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FARM
TOURS/WALKS 2010
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SUITABLE FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM. ANIMALS, CROPS, CONSERVATION, WOODLAND MANAGEMENT.........QUESTIONS, DEBATES WELCOMED. |
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TREAT YOURSELF OR A FRIEND TO A WORKSHOP HERE
ON THE FARM THIS YEAR. (Gift vouchers available)
Small friendly groups of between 6 and 12 people.
NB Join the Soil Association this year and you will be offered a FREE course where
mentioned below.
We are arranging the autumn programme now, so keep an eye on this page
DYEING WITH LOCAL AND NATURAL DYES - postponed till the spring
Dyeing workshop using local wool and plant and vegetable dyes, and investigating colours obtainable from the hedgerow. Peg loom weaving will be included during the day, to demonstrate one of the uses of dyed fleece.
Cost: £65 includes a light organic lunch
To Book contact info@theorganicfarmshop.co.uk or ring 01285 640441 or come in to the shop.
SPINNING DAY date tbc
contact us if you are interested. we all learnt to spin, it was a very enjoyable day!
Learn to spin using fleece from local organically reared sheep. Instruction given on sorting and preparation of fleece, including carding, combing and teasing wool ready for spinning. Information on different types of fleece and their uses, and how to ply two yarns together to produce a skein for dyeing or knitting. Spinning wheels and materials will be provided. Small group so lots of individual attention.Cost: £65 includes a light organic lunch
Herbs
for Health - Herbal Remedies
FULL
Join Anne McIntyre, medical herbalist, for a day unearthing the wonderful
uses to which commonplace herbs can be put. Anne has been practising
herbal medicine for 20 years and lectures within the UK and abroad on
the subject as well as having a series of published books including The
Top 100 Herbal Remedies, The Apothecary’s Garden and The Complete Floral
Healer. Grab this unique chance to benefit from her expertise at Abbey
Home Farm and begin unleashing the medical power of your flowers!
Date:
Saturday 5th July 2008
Time: 10.00am-4.30pm
Cost: £50.00 (inclusive of lunch and refreshments) or
FREE to those who join the Soil Association (see HOW TO BOOK above).
Time: 10.00am-4.00pm
we
had an organic vegetarian wedding here this summer and 95% of the food
was from the farm...........
We raised £1650 when Vandana Shiva and Satish Kumar came to talk, for Navdanya's work in India. Thank you to everyone who supported
the event.
** Semi skimmed milk and cream from our cows are now on sale in the shop. It has taken us two years of planning, sounds simple but lots of hoops to jump
through. Hope you enjoy them and let us know if the cream pots are userfriendly
or not.
** And we have our own chickens for sale, raised from day old on the farm, loved, slaughtered, plucked and portioned all within yards of the shop. Local at its best! Being a vegetarian i cant tell you how delicious it is but we have had rave reviews from many people.
.** Our new extension is now mainly open and we have a lovely area for all sorts of things that are fair trade, recycled or good for the environment. Do come and see.
Come and visit our new cafe extension with a beautiful view of the farm.
In the Green Room and new cafe area we welcome groups from 6 to 100 plus. If your company would be interested in booking a day out of the office next year do get in touch with Hilary
A big thank you to Dan, Keith, Jim, Danni and Tom for building it. We have enjoyed having you here!
STAFF
UPDATE - 2008
In the shop: Hilary, Bex, Sam, Susannah, Sue A, Clare, Sue D, Beccy, Caroline,
Rebecca, Dominika
In the garden: Keith, Becca, Kate, Mical and helpers.
Cooks in the cafe: Sarah, Phil, Fiona and Trish
In the café: Julie, Emma, Sheila and helpers
On the farm: John, Ken, Andy.
Education: Will
Accounts: Alison and Louise
Mical in the garden and Dominika in the shop are visiting from an eco community and organic shop in Slovakia.
