Abundance is a new group of projects aimed at tracking down surplus food being grown across Britain and finding ways to harvest and distribute it. One of the key issues behind sustainable food production is not wasting what is already being grown, and as well as addressing this problem Abundance helps to teach city inhabitants about the kinds of locally produced food they can often find on their doorsteps. Sarah Irving talks to Debbie Clarke of Abundance Manchester.

Abundance Manchester was set up in 2008 by a young woman called Leonie who had heard about the Sheffield Abundance project and, says Debbie Clarke, “just thought it made loads of sense. It addresses lots of issues – primarily food waste but also food miles, food access, health, and the underestimated capacity for urban food production. It also appealed to her love of climbing trees!”

The Sheffield Abundance project had been established in 2007 to harvest surplus fruit and distribute it around central Sheffield and Meadowhall or to can and bottle it, educating people about issues like food sustainability and in traditional skills for preserving fresh produce. In 2009, the project also published a guide to community harvesting for groups wanting to find ways of dealing with surplus food in their own communities.

Since 2008, Manchester Abundance has grown to a core group of six people although, says Clarke “there’s no formal committee and anyone is welcome to get involved.” They are joined by around twenty people who come to picking sessions and a further hundred or so on the mailing list. As well as actually picking fruit and vegetables, members of the group also take stalls to local food events, offering free produce or freshly-pressed juices to educate people about food sustainability. “One really nice thing about the project is that it is has appeal on lots of levels,” says Debbie Clarke. “It’s addressing some serious environmental and social issues but it’s also attractive to people who just want to do their bit for a good cause.

The Manchester Abundance project estimates that this year they’re picked and distributed around 800kg of fruit and vegetables. The vast majority, they believe, would have gone completely to waste if they hadn’t seized the opportunity to make it available. “We only take surpluses, we’re not looking for charity, so we’re really only dealing with produce that wouldn’t be used otherwise,” says Debbie Clarke. “That’s especially true for the domestic fruit trees we harvest – they’re often far too much for one household to use, and some people aren’t able to pick their fruit at all so it just drops off and rots.”

The project usually finds out about fruit that needs picking from tree owners who have heard about them via local papers, friends, information displays or talks at events and community spaces. They’ve put up posters on allotment sites to encourage plot holders to pass on surpluses, and if they find fruit trees in public places they sometimes harvest those too.

Recently, local food campaigners have sometimes been accused of being concerned with small-scale issues rather than worldwide problems. But the Abundance projects are very much aware of the social as well as environmental effects of food inequality. “The main aim of the project is simply to stop food going to waste, and make the most of the abundance of fresh produce that is and can be produced in our city,” says Debbie Clarke. But at Abundance Manchester, the group has prioritised people in the direst need to provide with fresh food they can rarely afford. Abundance works closely with the Boaz Trust, which supports destitute asylum seekers. “We’ve got to know the project well and have seen that what we provide makes a huge difference to them,” says Clarke. Other recipients include a battered women’s refuge, a hostel for young women, a Salvation Army hostel, a day centre and various community events. “Being able to provide fresh food for shelters and asylum seekers is fantastic, and adds another aspect to what we do,” says Debbie Clarke.

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Article by Sarah Irving for Rural Smallholdings Magazine

With a welcome break from the heatwave due this week, here’s a round up of smallholding, farming, gardening and outdoor events across the country to enjoy this week.

The Great Yorkshire Show – taking place Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week (13th – 15th July) at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, The Great Yorkshire Show attracts over 125,00 Visitors and offers a fantastic day of food and drink, fashion and flowers, livestock and machines, and show jumping and cookery demonstrations to name just a selection of the things you can enjoy.

For further info on this event click here

Kent County Show – taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week (16th – 18th July) at the top of Detling Hill in Kent, the Kent County Show The Kent County Show is the largest 3 day event in the County with nearly 100,000 visitors each year. This year the Kent County Agricultural Society, organisers of the event are pleased to announce a new and improved Show with something different for the whole family.

