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The Winter 2017 No.41 ORGANICThe journal of the Organic GROWER Growers Alliance IN THIS ISSUE Schofield Scribbles ....................................2 Editor’s notes ...........................................2 News .........................................................3 Organic Action Plan for England ...........5 The night they drove organic down .........6 The future of scale ................................... 8 Small-scale growing in Japan ................10 Countryside Productivity Scheme .........11 Buckwheat field lab update ....................12 Small-scale apple juice production ........14 Dr Aubrey Westlake ..............................16 OGA review of the season ......................18 Benchmarking for growing businesses .. 20 Growing media: responsibly sourced .....22 Permaculture & agri-food transition .....23 Nature notes: the cabbage whites...........25 Soil-borne diseases..................................26 Future Growers ......................................28 Horticultural hindsight: Brian Adair ....29 Potato blight & mesh covers ..................30 Growing wallflowers ..............................32 Kale at Beechlawn Farm ........................33 Book review ............................................34 OGA October get-together ....................35 Events/OGA Christmas Quiz ...............36 Page 1 - The Organic Grower - No 41 Winter 2017 Once again, due to increasing pressures at home caused by the terrible season and other issues, I have not been able to attend as Schofield scribbles many of the meetings as I would have liked, on behalf of OGA. As the autumn progressed and crops were being lost almost daily, it Farewell scribbles was becoming increasingly obvious that our entire business was under threat and we had to take drastic measures to avoid the Welcome to the winter edition of the worst. After some very heart wrenching decisions on staffing and Organic Grower. It has been a mixed year working practices, we have managed to survive by returning to with reports coming in of a good growing our very early days of over 25 years ago and are continuing on a season from most of you, but with an much smaller scale within the family. Certain world leaders may abysmal season being reported by the still doubt the future effects of our changing climate but here in few. As I write this we are just draining away Pilling we have learned the hard way what these effects can be. our worst deluge of the season so far with many of our local roads What the future holds is anybody’s guess but warmer and wetter impassable due to flooding. Many north western organic farms are seemingly becoming the norm. are reporting significant losses once again and as our on-going fight with the Environment Agency continues, to clear our main As I am now needed much more within the business than I have drainage channel to the sea, a lot of produce is still in the fields been these last few years, I have therefore taken the decision to with both corn and potato crops not worth harvesting. However, stand down from the chair of the OGA after just over 10 years, and my near neighbour was still trying to lift what was left of his this will allow the organisation to develop without being hindered potato crop just last Sunday the 19th, the latest I have ever seen by our personal problems here in Lancashire. any potatoes harvested locally. It has been a very great privilege to be the Chairman of such a As I am sure many of you have heard by now, the situation in the progressive and dynamic organisation fuelled mainly by the USA regarding on-going hydroponic production being labelled as passion and commitment of its members and it is something that I organic has got worse, with the NOSB voting by eight votes to will cherish until my last breath. The energy and integrity of you all seven, in favour of not prohibiting this form of production. The is an inspiration to our world. The daily examples we all provide representation and rallies organised were a sight to behold and in the move towards a just and fair food system together with if you have not seen them please do take a look at the link on the recognising our place within nature, is a marker for our future. hydroponic update page in this edition (see p6). It can never be So this will be my last Scribbles for the OGA but I am sure not my said that it was lost due to under-representation as I believe the last contribution, and as I finish I would like to wish you all a very number of letters of support have now topped 100,000. What will merry Christmas and a dry, warm New Year, with just the right happen in the future is not entirely clear but the trust and integrity amount of rain! of the organic market is severely threatened by this outcome. Alan Schofield, Chairman Organic Growers Alliance I talked in my last Scribbles how the use of demarcated beds, currently allowed under the present EU regulation, was being reconsidered with a view to no more being allowed under the new regulation. I have just heard from Defra that the proposed Editor’s notes new regulation, due to come into force in January 2021, has been Welcome to the final issue of the Organic Grower for 2017. For passed by the Standing Committee on Agriculture in Brussels most of you it has been a good season—turn to the centre pages and will now be forwarded to the Commission for adoption into (18-19) for grower reports from around the country. One issue EU law. The good news is that the use of demarcated beds is to reported on is clubroot and Tolly tackles the subject of this and be phased out but I have not seen the new text and will pass on other soil-borne diseases on p26. If caterpillars on brassicas are information when it is received. more your problem, read Tim Deane’s Nature Notes on our natural allies (p25). Continuing the brassica theme we feature Meetings on Brexit issues have continued throughout the autumn articles on growing kale, with tips on making the most of the and a few select members of the English Organic Forum have growing market (p33). At the more niche end of the scale we have met with both Defra and government representatives in recent wallflower plants as a supplementary crop for direct sales (p34). weeks. There has also been recognition from Michael Gove that organic farming has lessons to teach conventional farmers on Winter is a time of reflection and we consider the future of scale, soil management and preservation. Indeed he went further and with Adam Keeves’ thoughts on recent study tours (p8). Brian said that good soil management practices will be at the heart of Adair looks back on what he has learnt after 30 years of organic future UK agricultural policy. This has to be good news for the growing on Jersey. Inspiration and innovation are key, and we organic sector as a whole but as usual there is very little money hope you will find both in these pages. behind the statement to further its ambitions so we shall wait to Have a great Christmas break and may all your wishes come true! see the outcomes. Phil Sumption, Editor The Organic Grower Cover: Phil Tyler shows off salads and oriental veg in one of the five polytunnels at NEOG (Photo: Tony Little) Page 2 - The Organic Grower - No 41 Winter 2017 Policy news Organic Regulation agreed • Diverse market gardens provide fulfilling, varied and attractive career/employment opportunities for UK workers, The trilogue agreement for a new organic regulation reached whereas large-scale, industrial production often struggles to last June was adopted by the Special Committee on Agriculture attract local labour; (SCA) on 20th November and by the Parliamentary Committee on • Spreading production risks over a much larger number of Agriculture on 22nd November 2017. The next step is the sign off in businesses in different geographic areas, insuring against the Parliament’s plenary and the Council of Agriculture Ministers. problems of poor business management, spread of pests and Christopher Stopes, IFOAM EU President said: “IFOAM EU diseases, and climatic extremes, compared with dependency acknowledge the huge effort made by the institutions to improve on a handful of large businesses. the text. We recognise that a number of concerns highlighted Author of the A Matter of Scale report (see OG 39), Rebecca by IFOAM EU have been taken into consideration and some Laughton says, “Contrary to popular belief, for labour intensive improvements have been made. The legal check has also solved crops such as peas, kale, green beans and salad leaves, small-scale some of the inconsistencies previously highlighted. ecological growers often produce higher yields than industrial “Nevertheless, the lack of a strong majority in both the SCA and systems, while generating multiple environmental and social the AGRI Committee has shown the fragility of this text. Countries benefits. If every village, town and city was served by a network like Austria (biggest share of organic land) and Germany (biggest of these diverse and productive market gardens, which provide EU market) did not endorse the text, as it still includes a number attractive opportunities for work, training, connection to the of inconsistencies and mistakes that will make the practical countryside as well as fresh and tasty produce, the UK population implementation very difficult.” would be healthier and happier”. The LWA outlined their proposals for how this increase in market Eduardo Cuoco, IFOAM EU Director said: “The organic sector gardens could be achieved in their new policy document, A New continues to grow - by 800,000 hectares per year in the last two Deal for Horticulture. Seven specific measures are outlined: years and a yearly market growth of 12.6%, worth €27 billion in 2015. The organic movement has an ambitious vision and 1.