SFC are hosting a number of peer learning sessions for community growers as part of its Joining the Dots programme, funded by Farming in Protected Landscapes.
Nature Recovery in Practice for Community Growers
November 3, The Real Food Garden 1300-1500
Amelia and Chloe have a successful market garden and veg box scheme, farm shop on site, and even graze their cattle in areas that help with conservation.
The session will entail a walk and talk of their site, focusing on the nature recovery strategies they have implemented over the last 8 years.
Explore the successes and challenges of incorporating nature recovery into a horticultural business. Seeing the ponds, wildflower strips, agroforestry and herbal leys will hopefully leave you feeling inspired to incorporate more nature recovery into your growing space.
Aral Farm- Community Growing as New Entrants
November 17, Aral Farm 1030 – 1330
Conor and Rose manage a 0.6 acre market garden within a 2 acre site called Aral Farm. Join them for a site tour and a discussion of their journey over their first 2 years and their first year of growing for market. Topics will include how they came to the decision of market gardening, tools and techniques, how they use part time work to strike the balance of risk and reward, how they’ve accessed finance to develop the site and why they believe cooperatives are the future in farming.
What3words ///newsprint.wages.army – parking at Aral Farm is very limited, so it is important that we co-ordinate car sharing on the day.
Other skills sessions, with dates to be confirmed, include:
Financial planning for growers: During a series of sessions Goonown Growers will focus on financial planning tailored specifically for community growers. These sessions will delve into the essential knowledge and skills needed to run a successful and sustainable growing business.
Community growing and health creation: This session will cover practical experience of working with your local GP and the WellFed Network, how community growers can initiate Health creation in their community. It will be led Growing Links and Volunteer Cornwall. They will share about relationships with GPs and Social prescribers, how to initiate health creation in the local community, and the logistics of running programmes on a growing site.
Field-scale agroecological growing: Experienced growers in agroecological field-scale food production will give a talk on upscaling growing on a market garden. They will cover converting uncultivated land, how to grow key crops, weed and pest management, types of machinery to use, and soil management and rotation techniques.
Train the Trainer: Building confidence of other growers to deliver peer-to-peer sessions for those who want to develop and improve their teaching practice, to improve their reach for skill sharing and hosting events.
Soil health workshops: These workshops will invite the community to learn about the basics and importance of soil health. How to input good food and nutrition into our soil to promote good microbiological and fungal health.
Keep an eye on our eventbrite page and socials for dates as they firm up!