing saying “it was very hard work for very little needing any justification beyond the value of the book itself. reward,” in order “to find a better way of growing food that is Tim Deane more sustainable, that doesn’t involve digging the soil every year.” Inspired by a visit to Robert Hart’s forest garden he planted The Polytunnel Handbook his own 15 years ago, adapting it by taking on more elements by Andy McKee and Mark Gatter of agroforestry. Robert Hart’s trees were planted too closely, he Green Books , £10-95 observed. His maturing garden has elements to inspire: Shade- The Polytunnel Handbook is neither a comprehensive guide to loving Siberian purslane, young lime leaves and sweet cicely polytunnel purchase, construction & maintenance nor a useful for salads; Good King Henry and Turkish rocket (you eat it like guide to growing in one. It is definitely not broccoli) for greens; bamboo shoots and a host of unusual fruits a book for the professional grower. The such as the highly ornamental snowbell tree, Nepalese raspberry hand book advises that before making a and chokeberry. Some elements of design are explained and polytunnel purchase one should consider techniques of grafting, pollarding and pruning are demonstrated. ‘what exactly do you want to use your Not all trees grow well in the system and sweet chestnuts, for tunnel for?’. This type of basic question example need more sun. He has trialled 25 varieties of sweet is one which they perhaps should have chestnut and found 4 or 5 varieties that do well in our (or at least addressed to themselves in considering Devon’s) climate, yielding around 2t/acre. It is hard to imagine the exactly what they wanted to achieve in system producing commercial returns, with the exception of the writing this book. More than half of it chestnuts, but given space it can be an efficient (low maintenance), attempts to offer (often poor) advice on a interesting and productive use of the land. Given more space (and very wide range of topics (covered better elsewhere) most of which security of tenure) this could inspire me to start a forest garden of are not specific to polytunnels. It touches on a range of subjects, my own. Meanwhile I’m off to find a Szechuan pepper tree. from pesticide use 4500 years ago to an ill-informed reference to Phil Sumption

Page 41 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 off-grid system, or know a good UK organisation with the know- Fieldnotes and how? I’ve come across the ‘India Mark II’ hand pump for 900 litres an hour from up to 45 metres depth, which combined with queries a storage tank might work. A wind turbine would need planning Irrigation 1 permission which in this area would probably be refused unless it is small. If anyone is interested, the Rural Water Supply We currently have about 1 acre of land which we urgently Network (http://www.rwsn.ch/) run by the Skat Foundation in need to irrigate, with a further 2 or 3 acres ‘nice to have’ Switzerland has some information on handpumps and even for irrigation. The land slopes down gently from a mains manual drilling! pressure water supply and is laid out in a grid of 9m x Robin - NamaYasai LLP 1.3m beds, although only about 10 to 30% of the beds need to be irrigated at any one time. We are thinking ‘drip tape’ and This might seem crazy to some, but Practical Action and portable, with perhaps a couple or more main hoses and quick their partners have been working on hand and treadle connections for changing which areas can be supplied at any powered pumps for many years in many developing one time but do any members have more specific advice and countries. I suggest contact is made with them for advice. recommended sources of expertise and parts? Crucially, we are http://practicalaction.org/docs/technical_information_service/ trying to avoid a pump unless it is wind- or human-powered, since human_water_lifters.pdf we have no electricity and wish to avoid diesel if at all possible. David Gibbon

Robin - NamaYasai LLP Down here on Exmoor we are 420m up and there are lots of properties We had a similar set up, mains to a flat 10 acre field, with the with their own boreholes but as we have only recently moved majority of the growing at the farthest end. We set up black water here I don’t have a lot of knowledge yet about the technicalities. pipe down to the growing area strung along a fence so any leaks Our pump is powered by mains but it occurred to me that as would be obvious (and it wouldn’t be used in winter so freezing we have a wireless internet system that beams the signal to the not an issue), then we used connecting ‘T’s to run the sub pipes house using 2 x12 volt tractor batteries charged by a Photovoltaic off. These went into 3/4 inch tricoflex yellow hoses (very tough panel you might be able to do the same to power a pump. and don’t kink) with connections made via universal brass hose connectors (”Geekas”). Because we had very good mains pressure My thoughts are that you would have a borehole and 12v pump we could often have two areas being watered at the same time. that would fill a tank using a float switch to trigger the pump when Using a similar system at the new place where pressure is lower the level in the tank got low. PV panels only need light not sun so that is out of the question. But just working off mains pressure the system works even if you are not there. Not being an engineer it can work without the need for a pump, and our system had I can’t say whether a 12v pump would do the job but suggest you a very long pipe run. In fact if you want to use trickle irrigation contact CAT as they have been doing this kind of thing for years. then lower pressure is probably a good thing(we never mastered http://www.cat.org.uk/index.tmpl?refer=index&init=1 . that because of the pressure - I ended up running seep hose from a water butt and filling that up instead of going direct Nick Zorab from the mains). The other advantage is on a sunny day the water in the system heats up and you can have a free shower! Fenella Lewin The I pump from a well with a petrol pump to a header tank and ORGANIC GROWER gravity feed to driplines in my tunnels, which is quite effective. Not used drip much outside. Think it’s ok under mulches but The Organic Grower is edited and produced by Tim Deane would be a hassle moving around for weed control etc otherwise. and Phil Sumption. Can be a problem with animals chewing it. [email protected] Phil Sumption [email protected]

Irrigation 2. Thanks to all our contributors.

