An active learning project in the Taw/Torridge area of Devon, England

About Us

We are based in North and Central Devon

(view from where this is written - 29 Aug 2010)
There's a lot of information about sustainable living on the internet - if you know where to look. Sometimes, though, nothing beats local knowledge or face-to-face contact. The main location featured here is in part of a terrace of 10 old estate workers’ cottages in the middle of Devon. It has a garden of about one-third of an acre, much of which is down to vegetables in raised beds and a polytunnel. There are also sheds and outbuildings, including stone-built former pig sheds. There are chickens and pigs. The pigs are kept collectively by 5 households who also co-operate in other ways, such as childcare, sourcing firewood and various social events.

Latest Activity

Dave posted a blog post

May

This must now be the latest spring I have ever seen.  16th May and still trees not fully in leaf.  April was very wet.  A ground frost yesterday, but not enough to kill off potatoes.Not all the spring digging has been done.  Plants are queueing up in the polytunnel.…See More
23 hours ago
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Dave posted a blog post

April

April is a big month of change.  Trying to finish winter jobs like pruning and clearing up and also under pressure to plant as much stuff for this year as possible.  Blazing sunshine one minute and hail the next.…See More
Apr 20
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Dave posted a blog post

Early Spring

Apple trees are being grafted.  Most trees are named varieties that are good to propagate but there are also some unnamed trees that have useful characteristics.  Where a full-size orchard tree is required an M25 rootstock is used, otherwise a garden-sized tree is produiced using the MM106 rootstock.The graft is held together…See More
Mar 3
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Dave posted blog posts
Feb 21
Dave posted a blog post

Seasonal tasks (Jan/Feb)

I had a message from my rootstock supplier (http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/) today to say that my apple rootstocks were being despatched.  I'm going to use the rootstocks to create new, individual, apple trees by grafting on cuttings (scions) from existing trees that I like.  The rootstock will determine the vigour (size) of the tree and carries some disease resistance and the scion determines the fruit.   I'm going to try to…See More
Jan 31
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Dave posted a blog post

Piggy Problems

During the summer a group of us here raise pigs.  We buy them as 'weaners' in the spring and send them for slaughter in the autumn.  We generally buy traditional breeds (like Tamworths) and raise them outdoors.This year were are aiming we keep piggies during the period of Summer Time (BST) from end of March till end of October.  I've just had a phone call, though, from our normal supplier to say that they won't have any weaners until June. The reason for this is that the economics of…See More
Jan 29
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Dave posted a blog post

Happy New Year

It's been ages since I've posted here.  That's partly because I've been busy and haven't sat down long enough to do it and partly because I wasn't sure whether anyone would read it!Midwinter has come and gone.  In contrast to last year it has been very mild here - the first frost was last week, the second week in January.  This has given the garden some interesting features - nasturtiums 2011 still flowering while nasturtiums 2012 are germinating.  We definitely need some frosts now to get…See More
Jan 23
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Dave posted a blog post

Harvest begins

Crops are coming on now so thick and fast that it is difficult to keep up.Just lifted two rows of Pink Fir Apple potato.  These are great in winter casseroles because they hold their shape and absorb all the flavours.  Often they suffer from blight, because they are quite late.  Best crop ever this year with some very large tubers.  I think there must have been a breeding effort put into this variety over the last few years - they are much less knobby now.French beans and tomatoes now…See More
Aug 15, 2011
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Dave posted a blog post

Beginning of August

First week of August marks a turning point of the year.   In some ways it's the height of the summer, with local festivals at Sidmouth and Dartmoor.   Harvests have already started though.  I picked the first of my apples last week.  The neighbours fallen 'Beauty of Bath' are also going to the pigs.  Peas and beans are coming on thick and fast.  I can barely keep up with the picking. Tomatoes are ready.  Second early potatoes 'Charlotte' have made a wonderful crop and are dried and bagged up in…See More
Aug 5, 2011
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Dave posted a blog post

Midsummer

A week past the solstice.  Still light at past 10pm.  It has been a strange springtime in the garden.  Very dry through April and May.  This hasn't helped crops such as onions - I should have watered them more.  The rain came a couple of weeks ago.  One night I got 300 litres of rainwater in my 1000 litre IBC tank.  Now we are wanting a bit of sunlight and heat.Peas and broad beans have been good, but runner beans seem to have some sort of 'rust'.  I think there's quite a bit of that about. …See More
Jun 29, 2011
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Tracy posted a blog post

Harvest and Cider

I am exhausted. Spent the afternoon helping to bring in the hay harvest...its forecast to rain tomorrow. Having finished we celebrate with grays sweet cider, pint and a half slipped down so nicely, tasted so good. Field looks satisfyingly bare.  See More
Jun 4, 2011
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julian posted a discussion

Permaculture Events this summer

I am coming to the UK to do a series of PDC and other courses. I have great difficulty fitting certain courses together as many fall all on the same time period. I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me find: -building with earth courses -natural beekeeping courses that are not all booked-cheesemaking courses-organic farming courses Thanks so much in advance! See More
Jun 4, 2011
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Dave posted a blog post

Best time of year...