The main emphasis of the 2010 Show will be on Farming and Agriculture and the interactive ‘Why Farming Matters’ will move opposite the Main Gate to allow visitors to ‘learn something new’ about farming, the countryside and where food comes from. The Kent Young Farmers area will be extended for 2010 and will include a more prominently placed ring on the roadside to allow for expansion of this professional display of livestock and small animals that helps encourage young people into the farming industry. The Countryside Area will be extended and moved to allow even better viewing of interactive displays, hound pens, gundogs, birds of prey and terrier racing.

The Astor Ring will now host all the major ring attractions including the Grand Parade of Livestock, top show jumping classes and for 2010, a display by the White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team.

For further info on this event click here

Weeting Steam Engine Rally & Country Show – taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week (16th – 18th July) at Fengate Farm, Weeting, Norfolk, The Weeting Steam Engine Rally & Country Show is held annually on the third weekend in July and features trade and craft Stalls, working demonstrations, vintage vehicles, miniature steam railway, children’s entertainment, restaurant and bars.

For further info on this event click here

Cumberland County Show – taking place this Saturday (17th July) at Carlisle Racecourse in Carlisle, the Cumberland County Show takes Cumbria’s best family day out to Carlisle Racecourse. Tradition and agriculture are combined with a fresh, modern focus to create a real celebration of farming food and countryside.

The show is hosting two major cattle shows for 2010, see fantastic displays of Charolais and Galloway cattle at the biggest display of show cattle in the region.

For further info on this event click here.

Camborne Show – taking place this Saturday (17th July) at Gwealavellen Farm in Camborne, Cornwall, the Camborne Show will feature experts in rural activities from all over the area gathering together to display their talents, many of which have taken generations of dedication to perfect. Shared knowkedge and carefully guarded trade secrets contribute to the day being a showcase of the truly best in their field. These activities willl include a display of Falconry and Gun Dog demonstrations

During the day trophies will be awarded to the best entries in the categories, Cagebirds, Cattle, Companion Dogs, Pigeons, Poultry, Goats and Heavy Horses. The Domestic section covers not only handicraft but cookery and preserves, art, photography, and a childrens section. Throughout the day Horses will be competing for much coveted awards in their events, in three large Rings at the heart of the showground. Other attractions include Trade Stands, Refreshment Stalls, Childrens Activities and much more.

For further info on this event click here

Castlewellan & District Agricultural Show – taking place this Saturday (17th July) the Castlewellan Show is held within the beautiful grounds of Castlewellan Forest Park in Co Down, Northern Ireland.

For further info on this event click here

The Sheepdog Trials – taking place this Sunday (18th July) the Sheepdog Trials event is held at Greenlands Farm, Hambleden. Entries for the event continue to rise, 40 dogs and their handlers attended the 2009 Trials. Attractions for 2010 include spinning and weaving display, sheep hurdle making demonstration and craft/trade stands. Refreshments will be available throughout the day.

For further info on this event click here

Singleton Rare & Traditional Breeds Show – taking place this Sunday (18th July) at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum near Chichester, West Sussex, the Singleton Rare & Traditional Breeds Show offers the chance to see over 500 cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry in this delightful agricultural show for rare and traditional breeds of farm animals. With prizes at stake, and classes for young handlers, it’s one of the biggest shows of its kind in the south east and hugely popular with visitors and exhibitors alike. Plus craft and trade stands with a countryside theme.

For further info on this event click here

Arthington Show – taking place this Sunday (18th July) in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, the 2009 Arthington Show included a large horticultural, produce, arts and crafts and childrens marquee, 5 showrings and a main attraction ring, and this years show promises to be bigger and better than ever.

For further info on this event click here

Aldborough & Boroughbridge Show – taking place this Sunday (18th July) just outside Boroughbridge in Langthorpe, the 97th Aldborough & Boroughbridge Show features classes for horses and ponies, cattle, sheep, terrier & pet classes, children’s classes, preserves and produce, handicrafts, photography, vintage and horticulture and farm produce, along with displays, trade stands and craft tent.

For further info on this event click here

Malton Show – taking place this Sunday (18th July) in Malton, North Yorkshire, this years Malton Show includes agricultural attractions, farm exhibits and class entries along with many special attractions including Bob Hogg and his very clever sheepdogs, Falconry Exhibits and Demonstrations from Ridgeside Falconry, and much more.

