Over the last couple of years the vegetable patch has been increased to supply our current visitors who use our conference facilities, but also the expansion will enable us to provide for the new resource centre which is due to open in 2010.
We produce the crops orgaically and draw our inspiration from the Elm Farm Organic Reserch Centre, Tolhurst Organics and are members of the Organic Growers’ Alliance, Garden Organic Ryton and the Royal Horticultural Society.
In 2009, we built a small pond into the vegetable plot to encourage frogs and toads which will help control pests. We have also left a strip of tussocky grass to act as a ’super highway’ for beetles which again eat various pests. We are trying to increase our population of parasitic wasps which eat, among other things, cabbage white caterpillers. We have visited a number of inspirational growers over the last few years including Charles Dowding who produces salad leaf bags for farmers’ markets and restaurants and has written some excellent books.
Last winter we worked on improvements to our greenhouse including water butts on the corners, a drip irrigation system for our main tomato beds (with water coming in from our well) and beautifully worked soil from nearby molehills!. We also now have a small heated bed for our early seedlings, protected by horticultural fleece.