Archery and Bushcraft on the farm
for
more details or to book see www.wildconnections.co.uk
or contact Duncan on 01608 682769 / info@wildconnections.co.uk
All editorial contributions
to the newsletter which is being put together this year welcome. Please
email Hilary at cargofco@aol.com
2007
Bex gave birth to Lily Rose on June 4th weighing 6lb 12oz
congratulations to Bex and Robin from all of us and thanks to all our customers for their warm wishes.
she is now a frequent new member of the farm shop team!
NEWSLETTER
2006
One of my favourite conversations
goes something like this. Customer "You know you told me I
would find it cheaper to do my weekly shop here?". Me "Ye...s...s"
often slightly hesitant although I know the facts. Customer "You
were right !" I actually save money shopping here every week and
we don't waste anything any more".
It is often a person wih a young family who says this to me. They may go on to say they don't eat so much meat now, or they have to spend more time cooking instead of buying ready meals. But it possible to buy here relatively economically. I don't do price wars as those of you who have shopped here for a while will have noticed, but I do feel it needs saying occasionally that, contrary to popular perception, last time I checked a couple of larger food shops, we were cheaper on 38 out of 40 items (like for like) and on 4 of them we were half the price. And who has the larger buying power?
There is the odd exception and there are a few brands out there who do favour that buying power, leaving us little chance to compete. But if, as I am sure you all know, you buy seasonally, cook from scratch** and waste nothing, you should win hands down, on price, on freshness and on traceability.
Some people want to buy fresh local organic ingredients whatever the cost. Some wish to support an organic system of farming. Some don't feel the extra expens; some might have to go without other things to be able to afford the food they want to eat or the system they want to support. We wouldn't be here if you didn't support us, whether it is for our conservation methods, our organic beliefs or solely because you enjoy food on your table which has often only had one journey - home in your car - in it's life.
You, as much as us, are the organic farm shop. Use it, introduce your friends and neighbours to it, and enjoy it. Thank you for shopping here.
Hilary
** PS If the phrase 'cooking from scratch' frightens you, come on one of our cookery courses in the new Green Kitchen!
Broody
Foodies - Baby food making
Take a step by step approach through nutrition for babies and toddlers
and get hands on cooking delicious meals that can feed both baby and you.
Holly Jones, chef, food writer and owner of Manna from Devon cooking
school will guide you round Abbey Home Farm kitchen garden and
open your eyes to the possibilities with cooking from fresh, local and
organic ingredients. A practical session in the kitchens at Abbey Home
Farm will fill you with culinary inspiration for those precious baby years
to come!
Date:
Thursday 17th July 2008
<TOP>
Many thanks to everyone who is using the amnesty bookcase in the cafe which has so far raised over £2,000 for Amnesty's work on human rights. For a minimum donation of £1 in the honesty box you can find good quality paper and hardback books. Please don't bring books to the Organic Farm Shop. If you have books in near-new condition to donate, you can e-mail books@amnestycirencester.org.uk and if they need books they can collect them.
As you might have noticed the
shelves are really filling up (and we need more!) as more and more
products are coming onto the organic market. We really enjoy
customer feedback on new items. If you enjoy an organic
product that you haven’t seen here do let me know. We are
still finding it a challenge to get a good range of organic AND
fairly traded goods, they are too often one or the other, but we
are always on the look out.
You can still order most basic grains, pulses and dried fruits in larger bags although unfortunately there isn’t a great financial saving as our prepack price is quite discounted already.
Do always look out for the
SPECIAL OFFERS, either on the shelves, or sometimes on their very
own table.
Tuesday 2nd - Saturday 13th May: The Green Room presents 'a slice of life', a mixed media installation by Corinna Perry. Corrina, a final year HND student of Fine Art at Stroud College, reflects on seed and growth in her response to the farm and its ethos.
You are welcome to look around the vegetable/flower garden in front of the shop at your leisure on Saturdays. However please don't go into the polytunnels or pick anything.
