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Villageways
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Posted: 14 January 2008 07:18 pm | 1st Post |
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I've been mooching on the net and found this on the Organic Life Magazine web site:
We need you!
Are you living an organic life? Then we want to hear from you. We need your real life stories on why you decided to switch to organic food, clothing or cosmetics.
Perhaps it is just because you think organic food tastes better, or that it is better for the environment and animal welfare. It might be for health reasons or for the sake of your children. Whatever the reason may be write in and let us know.
Pictures are all important too and if you have snaps that chart your progress to a fully organic life or if they show the difference ‘before and after’ we would like to see them!
We pay £150 for every real life story published, so get writing!
GMC cannot accept liability for the loss or damage of unsolicited material.
For more information contact Organic Life Editor:
Helen Vintner
Contact me at: HelenV@thegmcgroup.com or call 01273 402809
View this online at: Organic Life
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wendy
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Posted: 15 January 2008 12:18 am | 2nd Post |
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I would love to meet anyone that is living a true organic life!
Its hard. we grow as much as we can make our own bread cakes and biscuits and rear organic pigs and chickens for our selves and a few friends. We find it hard to buy everything we need organic.
In the real world we all have jobs children and animals to do which leaves little time for shopping around for all that is organic.
We have found we buy less if we can not find organic and we dont miss it. But some things we do weaken on as we are human
I like to know where my food and drink comes from but to get the organic label costs. I know many people who produce organic food but can not afford to get the label from the soil association but I buy it because I know its organic I do not need a label!! .
I buy fresh not prosseced food with the least amount of packaging. ( and thats another issue, whats the point of organic food supplied in a plastic bag!!!)
Sorry i will shut up now
I look forward to hearing about the all organic man and woman.
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piggybreeder
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Posted: 15 January 2008 10:56 am | 3rd Post |
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Hi Wendy . I grow organically we have pigs , chickens for eggs , table chickens. and our own veg
I agree it is hard to be totally organic when you are buying produce from the shops thats why we decide to produce as much of our own food as possible. we also supply any surplus to friends and family. Most of it though we use in our own home made chutneys and preserves which is a new business we are in the process of starting up.
I think the main problem for growing organic is the constant battle against weeds we dont use commercial fertilisers or weed killers so its back breaking from Febuary to get the weeds out that have taken hold since the end of last season. then to try and keep on top of tehm through the new growing period. Like most I have a full time job but luckilly its a 4 day on 4 day off pattern which allows me some time outside.
this year we have decided to turn one of our outbuildings into kitchens for the chutneys etc so i will be placing the info on the welly blog section along with some photos.
http://www.bramblescroft.com
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Old Oak
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Posted: 15 January 2008 08:27 pm | 4th Post |
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piggybreeder, looking forward to reading your Welly Blogs (where did that name come from?!)
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wendy
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Posted: 15 January 2008 08:40 pm | 5th Post |
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Hi piggy breeder
We too produce as much as we can our selves and turn people away who want what we have produced.
We have cob chickens for meat grown slowly on free range pasture and norfolk bronze and black turkeys also free range. We did sell a couple of cobs and 1 turkey this christmas to friends who are now beating on our door for more!! we started out to produce as much of our own food as posible but now everyone wants it !!!
The price of shop bought organic free range food is high and that puts people off but we can all at least grow our own salad veg on the smallest of ground or a window box. I say this to all people who say I wish I had a smallholding but still buy lettuce from the supermarket!!. We all have to do our bit to help ourselves and a few along the way who really cant help themselvse ( the young and the old). Our free range eggs fly off the the garden gate stand and that pays for the next lot of chicks who will produce next years eggs , and we get our eggs for free HaHa no way all the time effort and shear hard work that we put into this is priceless.
We love our life it keeps us healthy, well fed, happy and we have never taken a sleeping tablet in our lives I think worn out would be the word and I would not want it any other way.
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wendy
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Posted: 15 January 2008 08:58 pm | 6th Post |
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Hi piggy breeder again now I have got off my soap box
Have you tried old carpet on you veg plot in the winter to kill off all the weeds? I am sure you already know about this,? but if not, give it a go now this month cover an area with old hessean backed carpet and leave it there. When you want to plant cut holes in the carpet and plant as usual eventually the carpet rots down and the weeds go with it It works on the weeds a treat. Do not use foam backed carpet it cant breath. There will be some weeds grow throgh where you cut the holes to plant but these are easy to pull out and the carpet gives you a path to tread between the rows of veg.
Just a thought hope it helps
Wendy
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piggybreeder
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Posted: 16 January 2008 09:08 am | 7th Post |
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hi wendy , yep Ive tried that also tried leaving plastic down for a whole year nothing works, the problem is more on the grass side and nettles. Unfortunatly we have that creaping grass that seems to send out trailers underground and just keeps on growing, i can clear an area 20ft long by 10 ft wide and it will be great through the growing season with the hoeing etc, but as soon as the wet months come in and I cant get on the land it takes over again and Im back to squre one.
The nettles come from the field next door they grow through our hedge and deposit their seeds on our ground and again because we have clay soil and I cant touch it till it dries a bit the netles take over.
Ive put loads of compost on but its not making much difference at the minute, still we plod on ,enjoy the outside and eat the food we produce.
http://www.bramblescroft.com
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wendy
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Posted: 16 January 2008 11:55 pm | 8th Post |
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Ok so you have tried all the cover options now turn the pigs on it?
My best patch for growing had pigs on it before.? killed all the weed roots.they loved all the cough grass and the turkeys are great for clearing all the grass before it gets a hold no chance of seeding with turkeys around.
Life works in harmony if you let it
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Villageways
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Posted: 17 January 2008 12:13 am | 9th Post |
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Wendy! If you haven't already, can you check your private messages on here... I've sent you one about the property in Puglia which you need to read!
Cheers Anita.... sorry for interrupting the flow of conversation and changing the subject! 
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piggybreeder
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Posted: 17 January 2008 09:00 pm | 10th Post |
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| I agree Ive been trying to keep the pigs offf this patch as Ive put in some new trees and hedgeing, i think Ill have to put up some temporayr fencing to protect them and let the pigs do their job
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contadino
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Posted: 19 January 2008 12:14 pm | 11th Post |
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I rotavate to get rid of weeds. Persistent rotavating, before anything goes to seed, will get rid of them in the end. I've reclaimed nearly 5 hectares this way over the last couple of years. Due to the olive harvest, I can't turn the soil at this time of year, so they come back, but nowhere near as bad as when I took on the land.
Oh, how I dream of a patch of nettles. I have a recipe for nettle beer that I'd love to try, but they just don't grow around here.
P.S. Whey! Computer seems to have sorted himself out now. I can post again!
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Villageways
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Posted: 19 January 2008 01:24 pm | 12th Post |
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| Good to have you back contadino
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