The Sun Shines on Fun Times

We couldn’t have asked for a better day to spend some time down at Trevalon on Sunday the 18^th Nov The sun was shining and the air was crisp and clear as eight of us wandered down to Midsummer Meadow, with wheel barrows filled with shovels, tree guards, canes and most importantly, 420 trees. The trees, a mixture of oak, rowan, beech and cherry amongst others, were kindly donated by the Woodland Trust as part of their Jubilee WoodsProject. This aims to get plant 6 million trees this year to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year. 

Our Royal Oak

Although we started in jackets and hats, it wasn’t long before the autumn sunshine and mild tree planting exertions (not to mention the walk back up the hill) were causing us to shed some layers. After some instruction from Mark our lead grower, and once the plot was marked off we all got going with digging in the trees, putting in the support canes, and then wrapping the guards around our delicate little saplings to stop the critters from undoing all our hard work.

Autumn sunshine lights up Midsummer Meadow

By lunchtime we’d completed the planting in the Meadow and headed up to the barn for a well deserved cuppa and some delicious vegetable soup as prepared by Mark. 

With some trees still to go in elsewhere, the planting continued after lunch – made just a little bit harder by our full stomachs! 

Thanks to everybody who came along and helped us create a little bit more woodland on our already beautiful site, and for making it such an enjoyable and friendly day.

Yes, the Meadow is that steep

Thanks also to the weather gods. The day after the planting it began raining and blowing, and it’s been atrocious since then. Trevalon was clearly being smiled upon.

Get in touch if you’re interested in other opportunities to come and spend some time down on the farm at Trevalon, either on a weekend volunteer day like this one, or for a few hours a week helping with the vegetable box scheme. We’d love to see you, and maybe you’ll bring the nice weather with you.

Box Scheme Transfer

Trevalon Organic Cooperative intends to take over running the Trevalon veg-boxes on June 1st 2012. To keep receiving a veg-box you will need to fill in the questionnaire and return it to us. Please can you follow the link below and fill in the online questionare. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFBmYzlGbUdRclhndFVCaTd2LXB1OWc6MQ#gid=0 It is a legal requirement that for us to provide you a veg-box that you have to give your consent to Trevalon Organic Cooperative supplying you a box and storing your information. Trevalon and the veg-box scheme will be owned and run by its members. We are inviting you all to join. You Do not have to be a member to get a veg-box but by joining you will become part of a new and exciting project that intends to make local, organic food, affordable and accessible. Members will have a say in how the organisation is run, get discounts on veg-boxes and courses. Members will have access to Trevalon for growing food, learning and coming together for seasonal events and enjoying good food. Members will be able to rent allotment plots and also larger plots to grow vegetables or rearing animals for sale to coop members. This year we are renting three plots and interest has been expressed in renting grazing for organic sheep. Other possibilities include areas for soft fruit, chickens, or a forest garden. We are now part of a new Soil Association, joint certification scheme which means that other landowners are now able to be part of Trevalon Organic Certification and once they have gone through the two year certification period will be growing for the box scheme. We are pleased with the number of people already involved so far but would like to increase the number of members to 160 people and would like to increase the land available for growing organically and the amount that is produced for members.

Trevalon Lottery Grant

Trevalon Lottery Grant Trevalon Organic has been awarded a grant from the National Lottery Local Food Fund. We have been awarded £250 000 over two years with the aim of increasing the participation of the community in food growing and learning about food. The money will pay for a new packing area, kitchen, resources room and new toilets / shower. Plus a yurt which can be used as an outside teaching space and for summer camping. It will also pay four part time wages for two years. We have appointed temporary posts for; project manager, volunteer supervisor, box scheme manager and delivery person. We will be advertising for permanent positions soon, so if you are interested please contact us. The grant will also help us pay for food themed events, open days, family friendly workdays and training courses. There will also be ten key volunteer rolls, in areas such as growing, delivery, events and maintenance. In return for regular volunteering people will be able to receive travel expenses plus a free veg box.

Mind The Gap

We are now in the middle of the middle of the hungry gap. Winter roots, winter cabbage, cauliflower and leeks are now all over. The summer vegetables such as beans, courgette, tomatoes and cucumber are still some way off. At this time of year your boxes will contain more green leafy vegetables due to these being one of the few things that are available at this time of year. To give greater variety we are also buying in Spanish tomatoes and UK mushrooms. A seasonal treat at this time of year is green garlic, which will be appearing in your boxes most weeks along with the mixed salad bags. Please bear with us if there appears to be less in your boxes as we move to new season bunched carrots and onions, these items are more expensive than main crop varieties. We will pass on the savings once summer produce gets underway. We always aim to be cheaper than supermarket or Riverfords organic prices. Remember Trevalon vegetables are picked on the day of delivery so you can’t get any fresher (unless you grow your own).

Hedgelaying at Trevalon

Hedgelaying at Trevalon

Coppicing & laying hedges is traditionally done in winter when the trees are dormant.
There are 1500m of hedge banks at Trevalon. We intend to lay 100 to 150m a year so that all the hedges on the farm are cut on a 10 to 15 year cycle. This year we intend to lay over 100m.
Thanks you to Chris, who on Saturday 14th organised a day of hedge laying. Eight volunteers began work on the hedge at the top of Midsummer Meadow. We did about 30m in the day and shared tea around the fire used to burn the brash.
Another day’s work is planned soon. If you would like to help out, please come along.

Buy half a pig

Pre-order half a pig.

On 27th December we got a new batch of pigs. The pigs are Cornish Large Blacks, outside reared, free range and organically certified.
Three of the pigs have already been spoken for and paid for, one is still available. Half a pig costs £125, which includes the cost of butchering to your own specification. The average weight will be 15.5kg. That works out at £8 a kg, which is the price that you would pay for non-organic free range pork. Sausages and bacon will cost £2 a kg extra. Pork will be ready at the beginning of May.