Email to Resurgence Magazine

I read resurgence on a regular basis and sent in a email a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't in the next edition and I didn't even get a response. http://www.resurgence.org/

I was disappointed with the Resurgence edition no 259. "Seeds of change, The future of food" edition. The issue referred to Food, however, no mention was made of Orchards. A picture showing an Apple tree was visible on page 50 with the caption "Nature can be an abundant source of wealth".

Orchards are found all over the world and are used in many ways. Orchards are very versatile and, although food is grown within them, so much more happens. They are a carbon sink, can be used to graze animals, grow other crops, and act as a communal space, they also add to the food security.

Orchards can be very social places, I have attended weddings in orchards, the rise of community orchards is bringing people together. People can live in or around orchards and have done for thousands of years. Orchards have acted as a gathering place for social activities for centuries; an
example in the UK would be wassailing.

Though Britain lost many of its orchards due to the grubbing up of trees in the 60's and 70s, it is now starting to plant new orchards, which makes sense as they absorb carbon and provide seasonal food, which can be gathered and stored or cooked and preserved for use later. The more we plant the better. If you think of a traditional British castle surrounded by woodland much of that woodland would have been orchards. An orchard would have been part of most farmers estates, even if there were only a small number of trees in the garden.

Orchards can contain both fruit and nut trees, in Britain we have Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, Apricot, Walnuts, Cob nuts, Almond orchards or plats the list goes on. In more exotic climates you could find local fruits like Mango, Papaya even Guava orchards and again the list is huge.

In the Resurgence edition 259 you also referred to eating less meat, but an orchard is an ideal place for animals, like chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, even cows and horses, depending on the size of trees. They fertilise the ground and help in pest control, chickens, for instance, eat the moths and other pests that could damage the fruit. Using the space for both fruit/nuts and animals is traditional all over the world and a better use of space. Limiting the number of animals is important, but they also provide other valuable resources, milk, wool, feathers, manure, meat, leather and to some extent companions.

Bees are another popular creature to have in the orchard, as they provide a method of pollinating fruit, they provide wax and perhaps a little honey, most orchardists in Britain will leave enough honey stores for bees, as they are providing a service, that of pollinating fruit. Most orchardists also welcome other types of bees like the Bumblebee or the Red Mason bee, which is far more effective at pollinating fruit.

Other crops can be grown within orchards, flowers thrive, crops like borage, comfrey and meadow flowers both encourage wildlife and also put nutrients back into the soil and can be used in food. Orchards also encourage other creatures including insects, birds, rodents and nocturnal animals like bats and badgers.

The wood from the trees is also both usable and can benefit the environment and humans. The noble chaffer is a type of beetle found on decaying apple wood.

Wood from orchards can be used both to create furniture or other useful items or as a source of fuel.

I hope the above points make it clearer why orchards are essential when discussing food and the environment.

Bee Conference and Blossom

This weekend was the 2010 British Bee Keepers Associated (BBKA) spring convention. I attended on the Friday and the Saturday. On Friday I went with my wife and attended 3 lectures (1) All you need to know about honeybee viruses - Declan Schroeder (2) Queens and things - Gerry Collins (3) Bee’s eye view of beekeeping - Andy Willis.

All were interesting, my wife and I both enjoyed the last 2 more as some of the information in the first lecture was very technical and some did go over our heads, especially when he showed the attendees genetic markers of certain virus.

On the Saturday the conference was a open to the public. I was meant to attend a lecture on 12 months of forage by Andy Willis but missed it. I did buy my wife and daughter a bee suit and now they can join me at the hive, we also bought 2 new hives. In fact my daughter join me on the Sunday morning in her new bee suit, and she seems to have enjoyed it. I now have three othrt local kids wanting to come with me and check out the bees.

We also met lots of people and got a chance to talk to various people and organisations. I meet a chap who was interested in antique bee hives and had made a reproduction of one that looked like a dovecot house. It was great and something I'd love to have in the garden. However the cost of this type of hive because its hand made would be exorbitant.

My wife met people from Omlet the chicken coupe people who also make plastic Darlington bee hives. My wife is now thinking of getting a couple of chickens for the garden. Its something we have been looking at for a while, and it looks like we are going to get things moving. We have an acquaintance who is also a bee keeper and has 2 Omlet chicken products. I went to visit her on Sunday and looked at her chicken coop. She is coming on Tuesday afternoon to look at our garden to see where a chicken coop would be best located.I did see a dartlington hive made of wood, and talked to a couple of people from my local bee group about the hive and they were all against it saying that they had one previously at Sutton Park apiary and it was difficult to manage etc. I did like it and it would have been ideal in the orchard as it would be difficult to move etc.

My wife has also bought some new plants for the bees following one of the lectures and a small chestnut tree, all the plants we bought will provid nectar and pollen for the bees.On Sunday we went to the Orchard and collected more manure for the compost and put more compost around the trees. We also checked the bees with my daughter. On Sunday I sow my first butterfly this year and some large caterpillars.
We also have lots of blossom on the plum trees, which look great, I haven't seen many bees around the blossom yet though.

Me and my brother, getting the work done

Me and my brother have been doing what seems like routine work now. We have finished adding mushroom compost to all the fruit trees and to some of the nut trees.

We have collected wheel barrows of manure from the fields around us then mixed it with leaves and bits of wood and straw, and even garden and kitchen waste to turn into compost.
We are going to have to get more wooden palettes as we are building up a very large compost heap now, which is great.
The trees are doing well and I think the compost has helped, we are seeing leaves on some trees and all the trees have buds many of which look ready to burst open.

The bees are fine, they are wondering in and out, I found a number of dead bees and small bundles of pollen that seem to have fallen outside the hive. I have removed the mouse guard, is this a mistake? I have also raised the hive a couple more inches again.Lots of other types of bees and ladybirds around, as are spiders. I even managed to see a mouse, and with the help of my brother was able to get a couple of pictures. Made me wonder if I should have left the mouse guard in place on the bee hive.
I also have small weeds coming up around the base of trees, so am pulling them out. I can see lots of mushrooms scattered around. Saturday was so hot that some of the mushrooms dried out.
Next weekend is the Bee Keepers Spring Convention, and also where the bee keepers portraits go on display. I'm looking forward to it. The plan is to attend some of the lectures and visit the sales people, and buy 2 new hives.
We also visited Ryton gardens again for a look around the orchard, the bees hives and a spot of lunch. The kids had fun. My wife and I pick up some additional ideas. I have to renew my membership later this month.

Bank Holiday weekend

Not much done last weekend. I put my first super on the bee hive. I added more manure to the compost heap, and checked on the trees, they are all doing well. Spotted some ladybirds and other insects, including lots and lots of bumblebees.

I actual watched a bumblebee for ages with my daughter. We were lying on the grass watching it stretch and move its legs etc, it wasn't collecting pollen or anything like that, it seemed to us it was enjoying the weather as much as we were.

Anyway we had a picnic on the grass yesterday, which was nice. I like seeing the kids wondering around hand in hand looking at this and that. Watching the horses, bees and anything else that moves.

We did have a little excitement when one of the horses from the field next to use got into the orchard twice, seems he likes to jump the fence.