For further info on this event click here

Please always check with show organisers/websites for up to date information on these shows before travelling to events in case of incorrect details, show changes or cancellations.

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Article by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

With the sun shining and the show season now in full swing here’s a round up of smallholding, farming, gardening and outdoor events across the country to enjoy this week.

Cheshire County Show – taking place today and tomorrow (22nd – 23rd June) in Knutsford, Cheshire the Cheshire County Show is a chance to celebrate and experience all that is great and good about the countryside. There are competition classes for cattle, sheeps, goats, pigs and rare breed livestock and equines from Shires to Shetlands. For Poultry enthusiasts the poultry section takes place on Tuesday only and pigeons, rabbits and cavies aplenty can be found on the Wednesday only as they compete in the many classes held at the show. The prestigious Cheshire Show Dog section attracts over 2000 entries from across a vast array of breeds. Tuesday sees classes for Non-Sporting Breeds only, whilst Wednesday is Sporting Breed classes only.

Other attractions at the show include: The Roberts Bakery Food Halls bring together local, regional and national producers and purveyors of fine food and drink to suit everyone’s tastes, whilst the Roberts Bakery Food Live Theatre enables visitors to enjoy some tremendous food edu-tainment from local Cheshire chefs and college students, at the Cheese and Wine marquee visitors can experience the delights of cheese and wine produced locally and beyond, the Rural Life area includes the WI marquee with hundreds of entries to the many classes of craft ranging from cake making, floral art, produce making through to art and photography and much more, the Vintage Machinery section re-counts a bygone era with an extensive display of tractors, agricultural machinery, stationary engines, cars and commercial vehicles of yesteryear.

Country pursuits and traditional crafts come to life it the Countryside Experience Area. From falconry demonstrations, have ago Clay Shoot and Archery, to fly-fishing demonstrations and parades of hounds, it’s a real haven for country lovers. The Main Ring attractions include the Bolddog Freestyle Motorcross Team, Gauntlet Birds of Prey and Meirion Owen’s Quack Pack.

For further info on this event click here

Lincolnshire County Show – taking place tomorrow and Thursday (23rd – 24th June) in Lincoln, the 126th Lincolnshire County Show has a variety of attractions including: The Select Lincolnshire and Tastes of Lincolnshire Food Court, Show Jumping Classes in the Clydesdale Bank Main Ring, an action packed sports area, live entertainment on the Lincs FM Stage, the Medieval Village, spectacular Grand Parade of the best of the County’s Livestock, vintage to modern day agricultural machinery display, the Carter Homes Sustainable Living Exhibition featuring interactive displays and exhibits of everything you might need to live an eco friendly lifestyle, boutique style shopping avenue, plus 600 traders around the show ground.

For further info on this event click here

Royal Highland Show – running from Thursday to Sunday this week (24th – 27th June) in Ingliston, near Edinburgh Airport the Royal Highland Show showcases the best that Scotland has to offer and a chance to indulge your love of food, farming and countryside pursuits. There is so much going on we couldn’t hope to cover it all here so please visit the website for the latest news.

For further info on this event click here

Irish Game Fair and Country Lifestyle Festival – taking place this weekend (26th – 27th June) at Shanes Castle, Antrim the Irish Game Fair and Country Lifestyle Festival is one of the two great game fairs in Ireland. Attractions include: Clay Shooting – the fair will host a heat of the All Ireland Game Fair Championships and a heat and the final of the Barbour Novice Championships on a new and extended layout beside the Castle. In addition there will be have a go air rifle, shooting games, archery and lazer shooting.

Dog Competitions – Apart from the top competitions for all breeds of gundogs including hosting heats for the All Ireland Game Fair Gundog Handling Championships and heats and the final of the Barbour Novice Hadnling Championships. There will be a gundog scurry, and main arena gundog displays including one by the Irish CLA Team captained by Willie Edgar and sponsored by Calor. The Winners of the Sunday Life Pet Idol Competition will be presented with their prizes and a special treat for all dog owners – main arena displays and an advice facility on the Irish Countrysports and Country Life stand from Keith Mathews the BBC’s famous dog whisperer. New for this year’s show is the Director’s Gundog Challenge and the Fair will host the 22nd Barbour/Irish Countrysports and Country Life All Ireland Terrier & Lurcher Championships.