The GREEN KITCHEN
beyond the Green Room.
To eat organic food on a
budget we must all be able to cook. To stay healthy we must know
the best ingredients to use.
Caroline Hockley, who already runs the very informative and enjoyable nutrition club here on the 1st Thursday of the month, is offering 'Back to Basics' a course of 4 individual days concentrating on basic inexpensive and healthy ingredients to create a variety of dishes using Beans, Lentils, Tofu, Tempeh and Grains.
She will explore their
versatility, nutritional profile, how to store prepare and
cook. The workshops will be monthly and culminate in a
useful foundation of knowledge and skill that can be incorporated
into a healthy diet.
<TOP>
After 10 long years the
legendary Ragged Hedge Fair is back at Abbey Home Farm at last.
The country fair with a difference will be held on a scenic site
not far from The Organic Farm Shop near Cirencester from September
1st – 3rd 2006. Plans are already underway for a family
orientated weekend of camping, arts, crafts, environmental
education, music and fun.
The harvest fair will have a
strong green theme, with no generators on site, and all the
entertainments powered by renewable energy. Guest speakers
will attend an eco forum to debate a wide range of topics, a large
children’s area will entertain and stimulate, there will be a
crafts area for hands on experience, healers to attend the weary,
unusual stalls to shop at, organic food and drink, and of course
live music and theatre.
Camping and day tickets will be on sale in the summer via The Organic Farm Shop. If anyone would like to be involved with Ragged Hedge Fair in a creative or practical role please contact farm partner Will Chester-Master on 01285 652808 or email willcmaster@aol.com. www.raggedhedgefair.co.uk 50% of all profits will be donated to local good causes (Will).
We are starting to show films as we now have a public entertainments licence for the cafe and green room. If you like watching international/art/unusual films do ask for details. We should be up and running soon, as the projector has just arrived. I thought it was cheese and put it in the chiller for a while!
We can organise team building days for businesses, using the farm, the green room and the new hands on green kitchen. Contact Hilary info@theorganicfarmshop.co.uk
By summer 2006 we will have 4 locally made yurts on the farm which will be available to schools for outdoor learning and activity holidays, groups for retreats, open air courses and craft camps, and as simple accommodation for those attending events in The Green Room at the farm shop.
<TOP>
Regular readers of the Farm Shop newsletter will know that in the last issue I wrote about my fundraising activities for a sponsored challenge trek in the Rift Valley, Tanzania, which I was doing to raise money for Action Aid - a charity I have supported for many years.
Hilary and I ran
a series of Sunday lunches as fund raising enterprises and I also
held an African Night in the Green Room with the local group of
Amnesty International. In September I successfully completed the
trek. It certainly was a ‘challenge’ - it was terrifically
hot, but also a very rewarding and memorable experience. There
were 31 of us altogether and we raised the fantastic amount of £66,000
net - which will all go towards Action Aid's valuable work of
overseas development. Sarah - cook
Many
of you will have enjoyed the three weeks of Indian influence in
the café and the green room last autumn. Our eleven visitors from
Rajasthan went back with many stories to tell, and left us with
great memories too. 16 school visits and over 60 adults
experienced hands on block printing, many more watched
demonstrations of Dinesh actually carving the blocks and/or ate
thalis in the café. Satish Kumar gave an inspiring talk one
evening to 150 guests, focusing on the hands. He paid homage to
craftspeople and also to those who use their hands in tasks such
as gardening and washing up. The skills of manual workers and
intellectual workers must be valued equally. This Ghandian
teaching struck a chord amongst all of us who were listening and
work here.
<TOP>
NEWS
2005
I read in a magazine the other day that a representative from a large supermarket had made the following statement; "no supermarkets are going to give information on food miles; it is like giving a rope to hang yourself with."