On a new separate site we will have no mains water Adverts: Collette Haynes [email protected] and no electricity, but there is evidence of a lot of water Subscription to The Organic Grower only: underground (a spring and a pond that never dries up). £16 for individuals. We need to sink one or two boreholes to allow irrigation £24 for institutions of a greenhouse and at least some of a 10-acre field and a 16-acre field. Does anyone either have experience of setting up an The copy date for the November issue is October 16th

Page 42 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Nature notes – timing is all Above the din of the 165 I just registered a roar of jet engines corner and gateway to the side of the shed and this is their ground. and looking up caught sight of the Red Arrows in eponymous No doubt the shelter of tall vegetation combined with the open formation heading south over the tops of the hedgerow trees. passage into the next field makes it a favoured spot for flying A second or two later, before quite vanishing from view, they insects. A bare elm branch projecting from the hedge is a fine released trails of coloured vapour – red, green, yellow and smoky vantage point, but in the past the headstock of a rotavator parked blue – as (I reckoned) they passed above the village field. Two close by has done equally well. There the bird waits, about robin days early – Christow Show not taking place until Saturday, and size and an unremarkable chestnut brown above and whitish grey it is now Thursday. Not too early to take a six inch rule to the below, but noticeable for its alert and springy posture, its slightly courgettes, or pick some choice plums before they split, but too oversize head, its frequent call (tzee-tuck-tuck) and its sudden early for The Attraction. short forays into the air. Then, moustached with insect body and wings, a quick flight back to the nest and those insistent beaks that Too late now to get rid of the docks before reseeding, for all my gape from dawn to dusk. scuffling. The field concerned, at 4½ acres, is by far our biggest. Ploughed too deeply in June after a cut of silage, it needed July Soon they will be gone, the first brood may have left already, to work the roots up to the surface, but with the wet that came fattened on the fruits of the English summer air. Recently a it was well into August before I could even venture onto it with Swedish friend, a keen bird-watcher whose work often takes her tractor and trailer to remove the stones revealed when working to East Africa, came to stay. She noticed the fly-catchers (they down the ploughing. I should have known. Back on the vegetable have them in Uppsala too) and spoke of having seen them also ground there was little weed germination through dry spring in Uganda, during the other, non-breeding half of their year. Her working and early summer sowing. We had above an inch of rain description of how insect life declines there in the dry season just on June 6th, followed by three damp days and more rain on the as it does during our winters explains their months of journeying. 10th. This induced no germination to speak of and it is easy to see How they ever came to make that journey in the first place (and why the weeds stayed where they were, given that the weather how, among other questions, it is charted) is surely inexplicable. then remained mostly hot and entirely dry until into July. The 6th But their time departs in one place and arrives in another, and of July brought ¾ inch. This time the rain stimulated immediate perhaps we can feel honoured that they choose to nest with us, and heavy weed germination, even before more and, as it turned and leave it at that. out, incessant rain arrived on the 11th. They know, you know! Tim Deane This is not the first time I’ve noticed that a brief punctuation of a drought, even a lot of rain, will not fool more than a few weeds into appearing. They prefer to wait unto a constant supply of moisture is in the offing and then, somehow sensing their opportunity, appear in great profusion almost overnight.

Despite the miserable July our pair of spotted flycatchers brought off a second brood this year, which is one more than they managed in either 2007 or 08. I say “our” because they are a constant of summers on this farm. For the last three years they or their predecessors have chosen to nest at the back of the Other Shed, OGA committee a little above fingertip height on a ledge near the top of a corner post. This is a frequently noisy spot, just behind the tractor and Alan Schofield, Lancs (Chair): 01253 790046 link box and just above where the hoes, shovels etc are hung, but Debra Schofield (Treasurer): 01253 790046 that does not worry them much. The hen sits on the eggs, her head Scott Sneddon, Derbyshire: 01629 583009 in full view. Soon after hatching you Roger Hitchings, Carmarthenshire: 01554 810158 can see the nestlings gaping over Phil Sumption, Leicestershire: 024 7621 7744 the rim of the nest and then, a day Peter Richardson, Wiltshire: 0782 1403739 or two before they fly, the fledglings James Clapp, Powys: 07973426152 move up on to the top of the post where there is more room, more Patrick Lynn, Notts: 01636 812105 breeze and perhaps less in the way Adam York, Manchester: 07511 546701 of parasites. The adults fish rather Mike Westrip, Powys: 07896 130982. than hunt, mostly from one or two Collette Haynes, East Sussex 01273 891943 favoured perches. There is a hedge Peter Dollimore, East Sussex: 01323 741000

