This is just a quick reminder that the final seed planting workshop is on Saturday 10^th October at High Forest community centre and there will be tea and cakes provided.

The earlier planting workshop went really well at the end of August, thanks very much to those that attended. People have been out and about since then collecting Great Burnet seeds and so there are more seeds to be sown into trays.

See the Wildflower Seed Planting Workshop calendar entry for more information and be sure to email so the organisers know numbers for catering purposes.

During recent committee meetings there has been much discussion about arranging events for members over the Autumn and Winter months.

The following events are at the most advanced planning stages but any specific dates will be pending final confirmation:

Late October
Following on from the success of the summer BBQ at Whitfield in August, a Halloween bonfire evening is being planned. More details will be available here on the website very soon.

December 2015/January 2016
A introductory talk from the Rare Breed Survival Trust about their work monitoring and promoting rare and native farm breeds. Their work also includes producing the Rare Breeds Watchlist each year which groups breeds together into categories according to the estimated number of breeding females.

February 2016
A pre-lambing workshop with a vet from the local area to look at all aspects when preparing for lambing. This event will hopefully be in the Weardale or Teesdale area but that is still to be confirmed.

February/March 2016
A practical woodland management workshop with the Allen Valleys Landscape Partnership looking at all aspects of tree planting, after-care and the general management of woodland.

Late March 2016
A general look at the birdlife and available habitats with the RPSB which is expected to take place on a members holding.

Further ideas are still being investigating and suggestions from members are always very welcome. Currently other topics being considered include a general butchery course and a more detailed weed/rush management workshop.

Please add a comment below or post to the North Pennines Smallholders Facebook group if you have a particular subject or event that you would like to see considered.

Tamworths enjoying the North Pennines

Over the weekend of Sat 22/Sun 23 August there will be some fresh outdoor-reared, rare breed Tamworth pork available for sale. This meat is from pedigree pigs raised outdoors in a woodland environment overlooking the East Allen Valley.

Pre-orders are recommended to avoid disappointment, particularly if you want something specific as there will only be a limited amount on this occasion.

Visit the Small Plot Big Ideas blog to find out more and register your interest

Although the original deadline has now passed, any last minute change of heart could still be considered for those wishing to attend the Summer BBQ this Saturday (1st August).

This is an ideal opportunity to find out more about the future plans for the North Pennines Smallholders group, contribute your ideas for future events and to connect with other smallholders, growers and landowners from around the North Pennines (and beyond).

Just a quick email is all that’s needed and more details are available via the event page on the calendar:

Summer BBQ and celebration – Sat 1st August

Don’t forget to let us know by email in advance if you will be attending the Summer BBQ on Sat 1st August.

This is a great way to find out more about the future plans for the North Pennines Smallholders group and also a way to connect with other smallholders from around the North Pennines (and beyond) .

However we do need to get some idea of how many people will be there on the day so that we can make all the relevant preparations! Just a quick email is all that is needed…

More details are available via the event page on the calendar:

Summer BBQ and celebration – Sat 1st August

Two new events over the coming months have just been added to the calendar. Everyone is welcome to attend these events but please note that advanced notification by email is required. This helps to ensure the proper arrangements are in place and that the event runs as smoothly as possible so please use the links below to find out more details.

Bumblebee and wild flower identification walk – Thurs 2nd July

and

Summer BBQ and celebration – Sat 1st August

Do you have a meadow area that you would like to diversify? Would you like to find out how to collect seeds and grow plug plants? If so, do join in with these plans…

Plan 1: To collect wood cranesbill seeds in July and great burnet seeds in August.

Plan 2: Come along on a seed cleaning and sowing day in September. Seeds will be sown into trays in a mixture of compost, grit and sand.

Plan 3: Take the seed trays away, look after the plug plants outside and keep regularly watered.

Plan 4: Join in with plug planting days in spring 2016 and autumn 2016.

Ruth Starr-Keddle is willing and able to assist with these plans and is looking for people who are keen and would like to join in. Anyone can help with seed collecting and plug planting! Do let Ruth know if you would like to help out!

More importantly however, Ruth needs to know whether there are any smallholders/groups/schools who could look after the seedlings and who would like the plug plants to be planted in their meadow/wildflower area.

Please email Ruth if you would like to help out and especially if you would like some plug plants and could look after them: ruth@northpenninesaonb.org.uk

Seed collecting days

Wood crane’s-bill sets seed very quickly and is hard to collect. Ruth will advertise the seed collecting days with short notice and will give training on the day. Dexterous fingers are required!

Last year the seeds were ready on the 15^th July, however this year the flowers might set-seed a bit later, perhaps the 20^th July?

If you are interested, keep this date in mind…

Those of you who were at the meeting of the North Pennines Smallholders Network in Allendale last April will remember that we discussed the need for members of the network to start taking a more active role. If we want the Network to continue beyond the lifetime of the AONB Partnership’s Nectarworks project, members need to ensure that they make that happen.

A small group of members met up a couple of weeks ago to discuss forming an initial committee and to discuss what we want the Network to do. The people there felt that the North Pennines Smallholder Network should provide the following:

• Networking opportunities for members
• Peer to peer learning and support
• Formal training courses
• Opportunities to share resources
• Opportunities to socialise

We felt that there should be a small annual membership fee and suggested to Ruth that training opportunities should probably incur a small charge too. We discussed whether there could be a discount for signed-up members but the group would need to be set up to take money first (i.e. has a bank account or another ‘above board’ way of taking money).

The people there were: Gordon Hoey, Graham Shore, Alistair Stevens, Richard Thompson, Ruth Starr-Keddle and Peter Samsom.

We’d obviously welcome comments and others wanting to join this initial committee. Gordon has agreed to investigate the options for a bank account, Graham wrote minutes of the meeting and Peter agreed to chair for the time being. Richard was already in control of the website and has created the Facebook group.

We hope to have a shared barbeque at Polly and Graham’s smallholding above Whitfield in Northumberland on Saturday 1 August 2015. More details will follow in due course.