Well just to let you know, the reason that the organic farm shop exists is because I want to talk about food miles. I want to question, as do many others, the food system that most of us have bought into. It is a system based on global sourcing and complicated transport systems, to the detriment of the environment as a whole and the taste and nutritional value of the food itself. Not to mention the whole question of organics.
I am not suggesting that we opt out of global trading altogether. A life without bananas, tea, coffee, rice, olives, pulses and chocolate is not what most people aspire to, but is it not pure common sense that food grown and raised locally should be sold locally.
On the vegetable front we are growing over 200 varieties of veg and soft fruit now on 15 acres, 99% of which gets sold through the shop. The pork, lamb and beef are all from our own animals. The eggs and honey too. We grow cut flowers in season and produce ready made food for the café and shop. Knitting wool and yarn are the latest additions from our sheep's fleeces.
And next? Plans are afoot to start a dairy processing unit producing yoghurt, cream, butter, cheese and ice-cream from our own cow's milk, which at the moment goes to Yeo Valley. And then our own table birds, maybe chickens ducks and geese.
Farming is tough at the moment even organic farming. Farming one or two enterprises on a large scale is said to make more sense financially due to economies of scale, but results in monoculture, discouraging biodiversity and producing limited produce for the local community. Taking on lots of enterprises on a smaller scale as in the 'old' days when mixed farms, non-chemical and local food were the norm is very labour intensive and therefore quite financially challenging. But it provides local food and a hopefully thriving rural centre.
Is this 'progress' or are we going backwards? Whichever it is, I hope that you come too.
Hilary.
HELOISE IS BACK!
I know you didn't trust me when you asked if she was 'alright'. I know you were really asking if she was the bacon in your basket. Not while I'm around. She's back in her old place until she makes it a mudbath again. Do chat to her, she loves gossip. But please don't feed her. Hilary
Would you be interested in joining a nutrition club based here? Ring Caroline Hockley for more details 01285 860811.
The Printers are coming……………no, not a déjà vu!!
As many of you know, I have had a small textile printing workshop on the outskirts of Jaipur for the last twelve years, encouraging fair trade and lately introducing organic cotton too. For a long time we have talked of bringing the blockprinters to the U.K. to demonstrate their skills which are slowly dying out in India. Last year we were hoping to welcome them to Abbey Home Farm but we had not realized how long it would take to get their passports. Fourteen months on we have now actually seen the passports so, inshallah, towards the end of September the Green Room will be transformed into an Indian Block Printing Workshop for three weeks, hosting hands-on workshops for schools and colleges. There will also be four one day workshops for adults. (If you are interested do book early as spaces will be limited). The bales of organic cotton, tools and wood for blockcarving, dye trolleys and tables are already here and the air tickets are being booked this month………………………!
<TOP>
After settling in Cirencester with my family, where better to find a job than at The Organic Farm Shop.
I love being part of life here. It is always a delight to see the gardeners tending the garden as well as bringing in the freshly picked produce. As for the kitchen their delicious creations smell and taste great.
Fresh organic food has always been very important to me and here I can live that way with ease. Thanks for everything. Emma
The joy of working at The Organic Farm Shop is the beauty and quality of the produce with which you are working. Everything that is used for preparing the food here, you know is the best, and that is truly enlightening and satisfying.
Jamie Oliver has recently highlighted the need and the necessity for essentially good food that is wholesomely produced, especially for our children, and it could be said that generally we have through processing and quick bucks on the manufacturing of food lost the way. I could sound extreme but it seems to me that our culture in England seems to underestimate the importance of food and its basis. Somewhere along the line, we have lost the essence. Fast lives? Whatever! Spend more time in the kitchen and know the basis of your food, everybody appreciates it, come to the café and just smell those smells that exude around, true comfort and true life and because we know it comes from love and care, it surely has to be good for you too. And yes, it is important. Eleanor
ECOVER REFILLS - 5kg only from now on.
