Info, news & debate
Plants
Grow your own flowers to avoid the environmental horrors of the global flower industry
See our flower growing topic for tips on growing your own flowers; and see below for the problems associated with the flower industry, that you’ll avoid. The global flower production industry (the floricultural industry) is worth approximately €64.5 billion and is typically limited to socioeconomically developed countries such as the US and European countries. The …
Does foraging damage the countryside?
Andy Hamilton – ex of Self-sufficientish has written books on foraging, and his new book New Wild Order is out now. Here’s his take on whether foraging is bad for the countryside and wildlife:
Rebuilding the flax / textile industry as a commons: Fantasy Fibre Mill
Dave Darby of Stroud Commons and Lowimpact.org talks with Rosie Bristow and Nick Evans of Fantasy Fibre Mill, working to resurrect the flax / linen industry in the UK, as a commons.
Fungi and forest gardens: 2 book reviews by Tomas Remiarz
Permaculture teacher and forest gardener Tomas Remiarz reviews two of the best books that he’s read recently: Entangled Life and the Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook
How a new land commons movement can support agroecology
There’s huge overlap between the principles of agroecology and of commoning, and growth in the commons movement could mean a shift towards agroecology and away from damaging industrial agriculture.
Local, community-based measures to prevent drought in arid regions
El Habib Ben Amara, an architect and urban designer from a tribal ksar (fortified oasis) in Algeria, who’s been working with a partner of ours. He’s an activist against desertification and one of the foremost authorities on sustainable water management in the Sahara.
Fresh Salad Every Day? Growing Microgreens at Home in a Small Space
Hear from Mark from Vertical Veg about how you can grow a fresh salad at home in small space!
Using compost as mulch
Home compost is a great source of mulch for your garden, it will improve your soil over time.
Ancient wisdom to face challenging times
Beautiful article by El Habib Ben Amara on how development is desertifying ancient ksars (fortified oases) in north Africa, and what we can do about it.
25 dirt-cheap ways to garden organically and save money
Far from being an expensive or exclusive hobby, organic gardening is a brilliant way to buffer the cost-of-living crisis, allowing you to grow fresh, cheap and abundant food close to home, while at the same time nurturing nature.
Vision for a UK-Wide ‘Market Garden Renaissance’ from the Landworkers Alliance
Landworkers Alliance (LWA) launched its brand new report “Horticulture Across Four Nations” at a panel discussion at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC).
Beyond Conservation: The Farmland Commons
The Farmers Land Trust is diversifying participation in our food system and helping to create stronger communities that can not only survive the land, climate, and social injustices of the world, but can thrive while helping to heal them. Learn more about the work of The Farmers Land Trust and the Farmland Commons.
8 amazing benefits from street trees
Read about the importance of street trees and one group’s mission to make sure their role in our life is recognised.
Building back differently: peasant economics and heritage craft
If a fair share of the planet is a couple of ‘useful’ global hectares per individual, the planet could sustain about 10 billion people living primitively.
Bokashi composting: A beginners guide to slimming down your black bin waste
Bokashi composing could be the answer to kitchen composting.
Community Orchards – tragedy or victory of the commons?
Community orchards at their best are many things at once: a social space, a coming together of people to work together on a common task; a celebration of the abundant harvest of fruit; a haven for wildlife and a pocket of biodiversity.
Are metal raised beds safe for vegetables?
With the growing season, we look at whether or not a metal raised bed is safe for vegetable growing?
Worried about fruit & veg rationing? Let’s grow our own, in our communities
Every so often something happens that punctures our sense of what’s normal. In the UK one of those events was empty shelves that used to display fruit and veg. Then supermarkets began rationing some food items.
Bring on the peat ban – no garden should cost the Earth
Despite UK-wide commitments to end the use of peat in horticulture, the legislation needed to make this happen is still frustratingly out of reach. This week, an official announcement on the ban in England was postponed because of the Conservative Party leadership election; and the other three administrations have no firm plans on the table. …
Rewilding or local food production?
We like the idea of rewilding, but it needs much more thought when it removes good UK lowland farmland – because then, obviously, land elsewhere will have to brought into agricultural production to take up the slack.