There are also equine events, Angling events/exhibits, the Medieval Living History Festival, falconry, ferrets and hounds and a huge tented village of trade stands. Again we can’t hope to cover it all here so please do visit the website for more information.

For further info on this event click here.

Shropshire County Show – taking place this weekend (26th – 27th June) at the County Showground in Shrewsbury, the Shropshire County Show offers an action packed weekend. There will be exciting entertainment in the Main Ring for the whole family to enjoy. In the side rings there will be competitions judging cattle, including Hereford, sheep, pigs and equestrian events. The Countryside Arena will hold a dog show and agility display, as well as a llama show. On the showground there will be a display of classic cars and agricultural vehicles, cookery demonstrations in the cookery theatre, craft displays and much, much more.

The Shropshire Food Festival is being launched at the Show this year embracing the theme “From Gate to Plate”. Packed with an abundance of Shropshire produce on display a visit to The Festival is a must! Local suppliers of food to schools will also be at the Show with their produce being put to good use in the working school canteen that will be on display. Other attractions include: Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team, the Red Devils Parachute Regiment Display Team, Grand Parade, Chef’s Table Restaurant, BBC Countryfile – all seven presenters from BBC Countryfile programme will be at the Show on Sunday 27th June to film their Summer Special programme.

For further info on this event click here

Axe Vale Festival – taking place this weekend (26th – 27th June) at the Showground in Axminster, the Axe Vale Festival has attractions including: Craft marquee, trade stands, floral marquee, food hall, antiques and collectibles, horticultural show, children’s entertainment, demonstrations, ferret racing, falconry displays, terrier racing, gundog displays, working lurcher display, live bands, and a display of paintings by the members of Axminster Art Society.

For further info on this event click here

Please always check with show organisers/websites for up to date information on these shows before travelling to events in case of incorrect details, show changes or cancellations.

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Article by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

Interest in local and heritage varieties of fruit trees has grown significantly in recent years, according to Hamid Habibi of the Keepers fruit tree nursery in Kent. Sarah Irving talks to him about growing apple trees and why growing fruit is a good path for the smallholder to go down.

“The growth of interest in local produce has motivated people with a bit of land to try and grow fruit,” says Hamid Habibi. “Fruit is a crop which you can produce as a semi-amateur, if you like – it’s not like trying to grow wheat or other major crops. It can be done on a small scale.”

Habibi has run Keepers Nursery for nearly 20 years, since founder Mike Cook retired.

“It started as a hobby for Mike,” Habibi explains. “He worked for Morley Research Station and was a fruit tree enthusiast. After a while, people started asking him for unusual varieties of apple trees – old varieties or new ones which weren’t commercially available – and he built up a reputation. My wife and I got involved in 1991 because we had some land that the nursery could use.”

Over almost twenty years, Habibi has witnessed the growth of interest in heritage apple varieties and in locally sourced food more generally. He attributes public interest in growing food to rising food prices and then to the current recession.

“Apparently people are spending a lot more time in their own gardens instead of going out and spending money,” he says. “Obviously it makes sense for economic reasons, but its also more interesting to grow things that you then eat.”

This widespread engagement with growing food has meant that Keepers Nursery and other selling a broader range of edible plants have bucked the recessionary trend. “We’ve seen a surge in demand in the last three or four years,” says Hamid Habibi. “And the reports I’m hearing from fellow nurseries is that many of them have had a bumper year too. It’s only December now, which is fairly early, but we’ve already almost sold out of many of our trees this year.”

For aspiring fruit growers – whether smallholders or individuals looking for just one or two orchard trees for their garden – Habibi has some words of advice.

“If you go to your local general nursery or garden centre, the choice you get is extremely limited still and it is mainly pot-grown trees, which are quite honestly not as good as bare root apple trees,” he says. And despite Keepers Nursery’s huge collection of over 600 varieties of apple trees, as well as pears and plums, he urges new growers not to “get too hung up” on the idea of growing local or heritage varieties.