Because there is so much spillage and mess trying to fill the small bottles down the refill end of the shop, we have decided to offer refills of 5 litre bottles only which are far easier to fill than the small bottles. You could maybe then do the messier decanting into smaller bottles at home. It is also cheaper to buy in bulk!! If you don't have a 5 litre empty, you will need to buy a full one once.
DID YOU KNOW?
o Our cafe has become licensed to serve alcohol! Enjoy a glass of organic wine or beer with your lunch now.
o OUR BUYING POLICY: In the middle of a circle is Abbey Home Farm. Here we grow and raise as much food as we can, soil type and climate allowing. We then move out from the middle of the circle slowly and carefully. First to the local area, then the neighbouring counties, across the rest of the UK and then on, still with great care, across the channel to Europe and the wider world.
o We have the first wood chip boiler in Gloucestershire! In December we had a 25kw fully computerized Austrian wood chip boiler installed. The Green Room needed central heating and the back boiler on the café wood burner was not quite able to heat all the water needed for the kitchen, even with the help of the solar panels.The choice was gas, oil or be a guinea pig and pay for the privilege. I really believe we have made the right decision, it is very exciting to think we are getting a little closer to the real meaning of sustainability and don't they say something about putting your money where your mouth is………we did get a couple of grants from the government, a first for us, which made it a little easier. After some time we will feel the financial benefit. A few teething problems setting it up putting Will and Rob at the sharp end, coppicing and chipping and delivering it to us. Not so hard for me, now I just flick a switch. That's the theory anyway.
Farm visits showing you how we farm, why we are organic, our conservation projects etc etc.
Suitable for adults or children accompanied by adults. Approx 1 and a half hours. 10.30am. Booking essential. No charge on the following dates.
May 21st August 20th
<TOP>
NEWS
2004
Michael Meacher MP came to the Green Room at The Organic Farm Shop on Saturday April 3rd to discuss the threat posed to UK agriculture and the environment by GM crops. What no-one had expected was the news from Bayer Crop Science released 3 days before his visit announcing their intention to discontinue further efforts to commercialise GM forage maize in the UK. This was tremendous news and as a result there was an upbeat mood amongst the big crowd who had gathered to hear the former Environment Minister speak.
For over 2 hours Mr. Meacher answered questions from the floor, explaining the workings of Westminster and the European Parliament and inspired everyone with his passionate critique of this flawed technology. At the end of the meeting we all felt better informed and fortunate that the opposition to GM has such a committed spokesperson. A collection at the door raised over one hundred pounds for Friends of the Earth's ongoing campaign. Will
You are what you eat
You may wonder what an Australian child psychologist is doing serving you coffee at The Organic Farm Shop. Well, in short, I am here to learn more about organic farming and the benefits of eating healthy unrefined organic foods. Frustrated at current treatment modalities to address the growing number of health problems in our children, I have increasingly turned to the mounting evidence that suggests a relationship between diet and psychological wellbeing, particularly the research linking preservatives, chemical and colourings to behaviour problems in childhood. As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. Our diet inevitably reflects our state of mental wellbeing. As if that wasn't enough of a reason to consider buying organic foods, the sustainable and biodiverse farming practices that organic farming endorses ensure that we will have an earth for our children to inherit. Briohny
Found it!
Whilst house hunting around Cirencester, my wife and I noticed an organic farm shop sign on the Bibury road. Caring about what we eat, we called in. And we are so glad we did. Attached to the shop we found a lovely café/restaurant, where we enjoyed delicious coffee and cakes which refreshed us for the house viewings that followed. We liked the place so much we went back for lunch - home cooked (no microwaves) and very tasty.