It's wonderful to see everything growing again and it's been a great spring so far.  Weather has been sunny but generally not too hot, because of persistent high pressure and N or E winds.   Lately, until yesterday's rain, it has been very dry though.  The other potential problem is that of late frosts.  There was a slight ground frost here last Wednesday, as forecast, and I had put fleece over my spuds.Blossom on all fruit has been very good and plenty of bees have been working.  Caterpillars…See More
May 1, 2011
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Dave posted a discussion

New 'group' in Winkleigh

Winkleigh links and drinks is network of people interested in sustainability and green or local issues.Meets 2nd Tuesdays of the month, 8pm, Kings Arms Winkleigh.Website: http://winkleighlinks.posterous.comSee More
Apr 14, 2011
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Dave added 2 discussions to the group Vegetable garden
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Apr 3, 2011
Dave posted an event

Winkleigh Green Drinks at Kings Arms

April 12, 2011 from 8pm to 11pm
'Green Drinks' are an opportunity for people interested in sustainability to meet and chat.  There is no other agenda.
Apr 3, 2011
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Members

 

Events

Using this site

Fed up with visiting show gardens where armies of volunteers keep everything immaculately tidy? Bored of watching 'green' TV programmes that show perfect low-energy homes? Annoyed by self-sufficiency magazines that never give details of project costings or suppliers?
Perhaps this website is for you!
Here you can record your own struggles to get things right and have a look at other peoples' ideas.
We'd like as much details as possible of your projects and their success or failure - photos would be wonderful.
Use the 'Discussions' section for one-off projects.
Use 'Groups' for ongoing areas of activity.
Use 'Notes' for publishing articles that don't require discussion.
Let us know your progress through the seasons with a 'blog'.
We're based in North Central Devon but don't let that put you off if you have a relevant contribution.

Blog Posts

May

This must now be the latest spring I have ever seen.  16th May and still trees not fully in leaf.  April was very wet.  A ground frost yesterday, but not enough to kill off potatoes.

Not all the spring digging has been done.  Plants are queueing up in the polytunnel.…

Continue

Posted by Dave on May 16, 2012 at 22:13

April

April is a big month of change.  Trying to finish winter jobs like pruning and clearing up and also under pressure to plant as much stuff for this year as possible.  Blazing sunshine one minute and hail the next.…

Continue

Posted by Dave on April 20, 2012 at 14:35

Early Spring

Apple trees are being grafted.  Most trees are named varieties that are good to propagate but there are also some unnamed trees that have useful characteristics.  Where a full-size orchard tree is required an M25 rootstock is used, otherwise a garden-sized tree is produiced using the MM106 rootstock.

The graft…

Continue

Posted by Dave on March 3, 2012 at 20:00

Late February

Here are pictures typical of late February.

Snowdrops - this naturalised patch gets bigger every year.

Spuds - First earlies, 'Duke of York' going into polytunnel…

Continue

Posted by Dave on February 21, 2012 at 20:52

Groups

Forum

Aquaponics 4 Replies

Has any one heard of aquaponics? It's a system where you keep fish in a tank and the water is pumped via a small 12volt pump (Best if it's driven by a solar panel) to grow plants in an organic,…Continue

Started by Peter Ian Laughton. Last reply by Peter Ian Laughton Aug 13, 2011.

Permaculture Events this summer

I am coming to the UK to do a series of PDC and other courses. I have great difficulty fitting certain courses together as many fall all on the same time period. I would greatly appreciate it if you…Continue

Started by julian Jun 4, 2011.

New 'group' in Winkleigh

Winkleigh links and drinks is network of people interested in sustainability and green or local issues.Meets 2nd Tuesdays of the month, 8pm, Kings Arms Winkleigh.Website:…Continue

Started by Dave Apr 14, 2011.

yurt ahoy! 3 Replies

So we are going to be putting up a yurt soon for a short spell just to see how it looks and feels.anybody got any tips? or has anybody put one up before? the guy did give me a run down but i feel…Continue

Started by Lou. Last reply by Lou Apr 3, 2011.

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Notes

Cider and apple juice

Introduction

What is ‘cider’?



Cider is fermented pure apple juice and can be made from almost any variety of apple.   Each county has its own traditional style of cider.   In the Westcountry there are special varieties of cider apple which produce a deep coloured somewhat bitter cider while in the Eastern countries a paler cider is produced from dessert and culinary varieties. (Hill)



In… Continue

Created by Dave May 16, 2010 at 11:36pm. Last updated by Dave May 16, 2010.

Links

Devon Association of Smallholders -

DASH was established in 1986 to serve the needs and interests of smallholders and those planning to undertake any kind of country living.

It promotes and furthers the interests of smallholders particularly in Devon and the South West and co-operates with other like-minded…

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Created by Dave Apr 27, 2010 at 10:34pm. Last updated by Dave Apr 27, 2010.

Coppicing

Coppicing, in England, is the periodic cutting of hardwood trees to produce a crop of small wood.  The practice has been documented for hundreds of years and its details often regulated or documented in charters and leases.   Often the wood produced was used for domestic fuel but it could also be used for industrial fuel (e.g. charcoal for smelting), or for other production (e.g. furniture or tool handles).  …

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Created by Dave Apr 15, 2010 at 10:59pm. Last updated by Dave Apr 26, 2010.

Notes - Home

To view all notes, click here.
Continue

Created by Dave Mar 22, 2010 at 9:42pm. Last updated by Dave Apr 18, 2010.

 
 
 

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