“It’s most important that you pick trees which are going to give a good crop, that are disease resistant and which have nice apples that you and your children are going to like,” he says. “That’s not necessarily going to be local varieties – some are very good, but some are quite indifferent. Quite a lot of commercial varieties are also not that good for small-scale growing, because they don’t have resistance to disease and need spraying. So for an allotment or smallholding, by all means go for a local variety – but only if it fits those other requirements.”

Despite this pragmatic advice, Habibi remains concerned about the fate of some of Britain’s heritage fruit varieties. “We are lucky in this country in that there is still a big national collection at Brogdale, although it’s constantly under threat of extinction from lack of funding,” he says. Keepers Nursery, says Habibi, continues “to try to fill that gap,” supplying unusual types to local authorities, National Trust properties and conservation organisations with a commitment to preserving the huge diversity of Britain’s traditional fruit trees.

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Article by Sarah Irving for Rural Smallholdings Magazine

With the show season now in full swing here’s a round up of smallholding, farming, gardening and outdoor events across the country to enjoy this week.

Royal Cornwall Show – running Thursday to Saturday this week (10th – 12th June) in Wadebridge, Cornwall the Royal Cornwall Show is the premier annual event of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association. The famous JCB Dancing Diggers and the Devil’s Horsemen will perform all three days. On Thursday and Friday the RAF Falcons Parachute Display team will be dropping in. Also in the main ring: the Band of HM Royal Marines (Plymouth) showjumping and the exciting inter-hunt relay. See the cattle, sheep, pigs, rare breeds and discover the smaller animals and birds. Attractions include flower show, horses, countryside area, forestry, steam and vintage vehicles, motor fair, agricultural machinery, festival of dance, dog show, rabbit show, goats, full music programme. Over 1,000 trade stands and great food and drink from Cornwall!

For further info on this event click here

Aberystwyth & Ceredigion County Show – taking place tomorrow (12th June) in Aberystwyth, Wales the Aberystwyth and Ceredigion Show is the areas annual agricultural show. This local show attracts many visitors from the surrounding areas, uniting the farming industry and local community. A wide range of events take place from produce and poultry shows through to equestrian. It provides excellent opportunities for local farmers, plant growers, and exhibitors, and is a fun day out that can be enjoyed by all the family.

For further info on this event click here

South of England Show – running from Thursday to Saturday this week (10th – 12th June) in Haywards Heath, West Sussex the South of England Show includes Arena displays – The Sussex Cadet 150 KITKAR Display Team, The Light Cavalry HAC Skill at Arms Display Team, Agricultural Machinery Display, Prize winning British livestock including Cattle Parade each day, Piggy Pranks & Pig Village, Sheep Agility plus the best of British poultry, rabbits, foxhounds and beagles, World Class Show Jumping and Events including 2010 International Stairway Competition, Dinnages Grand Prix Competition, Hackney Horse Driving, Heavy Horses, entertainment and a host of Food and Farming attractions including Cookery Demonstrations and a Regional Food & Wine Pavilion and Food Hall.

For further info on this event click here

The Angus Show – taking place today and tomorrow (11th – 12th June) at Brechin, Angus The Angus Show has attractions including Vintage Vehicle Parades of agricultural and non agricultural vehicles, Pony Club Games, Phoenix Falconry, Grand Parade of Stock, Quad Bike Display, Djembe Drummers, Childrens Races, Highland Dancing Competition along with trade and craft stands.

For further info on this event click here.

Caerwys Agricultural Show – taking place tomorrow (12th June) in Holywell, Flintshire the Caerwys Agricultural Show offers a fantastic day out for all the family with a variety of attractions and entertainment throughout the day. The show gives the general public a chance to watch classes for sheep and cattle in the livestock section. A poultry tent houses one of the biggest poultry shows in North Wales. There are also classes for horses, floral art, photography and produce. The vintage machinery and tractors section boasts a wide range of tractors and stationary engines all lovingly restored by their owners. There are numerous trade stands and food stalls selling everything from plants to hats.

For further info on this event click here

Honley Agricultural Show – taking place tomorrow (12th June) in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire the Honley Show is one of the most prestigious, best attended and well respected rural shows in the country. Now in its 78th year, the Show’s Farnley Tyas showground remains one of the region’s best venues to showcase a stunning range of activities, agricultural events, stands and displays. It provides a fun day out for all the family whether you live in Kirklees, West Yorkshire or the North of England.