Organic food is not as expensive as many people think. It's not the cheapest, but then one pays a little more for quality. We think it's worthwhile because, to coin a phrase, we are what we eat, literally. Do we maintain our bodies on a variety of chemicals about which we know very little, or do we prefer to live on natural produce as nature intended? Any price difference, small as it is, can easily be adjusted to one's budget by simply buying a bit more of one thing and a bit less of something else. For example, we like organically raised meat, but we don't have to eat it every day. There are many delicious vegetable recipes - and why should our vegetarian friends have them all to themselves?
On our second house-hunting visit to Cirencester we made sure that we had plenty of time to call in to the Organic Farm Shop again. When we finally settle in Cirencester we will be taking all our visitors there, and become regular customers. The shop and restaurant is a culinary treasure trove run by friendly people who really care about food. Pat
Jobs Here
If you are interested in working here it is worth asking even if we don't have a vacancy straight away. We are getting a pool of local help, part (two days minimum) or full time, to give more flexibility to all who work here. The main criteria are an enthusiasm for local/organic food and a willingness to work well at whatever needs doing.
As this goes to press we are looking for a Part/Full time Cook to join our team of four cooks...ability to produce creative vegetarian and vegan hot dishes and salads from our garden produce and to work happily as part of the team and an interest in nutrition necessary. Training or experience in a commercial kitchen essential.
The Printers are coming!
As many of you who shop in Cargo might know, I have had a small textile printing workshop on the outskirts of Jaipur in Rajasthan for the last eleven years encouraging fair trade and lately organic cotton too. For a long time we have talked of bringing the blockprinters to the UK to demonstrate their skills which are slowly dying out in India. At last we have a plan and are hoping to welcome them here in late September
2005 for a three week visit. As I write one of our Cargo containers is being loaded with all that is needed for the trip including bales of woven cotton (as much organic as we can find) azo free dyes, carving tools, large blocks of the wood needed to carve the blocks, special table paddings and dye trolleys. If passports and visas go smoothly there will be three weeks of hands on printing in morning and day workshops both for schools and the public.
The party will be bringing Karan, a fantastic cook with them. He is keen to get into the kitchen here so if you like Indian food watch this space…
FLOWERS
We are hoping to have lots of beautiful flowers for sale this summer. If you would like a bouquet, or help with wedding flowers or a special occasion please speak to me as this is something I already do and would like to do more of. Bex
* the green oak used in the shop extension, cafe and green room comes from Wiggold Wood, which you can see from the cafe window. If you look straight ahead you will see the wood in the far distance. The weediest oaks were felled and planked by a mobile sawmill and brought down to the shop on a tractor and trailer.
* Amnesty International. have a good choice of books to buy for a small donation at the far end of the cafe.
<TOP>
OLD
NEWS
Excitement and abundance are the words that spring to mind in the shop and
cafe this autumn. It is the time when our garden showers us with vegetables
of all shapes, colours and sizes, when the vegetable tables groan and say no
more, when the cooks find it hard to make their daily choice...... And it is the
time when I remember just why we are here. To offer the possibility of buying
produce that has travelled merely 'metres' rather than 'miles'. Fresh
unadulterated food.
On June 4th His Royal Highness Prince Charles visited the farm to open The
Green Room. He spent the afternoon looking round the vegetable garden,
watched schoolchildren collecting eggs from the chickens, toured the shop and
cafe and then having met the staff, our builders and some of our longest
standing customers he declared the Green Room open. It was a pleasure to be
able to share what we are doing here with Prince Charles who has done so much
to raise the profile of organic farming, speaking out for a sustainable future
in an often unsympathetic world.
There have been a steady flow of things happening in The Green Room since
its opening. We have hosted a conference for 100, a workshop for 10 and much in-between. An inner city Birmingham
based gardening group of 30 came for a day out, the Soil Association have had farming seminars and educational days
for their admin. staff, Elm Farm Research Centre have held talks here. Even our bank Triodos has sent some of their
staff to have a look at us. We are also very pleased to be hosting the Soil Association AGM in October.
If you are interested in hiring The Green Room for educational workshops, team building days, talks,
conferences etc. do talk to me. Larger events can be held on Mondays when the shop is shut.
