On Saturday we started our third course on how to set up an organic food growing business, taught by the growers themselves. Over 5 weeks 12 participants will be learning about soil, propagation, field scale growing, pests and diseases, finances, co-operative models and more, with the aim of becoming new growers for Manchester Veg People!
Day one of the course was at Fir Tree Community Growers with the amazing Jenny Griggs, who developed and ran the first course for us back in early 2012.
The participants on this course a great bunch ranging in experience and situation. From someone who has come back from France to farm here in sunny Bolton (he's from France!), to someone with 11 acres in Stockport, to someone else who is moving up from london to take on four acres and a total career change - all exciting stuff!
We spent the day learning about the principles of organic farming; health and safety on farms; soil - building organic matter levels in the soil, balancing and maintaining the nutrient levels in the soil, and looking after the beneficial insects and soil life; composting; green manures and seed bed preparation.
Writing this it almost feels impossible that we fit all that into one day, but somehow we did. As well as a farm walk (around Jenny's ever developing site, where she has recently planting lots of nut trees excitingly), lingering over interesting farm implements (everyone loved the planter!), soil tests and a visit to the farmers market that the landlord happend to have on.
So all in all we had a grand day out and learnt loads.
Next week the group will be learning about the financial side of running an organic veg growing business, with Debra Schofield from Growing with Nature and about working as a co-operative with Mark Simmonds from Making Local Food Work & Co-operatives UK.