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Plants

What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in September

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Your tunnel or greenhouse is likely to get a little bit out of hand during this month, with most crops not being at their prime any longer. Pests and diseases are also spreading much faster than before. You have to decide which plants to clear and which ones to leave a bit longer.

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A herd of sheep grazing overlooking the sea

Grazing: why simulating wild herds maximises benefits for farmers, livestock and ecology

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“Many sheep farmers waste more than a third of the grass on their farm because they do not plan grazing wisely.” This is according to Susan Buckingham, extension officer at the Institute of Biological, Environment and Rural Sciences’ Grassland Development Centre

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Sheep shearing in action

The sheep shearing season: an interview and photo story

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The year’s sheep shearing season is almost at an end. This week, our friends at Indie Farmer shared with us their sheep shearing photo story and interview with Ed Gingell, the so-called ‘Lewis Hamilton’ of sheep shearing, who visited Hockham Farm in 2015 to shear the flock and returned again to do the same just

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What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in August

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In August there is even more bounty than in July, whether you’re growing in a polytunnel or a greenhouse. You may have produced enough courgettes and cucumbers for the whole neighbourhood. The tomatoes are made into soups and frozen and you reap the rewards for all your efforts.

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Strawberries in a Chinese solar greenhouse

A tale of two greenhouses: in praise of the solar greenhouse

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Asked to describe the average greenhouse, many readers might picture a mainly glass structure. There is, however, an alternative which offers even greater growing potential across the seasons with far less energy consumption: the solar greenhouse. Particularly popular in China since the late 1970s, solar greenhouses make use of passive solar energy to retain the

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Starting a market garden: Q&A with Chris Smaje of Small Farm Future

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Chris Smaje of Small Farm Future kindly agreed to share with us a recent blog post of his own about starting a market garden, drawing on his experiences at Vallis Veg, a small farm on the outskirts of Frome in Somerset with a veg box scheme and much more besides. Covering 13 questions collated from

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Cows in a meadow

Groundswell: an agricultural show for no-till, organic farming with cover crops and grass-fed animals

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A groundswell of farmers around the world are working out how to farm in a more ecologically-friendly way. One of the farmers leading the farming revolution in the UK is John Cherry, who has set up a 2-day conference on his farm in Hertfordshire, 28th and 29th of June.

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The Ecological Land Co-op is looking for an operations manager - could it be you?

Ecological Land Co-op share offer extended after exceeding target: help us change the way land is owned in the UK

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WOW! We’ve surpassed our initial maximum target of £340,000, and there are still FOUR days to go. Our new investors are helping us continue our work supporting small-scale, agro-ecological farming. Thank you!

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