For further info on this event click here

The Grampian Country Fair – taking place tomorrow and Sunday (12th – 13th June) in Aberdeenshire, the Grampian Country Fair includes Country pursuits and attractions, shooting, fishing, live music, shopping, crafts, cuisine and much more! Falconry, horse and pony show, vintage vehicles, carriage driving, dogs, children’s entertainments and displays, autographs, Scottish Country Dancing, demonstrations by The Frilly Ghillie, all the fun of the fair and the list goes on. Some of the country’s top Strongmen will join the North East’s very own Strongman Steve Evans to amaze the crowds with superman strength using the heaviest weights and events ever seen on Scottish soil. The Kincardineshire Foxhounds will parade with their master and be on hand to speak to everyone. Pick up some memorabilia at Kevin’s Roupe! Celebrity Mini Highland Games, zip sliding, 5-a-side football, golf and Karting Grand Prix. You can even take a trip in an HJS helicopter and see Aberdeenshire as you’ve never seen it before. Bring your own dogs for the Gundogs Scurry!

On Saturday only the cast and team from TV’s Emmerdale will be at the show to raise vital funds for The Anthony Nolan Trust – helping take back lives from leukaemia.

For further info on this event click here

Clonakilty Agricultural Show – taking place this Sunday (13th June) in Clonakilty, Co Cork the Clonakilty Agricultural Show offers a great day out for all the family. This years attractions include Tractor Pulling Competition, Ricks Plant Hire “Hook a Duck” Competition, Balance a Quad Bike Competition, Na Fianna’s open air concert and much more.

For further info on this event click here

BBC Gardeners World Live – taking place next week from Wednesday to Sunday (16th to 20th June) at the NEC in Birmingham the BBC Gardeners World Live Show in association with the Royal Horticultural Society offers access to the top gardening celebrities including the all new Ask The Experts Stage, Gardeners Questions Time sessions, RHS Floral Marquee, Floristry Masterclasses, Show Gardens, A Taste of Greenacre, Countryfile Magazine Area, Plant Avenue, Plant Swap, and the BBC Summer Good Food Show.

For further info on this event click here

Please always check with show organisers/websites for up to date information on these shows before travelling to events in case of incorrect details, show changes or cancellations.

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Article by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

Some varieties of strawberries produce so many runners that a smallholder never has to worry about multiplying strawberry plants. The plants themselves do all the work. This is typical for the June bearing varieties. Unfortunately, June bearing strawberries give you one crop and then go on to put all their energy into runners.

You can choose an assortment of June bearing strawberry varieties so your harvest season lasts longer, but there is a downside. No two varieties of strawberry quite tastes the same or preserves the same. Once your favorite variety finished producing on your smallholding each year, you won’t have fresh strawberries with that same flavour again for another year.

Day neutral and everbearing strawberries are different. If you find an everbearing strawberry variety that you really like, you can expect it put on two crops each year. Some energy will go into runner production, but more of the plant’s energy will go into fruit production.

Day neutral strawberries put almost all their energy into fruit production. Every three weeks from the onset of warm weather, you can expect a flavourful crop to develop every three to four weeks, especially if you keep the fruit picked, the garden well nourished with compost and watered just enough to keep the soil moist but not enough to keep the plants waterlogged (about 1-inch of water per week).

If you want to have a predictable supply of strawberries available all the way into the autumn, you’ll want to multiply your own day-neutral varieties. This can be far less expensive than ordering the typical minimum wholesale order of a 1000 plants, if you don’t have enough room to plant four 15-metre rows of strawberries (at least 4 x 15 metres overall). It is also very risky to order a 1000 plants of a strawberry you have never grown before (one recommendation I tried had less flavour than the grocery store strawberries shipping in from South American—an expensive lesson).

Day neutral strawberries produce very few runners unless you take action to encourage runner production. That action is very simple. First, you use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. Organic sources include alfalfa meal and composted chicken manure. This encourages plant growth and discourages flowering. Then you don’t allow the strawberry plants to produce fruit. Every time the strawberry flowers, you clip the flowers off between your fingernails. (This is good practice the first year after you plant anyway.) Allow any runners that develop to root down.

