Soil Association - follow our bloggers

Bangladesh textile factory collapse

Sarah Compson — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:24:07 GMT

As well as sadness, sympathy and compassion for the victims, something else also welled up inside me - horror. It wasn’t just horror at the unnecessary deaths of 700 (and rising) innocent people, but horror caused by a realisation that the disaster highlights the dark side of the way we think about and consume fashion.

My dream job in farming and food education

Brid McKibben — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:46:13 GMT

Finally, just as I broach my 50s, I’ve found my dream job! It indulges my interest and passion in good food, food education, rural crafts, sustainable communities, small scale farming and growing, and it gives me an opportunity to use my background in renewables. What can possibly cover all these things. . . and more? I’m the project officer for Crofting Connections – one of the most exciting projects in food and community in Scotland.

It’s all a matter of context…

Kathie Auton — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:23:50 GMT

So, I’ve been out for my two research meals as an undercover eater (or something), one of around 50 parents doing this for the Soil Association’s Out to Lunch campaign. Two very different meals, I should say. Some highs, some lows and a whole lot of food... for thought. A few weeks ago I wrote about the whole eating-out-with-kids game. The Soil Association were recruiting volunteers for their research into what’s on offer in restaurants for our kids. The team of volunteers are now duly recruited and are out there in restaurants with their kids, answering the 13 salient questions and trying to subtlety write things down with coming across all Jay Rayner about it.

5 Questions With... Jane Mason

Anna Louise Batchelor — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:36:02 GMT

I ﬁrst met Jane at a cooking show where my passionate demonstration of cooking with oats was paralleled by Jane and her mission for teaching Real Bread baking. I had instant admiration for Jane and a respect of her ‘Virtuous Bread’ work since, so I jumped at the chance to interview her.

Sheep in the garden, lameness and goslings...

Emma Heseltine — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:44:01 GMT

Beechnut is in the little paddocks. She was getting picked on by some of the other cattle at Aglionby so we brought her back for a little TLC. She is in calf and looks a little thin so a bit of grain just for her and a shed to sleep in wont hurt. We have put a couple of ewes that have no lambs with her to keep her company, but it seems they are not keen on the arrangement.

Weeds, Acorn and dairy...

Emma Heseltine — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:47:40 GMT

A weed is merely a plant growing somewhere it shouldn’t. Today it seems everything is starting to grow where it shouldn’t. First the ground Elder that is rampant in the orchard is creeping into the veg patch and fruit cages, where it is certainly not welcome.

Organic sausage rolls

Kathie Auton — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:40:08 GMT

It’s time for a picnic. Now, I don’t want any arguments here. It IS time for a picnic. No muttering about chilly weather and still needing a woolly hat, Easter is gone and it’s not far off May. We need to toughen up and get picnicking. You might want to take a blanket and you’ll definitely need a flask of tea, but don’t let the reluctant weather make you a reluctant picnicker. It’s all about what you take to eat. Okay, a limp sandwich might not make you feel the pull of the great outdoors. But how about a sausage roll? A really good, satisfying, delicious sausage roll.

When the north wind doth blow...

Margaret Finlay — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:19:54 GMT

It’s not just dairy cattle here at Rainton, we also have a flock of about 500 sheep, mostly Scotch Mule ewes - a cross between a Scottish Blackface ewe and a Blue Faced Leicester tup. The crossbred ewe is supposed to embody the best bits of the each breed - hardiness and good natural mothering, and prolificness with good milk production respectively. The southwest of Scotland where the farm is located, is generally accepted to have a ‘maritime’ climate, with cool summers and mild winters - warmer and wetter than the east is a common description. Not this March.

Harrowing, potato planting and rolling...

Emma Heseltine — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:35:27 GMT

We have had our soils done at Houghton and have some recommendations for helping our fields. It’s been a tough year so they could do with a boost. One of the things we can do is to use a grass harrow to scrape at the moss which has sprung up all over the place (seriously where is it coming from, there was grass here before) and aerates the soil.

Five questions with... Suzi Wintle

Anna Louise Batchelor — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:49:41 GMT

In the hot seat for April's 'Five Questions with…' is Suzi Wintle Head Chef at Sheepdrove Organic Farm. With responsibility for the catering of conferences, weddings and the ever famous 'Shhh Secret Supper Club' I want to know more about the challenges of sustainable catering and the benefits of cooking on an organic farm.

GM betrayal....

Lynda Brown — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 08:26:23 GMT

M&S, the Co-op, Tesco, and Sainsbury's have announced that they no longer require their producers to use non GM feed for farm animals. The excuse is that there isn't sufficient non GM feed to go around and anyway, it's not detectable in things like eggs, milk or chicken, i.e. there's no need to worry, it's all perfectly safe sort of thing. So, forget all that you're worth it rubbish - we're clearly not.

Confused lambs, a cheeky lamb and the last lamb...

Emma Heseltine — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:44:37 GMT

We are giving the ewes and lambs in the big Houghton field their morning feed and it’s usually chaotic. The ewes all come running for their food and the lambs all mill about in confusion bleating until mum has finished breakfast, then there is much running around and baaing until everyone is matched up again. We leave them too it, a few lambs are testing out the goods on offer but most are milling/bleating.

A breath of life for bees

Amy Leech — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:45:30 GMT

Today’s news that Waitrose are suspending the use of the three neonicotinoids in their supply chain is a ray of hope for the bees amidst predictably grey skies and gloomy headlines.

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

Margaret Finlay — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:47:35 GMT

The Rainton dairy project has hit its first major hurdle. The calves from the autumn calvers have demonstrated that although 10 to 15 litres of milk a day is more than enough for them - and up to 10 litres a day more than they would get in some conventional rearing systems - they will drink as much as the cow can produce. Based on the milk production records for the individual cows from last year, this can be up to thirty litres a day in some cases!!

Dont get stuck, tiny lambs and rolling...

Emma Heseltine — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 11:34:23 GMT

Today it’s starting to feel a little bit like spring, finally and I’m learning to plough. It looks so easy, up and down turning over the soil but as with everything it’s harder than it looks. The ground is a bit wet and I’m in the little Massey which is two wheel drive. The trick is to give it lots of oomph apparently and remember to raise the plough up if I get to a sticky bit and the wheels start spinning. Also ‘whatever you do, don’t get stuck’, good advice.