Info, news & debate
Plants
Community Orchards – tragedy or victory of the commons?
Community orchards at their best are many things at once: a social space, a coming together of people to work together on a common task; a celebration of the abundant harvest of fruit; a haven for wildlife and a pocket of biodiversity.
Are metal raised beds safe for vegetables?
With the growing season, we look at whether or not a metal raised bed is safe for vegetable growing?
Worried about fruit & veg rationing? Let’s grow our own, in our communities
Every so often something happens that punctures our sense of what’s normal. In the UK one of those events was empty shelves that used to display fruit and veg. Then supermarkets began rationing some food items.
Bring on the peat ban – no garden should cost the Earth
Despite UK-wide commitments to end the use of peat in horticulture, the legislation needed to make this happen is still frustratingly out of reach. This week, an official announcement on the ban in England was postponed because of the Conservative Party leadership election; and the other three administrations have no firm plans on the table. …
Rewilding or local food production?
We like the idea of rewilding, but it needs much more thought when it removes good UK lowland farmland – because then, obviously, land elsewhere will have to brought into agricultural production to take up the slack.
In celebration of soft fruit
A celebration of local, seasonal soft fruit and the memories that it can evoke.
Why gardening is such a great hobby for children
Why gardening can be a great hobby for children and how you can get started.
Small is beautiful, but is it regenerative?
Can small scale farms be sustainable and regenerative?
George Monbiot and friends are wrong: techno-utopianism won’t save us
George Monbiot has joined a campaign called ‘Reboot Food’, working with techno-utopians who would like to see governments remove support for organic food and deregulate the GM industry, as well as producing bacteria-based food in giant factories (‘precision-fermentation’), and getting rid of smallholdings.
Organic smallholdings, not ‘farm-free’ food factories
Another critical review of George Monbiot’s latest book, Regenesis, by Chris Smaje, author of Small Farm Future. This follows on from last week’s review by Simon Fairlie.
‘Monbiotic man’ – will future food be ‘farm-free’?
Simon Fairlie starts a series of articles about whether technology will save us. He supports small farmers over George Monbiot’s ‘Regenesis’ solution.
How to ripen your Halloween pumpkins
Getting your pumpkins ripe and ready for Halloween!
What is quince and how to cook it
How to cook your homegrown quince!
Tulips, chill and climate change
Tulip bulbs are back in garden centres – read about how climate change, and the chill in the air, can affect tulips. Get hints and tips to help you make the best of this garden favourite.
Why eat raw foods?
A fast synopsis and gentle reminder of the power and necessity of incorporating raw foods in your diet for health and vibrancy…
Designing your garden for extreme heat
Many perennials, shrubs and trees – particularly newly planted – are going to struggle in the kind of conditions we’re faced with as I write – record high temperatures after months of low rainfall. What can we do to help them?
Consider gifting land to the Ecological Land Coop to support agroecological farming
At Low impact we love to hear about our companion organizations’ successes, this reblog from the ecological land coop describes why we are celebrating. The ecological land coop have been inspired to try a new approach in their campaign to reawaken our rural economies after they were gifted land by two very noble ecologically minded farmers in Wales…
Reflections on building the ‘Commons’ economy
Lowimpact has been around since 2001, and we’ve provided lots of ways to help people live more sustainably. We’re going to also be focusing on how to build the ‘commons’ economy in future, as a viable alternative to the status quo.
How to make good apple juice
Apple juice is in some ways more difficult to make than cider, and indeed it can scarcely be regarded as a traditional product at all. Until the recognition late in the 19th century that fermentation was caused by yeast converting sugar into alcohol, the difference between juice and cider was somewhat obscure and of little practical importance in any case.
Review of ‘Going to Seed’, new book by Simon Fairlie
This is a review of Simon Fairlie’s new book, Going to Seed, out on Feb 10th – his ‘counterculture memoir’ – although at times I’ll unapologetically veer into (hopefully relevant) political rambling.