If you want to confirm that you will like the strawberry variety you’ve selected, allow the most robust plant to set fruit in the middle of the summer, remembering that higher nitrogen levels do “dilute” the flavor of the strawberry. This way you can decide if continuing your efforts is worthwhile for the next year.

During the second year, go ahead and allow the strawberry plants to set one initial crop of fruit. Then clip of the flowers for the balance of the growing season. This will encourage all the plant’s energy to go into runner production.

It is very easy to turn a patch of day neutral strawberries into a strong income generator for a smallholding U-pick operation. We generated over £500 each summer just from strawberry sales off our four 15 meter rows of day neutral strawberries. Then we were able to produce value added products that generated additional income from the less marketable strawberries—fresh strawberry tarts, jams and dried strawberries.

So find a space on your smallholding that you are willing to keep weed-free and dedicated to strawberry plant production. It will pay for itself.

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Article by Denise Rutledge for Rural Smallholdings Magazine

This three bedroomed cottage with one acre of land is situated 6 miles from Carlisle in Cumbria and is currently available to rent for 12 months.

This lovely cottage includes lawns, grazing, mature fruit trees and fruit cage with bushes, raised beds, vegetable plots, pig arc, hen houses, compost bays, ponds, greenhouse and has been operated as a family micro-holding for the last eight years.

The current owners are going abroad for 12 months and may or may not wish to return so there could be an option of buying after 12 months. This is an excellent opportunity to give smallholding a try and the owners will leave all tools and equipment for you to use.

The property offers an ideal opportunity for anyone seeking to start in smallholding and self sufficiency and is being promoted on Greenshifters.co.uk. (View full particulars)

Article by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

In case you missed our previous posting, the BBC are currently seeking participants for an exciting new Smallholding/Farming series to be shown on BBC2. There is still time, just, to apply so if think you could fit the bill and be one of the couples they are seeking, apply now by sending an email with your name to:

farm@splashmediatv.co.uk

an application form will then be emailed out to you. The deadline for applications is 28th April 2010. Good luck!

The series will feature ten couples or pairs (married couples / siblings / friends etc.) who would like to grasp the opportunity to change their lives forever and run a farm/small holding. The programme will see the ten couples learn all the basics they need before decamping to a farm in the beautiful British countryside where they will be challenged in all areas of farm life, from animal husbandry to coping with the unpredictable summer weather.

They are looking for couples of all ages and relationships (married couples / siblings / friends etc.) who are serious about wanting to change their lives and who will relish farm life. Whether it’s a love of animals, a passion for gardening, an interest in sustainability and food provenance or a general lust for all things outdoors, they want to hear from anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to take on this lifestyle-transforming project.

They are especially looking for people who may already have some experience in working or volunteering with animals, food or nature, just some kind of demonstrated interest that would make them a credible and hopefully successful small holding partnership.

The series will culminate in the winning pair getting the opportunity to live and work on their own small farm.

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Article by Rural Smallholdings Magazine

Chris and Suzie Bailey had jet-setting jobs, travelling the world to help out struggling companies. But in their forties the couple decided to opt for a simpler life, and nine years ago moved onto a smallholding in South-West Scotland.

They now keep rare breed pigs, local sheep varieties and chickens, and offer bed & breakfast in their stone-built cottage, originally the butler’s house for a nearby stately home.

As B&B owners, they are one of the thousands of small guest operations which together are over a third of the size of the entire British hotel sector. The tourism business generates more foreign income for the British economy than big names like North Sea oil, and £1.7 billion is spent a year just by UK residents visiting B&Bs – without even starting to count visitors from overseas. But each bed and breakfast operation is as individual as the people running it, and B&B owners’ online forums features tales ranging from the pains of broken crockery and drunken visitors to the joys of guests and hosts who bond over deceased pets or sharing flower seeds.

“In our case, we mainly started the B&B because we’re in a very, very rural area and my wife’s very sociable,” says Chris Bailey. “To be honest, I’d be happy enough if I hardly ever saw another person, but she likes company and it’s a great way to see new people.”

