“How much I can learn from a tree! The tree is my church, the tree is my temple, the tree is my mantra, the tree is my poem and my prayer.” Satish Kumar
News From The Land…
Bridie’s Farm is buzzing with activity just like the insects and busy wildlife on the land. Our medicine circle has been planted with bronze fennel, mugwort, elecampane, angelica, white clover & alfalfa; the young hedgerows have been weeded and mulched; more trees planted and our tree nursery is fully fenced to prevent nibbling mouths from eating the saplings. We have also progressed with the construction of our compost loos purchasing a WooWoo system for the first one.
The meadow has shot upwards, and we are leaving most of it to grow this year which has become a haven for wildlife. We have spotted many curious visitors: herons, great white egrets, swifts, buzzards, red kites, sparrow hawks, several species of finches and songbirds, numerous insects including dragonflies, spiders, shrews, bats and a magical sighting of a crane flying over us. Paths and select areas are being marked out and mowed in preparation for development of our infrastructure:
- Polytunnels (Permaculture gardens area and Nursery area)
- Roundhouse
- Yurt
- Forest School
Open Days & Volunteering Opportunities
Our Community Tuesday Volunteer group is growing with almost 20 registered volunteers so far. Regular activities on the land have been taking place since April and a whole host of tasks have been carried out including, construction of the tree nursery, fencing, hedgerow maintenance, tree planting and installation of our permaculture polytunnel. We are grateful to all volunteers who have already registered with us but always have space for more people to help.
SIGN UP AS A VOLUNTEER: fortnightly every Tuesday – 11am till 4pm. Expect to find a warm welcome, hot drinks, home-cooked lunch!
Forest School & Adult Education Courses
Forest school sessions for St Benedict’s and home schoolers are taking place in June/July.
The first training courses are being developed for the autumn so please look out for news on courses late Summer.
Site Progress
We have invited tenders for the roundhouse construction to be carried out with the help of community volunteers. Additional course opportunities for roundhouse construction/building methods TBC but likely to include straw bale building, hempcrete rendering and green roofing. We hope this is possible for a late summer build in Aug/Sept. The storage containers have been moved into their position in preparation for further development of the wood workshop space. Located next to the tree nursery, it will support the construction needs on site and serve as the busy hub for all things carpentry!
New Website!
Bridie’s Farm website is a-LIVE! And we welcome more newsletter subscribers. Please spread the word and sign up to our socials for up-to-date news.
Research and Engagement
Bridie’s Farm welcomed visitors to the first Open Day in May where we were blessed with glorious weather and an opportunity to present our journey so far and connect with local stakeholders.
A shout out to the Green Scythe Fair organisers and crew for a fantastic weekend again! We didn’t attend in an official capacity this year, it was a lovely opportunity for some well needed down time for the team, and great to connect again with so many wonderfully passionate and skilled producers, craftspeople and social initiatives in the beautiful surroundings, …and with great weather! We have also connected with other organisations via Spark’s Volunteer Forum & their new Spark A Change campaign.
It was lovely to see a sold-out theatre at Strode for the SCF screening of Six Inches Of Soil in May. Thanks to the organisers for the opportunity to see such an inspiring film, and everyone who came for a chat at the farm info stand, it was great to meet so many fellow soil enthusiasts! Keep an eye out for an opportunity to see the film at RBBC later in the year!
Midsummer Thoughts:
The meadow grasses are high, swaying like waves reminiscent of the past watery season. Birdsong provides a melodious soundtrack to the busy butterflies and bugs. The longest hours of daylight encourage growth of leaf and bud, blossom has reached its peak. We celebrate all the achievements so far, gathering to meet, listen, walk the land and “Remembering Our Place In Nature”.
We welcome your thoughts, input and positive energy as we continue to build this ground-enhancing project for and with the community. Contact us here.