All our visitors are treated to a trip to the Organic Farm Shop and
café. They all tell me how lucky we are to have such a wonderful
Aladdin's cave of treats just around the corner from our home. I
wholeheartedly agree with them. To sit in the café on a summer's
afternoon before my shop and watch our children play merrily in
the playground with other organic kids is lovely - I will look back
on my life and remember moments just like these. I try to take
advantage of all that the Organic Farm Shop has to offer - the
home made quiches, the fruit, vegetables and meat, the yummy
face creams, household items, books, clothes and nappies for the
children. This year I added 'seeds' to my list. I planted my first
organic vegetable garden and as I'm not green fingered at all was
so surprised to reap the benefits so easily! I was able to eat my
own organic salads and supplement these with hot house
vegetables such as the delicious red peppers and cucumbers that
the Organic Farm Shop grows. How lovely it is that not only are
we able to eat such lovely organic produce from the shop, but also
that Hilary and her team encourage our ability to be organic at
home. This weekend we will have guests and of course treat them
to the Organic Farm Shop experience. I hope that they will leave
with a basket full of organic produce and the feeling that they too
can do a little bit more to be organic at home. Abigail Hellens
'Far From the Concrete Jungle'
Having fled the Big City and no longer bound
Now chilling in the Cotswolds 'organic life' truly sound
Putting the goodness back, becoming more of what I eat
Hilary's Organic Farm Shop is not to be beat
Where only the best will do, and there the best is found
Green fields forever and greener issues abound
Say what of our future and that of our land
Say No to GM, come on lets make a stand
Sterile vegetables are not what we need
The tree of all knowledge came from but a seed!
Charlotte Bronte Lucking, Sept '03
Life is greater for the move and enjoying work at the Organic Farm
Shop. It has put me back in touch with nature. Currently learning
what's in season.
<TOP>
HELOISE
Heloise has enjoyed her highly visible position greeting visitors at the gate to The Organic Shop and Café, but has nothing more to root up - her pen is tired! She will move to fresh pasture over the next few weeks, but don't despair - she will be back!
WHY AM I ANGRY?
A number of years ago, I was becoming increasingly troubled by the mindless weekly trip to the supermarket. The soulessness, the competitiveness, the greed, the cynical marketing, the lack of food taste and sensation was actually making me angry. But I was railing against something that I couldn't at the time put my finger on.
Yet the more I read and the more I learnt about supermarkets and the effect that they were having on our lives in the UK, the angrier I became.
"Tesco's pay farmers 9p for a pinta they sell for 36p"
"One fifth of independent shops, pubs and post offices closed between 1995 - 2000"
"Supermarkets energetically support new varieties of apple with US patent and plant breeding rights still attached. For the privilege of cultivating it, growers have to pay a royalty for each tree planted. Another royalty is levied on the company that supplies it to the retailer"
"About 70% of all UK food now passes through the top 4 supermarket chains"
"The average item of food purchased from a supermarket travels over 1,000 miles by lorry and plane from producers to distribution centres back to stores causing severe environmental damage"
"The average annual farming income has fallen to £7,000 - a third of the national average"
Then I happened to read something that suddenly made an awful lot of sense 'supermarkets treat you as consumers, not citizens'. This one line immediately made sense of how I was feeling.
Coincidentally, it was about that time that Hilary asked me if I thought an organic shop in Cirencester was a good idea and would I support one if it were opened? Bingo! It was almost too good to be true.
And so I started shopping at The Organic Farm Shop and discovered that the eggs, bread and vegetables to name but a few obvious items, were a sensation compared to the supermarket offering. But still supermarkets had an almost irresistible draw on me; it's a habit hard to kick. Why? - they are so convenient and they are very, very good at telling us that what they are doing is in direct response to what we the consumer wants. Not surprising then that we spend 3% of our waking lives in them.