Guests at Whithorn Lodge are often fed on homegrown produce from the smallholding itself – as Chris Bailey puts it, “If in the summer they have eggs, bacon, sausage and tomato the whole lot comes from here.”

As well as feeding the guests, the Baileys find that their rare breed animals attract much of their custom. “Most people come here because they see the website and that we have pigs and sheep and sometimes we have a calf,” says Chris. “People come to see the lambs in the spring or ring up especially to see if we have piglets, because they’re used to people so they’ll run up to you and children love stroking them. And a lot of the locals from neighbouring farms and small holdings tell their friends and family and sometimes if friends and relatives come to visit they’ll stay with us if their families can’t house them all.”

Running a bed & breakfast, Bailey asserts, will never make the couple rich. But it does make running a working smallholding with far more animals than they ever planned a more viable activity. And, as Chris Bailey points out, because they only hire out one room they aren’t overburdened with red tape. “If you don’t have more than three rooms and you have the health and safety basics, like smoke alarms, the authorities don’t bother you. It’s only if you’re running a guest house, with more than three rooms, a much more professional operation, that it starts to be treated like a bigger business.”

“The quality of life doing this isn’t even comparable to what we did before,” continues Chris Bailey. “It’s wonderful.”

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Article by Sarah Irving for Rural Smallholdings Magazine

Smallholding berry farming is one of the most profitable ways to utilize growing space. Whether you pick the berries yourself, or establish a pick-your-own operation, there is money to be made in strawberries. If you establish a reputation for having the best tasting strawberries in the county, you’ll do even better.

When choosing strawberry plants, there are several things to consider, but one of the most important is plant type. Strawberries come in three distinct types: June bearing, everbearing, and day neutral. Here are the differences:

June bearing. These strawberry plants will produce a single flush of flours and produce one crop that is harvested over a 2 – 3 week time span. Then the crop is done for the year, and the plant puts its energy into replicating itself through runners. Subcategories divide June bearing varieties into early, mid-season, and late. You can expect the largest strawberries from June bearing plants.

Everbearing. These strawberry plants will produce two or three harvests beginning in spring and extending into autumn. Because they are always fruiting, these plants produce fewer runners. The strawberries tend to be smaller on everbearing plants if they are not fed properly.

Day Neutral. These strawberry plants don’t require long days to produce flowers, so they produce fruit regularly throughout the growing season. While day neutrals tend to produce flowers in flushes, and mature the crop of strawberries before producing another flush of flowers, there will always be ripe strawberries in the patch. As with everbearing strawberries, day neutral strawberries will shrink in size if the plants are not given the right nutrients.

To maximize your profit potential, make sure you only grow the tastiest varieties of strawberries. In the UK, features such as winter hardiness aren’t a serious issue, so look for plants that yield well. Avoid varieties that tend to produce watery fruit, as these do not freeze well.

Here are some varieties that offer superior flavor with acceptable disease resistance and freezing quality:

June bearing: Gariguette, early; Honeoye, early to mid; Tenira, mid; Chelsea Pensioner, late.

Everbearing: Mara Des Bois, Fort Laramie

Day Neutral: Tribute

The flavour of strawberries is somewhat subjective, but if you love true strawberry flavour, then the varieties above will deliver. I have had wonderful results with Honeoye as a June-bearing strawberry and Tribute as a day neutral. I think they will always be my favorites. The Tribute is such a dark strawberry that you will think you canned blackberry jam instead of strawberry. I tried a day neutral variety named “Aroma” one year. What a disappointment. No organic gardening method over the next three years ever coaxed flavour out of that strawberry, and the results with chemical fertilizers were even worse.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new releases. Breeders are always striving to improve some aspect of the strawberries available—flavour, disease resistance, shipping quality. Your best sources are online, as few local nurseries are adventurous enough to bring in an unknown variety. Purchase a few plants and see how they do. If you find a winner, you can multiply the plants yourself, or order in bulk.

For information on how to multiply strawberry plants, see the article Multiplying Strawberry Plants for Smallholding Profits.

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Article by Denise Rutledge for Rural Smallholdings Magazine