We only plant heritage seeds that are open-pollinated and not patented or controlled by the agri-chemical industry.
We are creating a poly-culture of perennial plants, using permaculture as a guide, and “no-dig” veg beds.
“Regenerative Agriculture” is able to replenish our depleted, lifeless top-soils, and lock carbon into the ground.
By mimicking nature, we can save the planet.
Regenerative agriculture is one solution to the climate crisis that we can all take part in, and can reverse the damage conventional farming practices and capitalism have done (and continue to do) to the earth.
Modern gardening now seems to be a scaled down version of modern agriculture, using digging/ploughing, and chemical poisons and artificial fertilisers that kill soil life.
There are many different tools in the ‘Regen’ toolbox, the most basic of which is “no-dig” farming or gardening. This simply means the soil is not tilled, and seeds are planted into a layer of compost on top instead, or into a mulched layer of chopped up cover-crops. This has a huge beneficial effect on the soil life, because the microbes, worms and fungi are left where they are, creating more topsoil rather than being minced and exposed to harmful U.V. rays and washed away by rain.
This is why we are dedicated to regenerating our soil and creating more of it, whilst avoiding any chemicals and creating a balanced ecosystem. This is what nature intended, and this is how we can lock tonnes of carbon into the soil and make the most tasty, nutritious food.
Edible Forest Garden
I have been re-wilding the field for some time with native hedgerow trees and fast growing willow for wind breaks, along with apple, pear, cherry and plum trees, manuka, herbs and some soft fruit. The idea is to have a variety of plants that benefit the soil and the wider eco-system, and therefore create a more harmonious and balanced place to be and grow. Eventually, this will be an edible forest garden that utilises all layers from the top canopy to the ground.
The veg beds are an addition to the existing plants and trees, and some call this agro-forestry. If/when we introduce some grazing animals, this is often called silvopasture. It is all part of the Permaculture and Regenerative Agriculture toolbox, and is a common sense approach to growing food if you ask me.
Heritage/Heirloom Seeds
We use seeds that are open-pollinated and have been used and passed down for many years, sometimes hundreds or thousands! This is a vital part of creating a resilient food system because companies such as Monsanto have been taking control of farming with damaging chemicals and patenting seeds – some of which are genetically modified.
Heirloom seeds are a part of our ancestral heritage that many of us take for granted, and farmers have been looking after our seeds since agriculture began.
Unfortunately, corporate power has corrupted seed sovereignty all over the world, and we strongly believe that corporations have no place in controlling what we eat and who owns the genetic code of our food.