But slowly over time and as The Organic Farm Shop grew and the range widened, I now find that I can get almost everything that I need for the family here (OK, so far no Marmite equivalent!). The benefits are immense and wide ranging: - safe traceable food; GMO free; minimal packaging; reduction in food miles; taste; seasonal produce (more home cooking!) the list is endless. A drive down the lane and an immediate awareness of our surroundings spreads over me. You see the seasons, you see the food source, there are no ugly corporate buildings totally at odds with local architecture and materials, no vast car parks, just a feeling of calmness and an altogether richer part of my life.
I'm still angry though and why shouldn't I be? The majority are not so lucky to have such an enterprise run with conviction so close to them. Instead, the supermarkets keep plugging the message that shoppers benefit for their food is cheaper. Employees of the supermarkets are I'm sure well looked after and the shareholders delighted. Yet someone has to pay for the cost cutting. Its short-termism gone mad. It's ripping the heart out of the countryside and farming communities and it's creating a landfill time bomb. Just who will pay for this? Not the supermarket, we will - or worse still, our children and children's children.
Sometimes I despair, but I do believe that my stand does count and my family and I are much better off. I chose to turn my back on supermarkets because I'd had enough of being lied to and exploited. We have a choice and if you are wavering, but just can't quite kick the supermarket habit, just have a look at the supermarkets web sites - there are pages and pages devoted to the mythical creature of ' social conscience'. It's difficult not to choke at the utter hypocrisy…
John
BED AND BREAKFAST
We are compiling a list of local B&B's to give out when there is a two (or more) day conference/course in The Green Room. Let us know if you do B&B, particularly if you could offer an organic, or partly organic, breakfast. (See 'Did you know' that's presuming you can get the eggs of course!!!!) Email us or drop in the following details; no of rooms/beds available, address, phone no. cost and any other relevant info!
P.S. to the bee letter
We are eternally grateful to Ian for the following quick action!
Our second sandwich board, the first having vanished about a year ago, disappeared mysteriously in broad daylight one Tuesday. Will, who is our sign co-ordinator on the farm, was understandably pretty fed up and said that that was IT, no more sandwich board painting for someone else to steal. I think the sign is important for the shop so I was not happy either. On the Friday, Ian, who is a very regular customer in the café, came in with a large grin on his face. I think I might have something of yours in my car he said, and to our utter amazement out came the aforementioned sandwich board. He had been going along his village high street when to his surprise he saw our board leaning against a building. Quickly into the car and back home to The Organic Farm Shop.
A customer quote which is not particularly literary but very apt knowing how popular this particular vegetable is.
On putting out the purple sprouting broccoli one morning, she said to me,"you grow it, we grab it!"
As many of you are probably aware, the shop and café have been feeling a bit small lately, so we have been thinking about building on. I have spent the last six months deliberating about size. Size as in small is beautiful, but how small is small, and is small beautiful if it becomes too small to function easily.
The result of the deliberations was that small is DEFINITELY beautiful and size is relative. We are getting much needed extra space but we shall still be small!
Small in that we hope you all feel at home when you shop here, small in that in season the vast majority of the fresh food is from the farm, small in that you can see the chickens that lay your eggs, the sheep, cows and pigs that give you your meat, the garden which grows the vegetables that you eat. That shall always be the main reason for this shop. Connection to the land which gives us fresh food. Focusing on localization not globalization.
Which is why we wanted to create a space for education. Our centre will be used primarily for the local visiting primary schools. It will also be available for talks, meetings, seminars, conferences, and exhibitions, with a common thread of organic farming, from producing it to cooking and eating it! , conservation and our environment. This space is for our customers use as well as the public at large. If you would like to come to or arrange a talk on a related topic do let us know!
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Abbey
Home Farm - Organic Producer of the Year 1999 
The
Organic Farm Shop - Organic Retailer of the Year 2000