Page 43 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009 Non-OGA Events OGA Events Tuesday 22nd September 2009 - Grow Horticultural Tuesday 8th September 2009 – Transition to Local Markets Crops without Crop Protection Products. Hill Cottage Blaencamel Farm, Cilcennin, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 8DB. Market Garden, Knighton. OCW event hosted by Mike Come and visit the long established and innovative holding run Westrip. Contact: Philip Jones 01970 622248 [email protected] by Anne Evans and Peter Segger. The day will include a tour of protected cropping, windrow composting and the diverse range Friday 2nd - Saturday 3rd October 2009 - Vital soil Vital food of crops. The aim of the day is to discuss how holdings make Biodynamic soil conference, Laverstoke Park Farm, the transition to supplying local markets. Subjects for discussion Hampshire. The aim of this conference is to explore what will also include carbon sequestration and life cycle analysis for biodynamics and the soil foodweb approach can do for soils. organic growers. www.blaencamel.com www.biodynamic.org.uk £10 for members and £15 for non-members (Plus VAT). Event kindly sponsored by Organic Centre Wales. Soil Association producer roadshow The Soil Association has invited producer members to a series of free meetings around England and Wales in September– November. Running from 2-4pm *, the meetings give members Thursday 17th September 2009- Growing big: field the chance to raise issues of concern and to find out more about scale organic production Riverford Organic Vegetables. what the Soil Association is up to. Patrick Holden, the Soil Buckfastleigh Devon TQ11 0LD. A great chance to have a look Association director, is attending each meeting alongside other around Riverford farm, guided by farm manager John Richards, key Soil Association staff. including the packhouse, tunnels and a visit to a South Devon Wales - Wednesday 2 September, Tanyfedw, Crai, nr Organic Producers (SDOP) co-op Farm nearby. Subjects covered Sennybridge, Powys include field scale production, machinery and protected cropping. South England - Thursday 3 September, Yatesbury House ww.riverford.co.uk £25 for members and £35 for non-members. Farm, Yatesbury, Wiltshire NB: Growers with a South West holding number can claim a 40% reduction thanks East England - Tuesday 8 September, Rushbrook Farms, Bury to VTS funding arranged by Duchy college. St Edmunds, Suffolk

Monday 5th October 2009 - Southeast England - Wednesday 9 September, Commonwork Diversifying to beat the crunch Organic Farm, Edenbridge, Kent Coleshill Organics, Coleshill Swindon, SN6 7PT. Join Pete West Midlands - Tuesday 15 September, Chapel Farm, Richardson and Sonia Oliver for a day at their successful holding. Pershore, Worcestershire The day will include a tour of the walled garden and polytunnels and will focus on how they are taking steps to adapt and diversify East Midlands - Tuesday 13 October, Manor Farm, in a changing marketplace. www.coleshillorganics.co.uk £25 for Loughborough, Leicestershire members and £35 for non-members (Plus VAT). Northeast England - Wednesday 14 October, Garthorne Farm, Thursday 15th October 2009- The future of organic Darlington, County Durham vegetable seed Elsoms Seeds, Spalding, Lincolnshire . Join Northwest England - Tuesday 20 October, Lowsizergh Farm, the team at Elsoms for a tour of their facilities near Spalding in Kendal,Cumbria Lincolnshire. This event is coupled with their annual open day and Southwest England* - Tuesday 3 November, Bickham Hall, is an excellent opportunity to see a wide range of exhibitors. The Kenn, Devon day will include a tour of their brassica trials ground as well as a talk on plant breeding and the processes necessary for producing (* Please note 1pm start) clean seed. www.elsoms.com £25 for members and Detailed directions are available for each event. Attendance is £35 for non-members (Plus VAT). FREE but please call to reserve your place on 0117 914 2400 or For all OGA events please book a place in advance (and let us know if email [email protected] you’re not coming!) but payment can be made on the day. Early booking avoids us having to cancel events in case of lack of numbers. Organic Research Centre - Elm Farm, Producer Conference. Contact James Clapp Mobile 07973 426152 or Thursday 6th & Friday 7th January 2010. Harper Adams Evenings:01874 636399 [email protected] University College

Page 44 - The Organic Grower - No 9 - Summer 2009