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    The sheep shearing season: an interview and photo story

    Nigel Akehurst of Indie Farmer | 03-Aug-2017 | 3

    The year’s sheep shearing season is almost at an end. This week, our friends at Indie Farmer shared with us their sheep shearing photo story and interview with Ed Gingell, the so-called ‘Lewis Hamilton’ of sheep shearing, who visited Hockham Farm in 2015 to shear the flock and returned again to do the same just… Continue reading The sheep shearing season: an interview and photo story Read more

    Starting a market garden: Q&A with Chris Smaje of Small Farm Future

    Chris Smaje of Vallis Veg | 02-Jul-2017 | 1

    Chris Smaje of Small Farm Future kindly agreed to share with us a recent blog post of his own about starting a market garden, drawing on his experiences at Vallis Veg, a small farm on the outskirts of Frome in Somerset with a veg box scheme and much more besides. Covering 13 questions collated from… Continue reading Starting a market garden: Q&A with Chris Smaje of Small Farm Future Read more

    Opportunity to achieve a permaculture livelihood on a couple of acres on Devon/Cornwall border

    Libby Cameron of | 16-Jun-2017 | 8

    Hi, I have a small piece of land (approx. 1.75 acres)  with small barn on the Devon-Cornwall border that I would really like to make available to someone committed to creating a permaculture lifestyle.  Read more

    In sight of Pendle Hill: a glimpse of life at Gazegill Farm

    We’re delighted to introduce the first in a series of posts by photographer and researcher Walter Lewis of Feeding Body and Soul. He will be sharing a selection of stories from his journey exploring local sustainable food production in England and Wales, beginning with Gazegill Farm in Lancashire. Read more

    Groundswell: an agricultural show for no-till, organic farming with cover crops and grass-fed animals

    A groundswell of farmers around the world are working out how to farm in a more ecologically-friendly way. One of the farmers leading the farming revolution in the UK is John Cherry, who has set up a 2-day conference on his farm in Hertfordshire, 28th and 29th of June. Read more

    Ecological Land Co-op share offer extended after exceeding target: help us change the way land is owned in the UK

    WOW! We’ve surpassed our initial maximum target of £340,000, and there are still FOUR days to go. Our new investors are helping us continue our work supporting small-scale, agro-ecological farming. Thank you! Read more

    Help the Ecological Land Co-operative to set up more smallholdings

    You can join the Ecological Land Co-operative as an investor, by moving some money from your bank savings account (and receiving a better rate of interest). If you agree with the ELC’s principles, this would be extremely helpful. Read more

    How to stop slugs in your allotment or garden, naturally

    Ludwig Appeltans of Earth Ways | 16-Apr-2017 | 3

    Ludwig Appeltans shares his top tips on how to stop slugs naturally and keep your garden or allotment thriving – no slug pellets needed! Read more

    Two things you can do to help stop the encroachment of GM crops into the UK

    Linda Kaucher of Stop TTIP | 11-Apr-2017 | 4

    Glyphosate is the key ingredient in Monsanto’s ‘Roundup’, the product that farmers have to buy to apply to the genetically-modified crops that they’ve bought from Monsanto. Half of Monsanto’s profits come from Roundup sales. Read more

    New Ecological Land Co-op share offer launched: here’s a chance to help bring about change in land ownership in the UK, and receive 3% interest for your trouble!

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 04-Apr-2017 | 1

    Please share this as widely as you can. I’m on the board of the Ecological Land Co-op, and so I know how much hard work has gone into this – it’s an opportunity for people to shift their money to help change the nature of land ownership in the UK, and receive 3% interest for… Continue reading New Ecological Land Co-op share offer launched: here’s a chance to help bring about change in land ownership in the UK, and receive 3% interest for your trouble! Read more

    University meets WWOOF: An interview with student and WWOOFer Iona Desouza

    Hours spent in the library? Check. Essay and assignment deadlines flooding in? Check. Tractor driving, wool spinning and weeding at weekends? Check! Read more

    Would you like to be a chef on an organic farm / cafe, with a small cottage available too?

    Sinking into a bit of a depression about both the British and American situation this winter a wise friend kindly reminded me that these issues are merely a distraction from more important things in our everyday lives. Read more

    Why self-reliance is so important as part of a secure, low-impact life

    Andy Reynolds of the Ecolodge | 04-Mar-2017 | 0

    I am Andy Reynolds, a long-term practitioner of low-impact living, smallholder, author, forester, teacher, carpenter, builder. I’ve been working with Lowimpact.org since the early noughties, and I’d like to share my philosophy on self-reliance with you. Read more

    Come and join us on our organic, off-grid smallholding in 2017

    We are James and Sukamala, tenants at Wild Geese Acres, Greenham Reach, which is an off-grid, low-impact farming project established in north Devon by the Ecological Land Coop  (ELC) – see website. http://ecologicalland.coop. Read more

    If ‘agroecology’ is such a good idea, how can we get the planning system to promote it?

    Daniel Scharf of Dan the Plan | 07-Feb-2017 | 2

    The planning system doesn’t currently differentiate between different types of agriculture, and maybe it should. The type of agriculture we prefer could be labelled ‘agroecology’ – but the problem is how to define it and how to get the planning system to recognise it, let alone promote it. Read more

    New York Times: GM crops require more pesticides and don’t increase yields

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 27-Nov-2016 | 6

    I’ve been saying for a long time that GM crops do not increase yields and they don’t reduce pesticide use – because that’s not what they’re designed for. This report in the New York Times shows that I was right. Read more

    Wales’ unique ‘one-planet’ planning policy and the Lammas Ecovillage

    Here at the Lammas Ecovillage we have recently celebrated our 7th birthday. The 9 households have collectively built around 15 different buildings, planted many thousands of trees, created hundreds of new habitats, and hosted thousands of volunteers and visitors. Read more

    The absurd nature of land ownership in the UK, and the ‘Land for What?’ conference, Nov 12-13

    Tom Kenny of Shared Assets | 22-Oct-2016 | 0

    There’s a weekend conference coming up that you might be interested in. It’s called ‘Land for What?’ and it’s taking place over the weekend of November 12 and 13. Read more

    Progress? Is modern food production efficient (using poultry as an example)?

    We often hear it said that modern farming is efficient and results in low cost food on our table but how true is that? I would contend that there is an awful lot wrong with our food production and distribution systems in the west and the much vaunted efficiency is far from being the true… Continue reading Progress? Is modern food production efficient (using poultry as an example)? Read more

    Ecological Land Co-op are looking for an operations manager – might it be you or someone you know?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 02-Sep-2016 | 0

    I am privileged to be a director of the wonderful Ecological Land Co-op, and we are currently advertising for an operations manager. Read more

    There’s a crash coming – a slap from Mother Nature. This isn’t pessimistic; it’s realistic.

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

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