The Hatching of – Bars, Veg and Things Unknown

Apologies for being away for so long. Here is a brief update of the recent allotment stuff and our hopes for 2010.

The raised bed materials, formerly at the side of our house, have now been turned into the raised beds. The green manure seeds have been sown and are currently growing into some rather lovely grazing rye plants. We have also sown some wild flower mix, with the intention of attracting bees and butterflies to the plots in the spring. We now have a lovely flagstone path leading to the shed, which currently contains the materials for making the greenhouse.
Our key volunteers have recently gained certificates in First Aid, which is lovely for them. Environmental Chris has now got a full time job locally, which is really good for him as our funding for his work had ended. He is enjoying being part of the project, tho, and intends to continue to support what we do.

In terms of forward planning, we need to complete the paths and also to get the greenhouse erected. Naturally, the next few months will see the sowing of seeds and hopefully being able to bring some of them on in the greenhouse. We also have the arduous task of ensuring that the funding we gained last spring is spent on the items we outlined before the deadline in March 2010.
Other important plans are for the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (scheduled for Feb/March) and for raising awareness of the project. We hope to gain support from the local Christian community, in terms of prayer and perhaps volunteers and finance. We also need to publicise the project amongst potential service-users.

All we need now is for the snow to thaw thoroughly in order to get back to the allotment!

Hello, WibFolk, sorry to have been gone for so long.  Chasing my tail, plus some technical problems, have caused the prolonged absence – but here we are again with a lot of news.  First, the building of the shed:

Work begins on the base

Hmm, it would seem that technology prevents me from posting any more pics than that rather fine one of Environmental Chris.  Rest assured, the shed is practically finished.  Once we have got hold of a long enough ladder, we will be able to put the final trim on and it will be done, dusted and waterproof.  (Please be praying that the roof does not blow away in the meantime.  Seriously, I just had a phone call from the Allotment Sec warning me of this while typing the blog post.)

Other progress has been in the form of some lovely crops – a bountiful amount of spuds, lettuce and radish, plus our first pickings of cabbage and courgette in recent weeks.  We also managed to harvest a few blackcurrants too. Mmmm.  The sweetcorn are looking promising and the rather bizarre looking Jerusalem Artichokes planted very early this year have done a brilliant job of growing into a very effective windbreak.

The raw materials for the raised beds currently occupy a fair amount of space at the side of our house and we have other items in our garage and at the plot itself awaiting the opportunity to become pathways – both of paving slabs and of woodchip on membrane.  Some organic grazing rye seeds delivered the other day are in a box in the back room for the time being.  We plan to sow them this coming Thursday in order to form ground cover over the winter.  Come the spring, the resulting plants will be cut down and dug into the plot to add nutrients.  This is known as the process of adding green manure – clever, eh?

Other matters have progressed regarding raising awareness of  and support for our work, as well as moving towards a time (alebeit slowly) when we will be able to take referrals for people to attend the allotment as therapy.  Watch this space and I will tell you more details . . . I may even be able to find a way to add the shed photos too!

We’re in the money!  We’re in the money!  We’ve got alot of what it takes to-  um - put a greenhouse and shed etc on the plot!

Yes, you’ve guessed it, our grant application was successful.

Now I really need to get my backside in gear in order to co-ordinate the obtaining and installing of various items of equipment and structures.  First thinngs first, get the Trustees together for a meeting to discuss our priorities.  (Thanks to those who prayed for the last Trustees meeting.  We finally got together on 6th March and had a very productive time.  Prayers for more of the same, please!)

I am both excited and nervous – I feel like this is a big step for Sustaining Life, and for little me.

Help! / Yippee! (In approx equal measure.)

The seed order arrived a while ago, sorry that I forgot to tell you. Very exciting, potential plants contained in little specks. I find that kind of thing just stunning!

Also, the Trustees meeting had to be re-scheduled. We are now planning to meet on Friday 6th March. Please pray that it does not get postponed again, as this would be the third time.

Thanks.

Met with Chris yesterday, at a local caff bearing the fabulous name ‘Bread of Heaven.’  He, I and our two faithful volunteers munched on bacon butties and talked allotment.  It was a productive chat, the main result being his willingness to become involved in the project again.  He is planning to volunteer at a work day in a couple of weeks and appeared most enthusiastic about the opportunity to work as a trainer for us.

Now all we need is a successful funding bid so we can pay him!

…our allotted dough.

Okay, so that is more than a bit of a paraphrase, but yesterday I finished a grant application for a substantial amount from a Trust Fund and handed it over to the helpful Communities First worker, Lisa.  She should have added the finishing touches and put it in the post today.  So, the waiting begins.

A successful application will result in us being donated sufficient money to put a large greenhouse, shed and some raised beds on the top plot.  Also, we will have enough cash for some more tools and equipment, plus we will be able to lay some paving down and edge the veg beds. 

The most exciting thing, from my point of view, is the fact that we were encouraged to bid for the means to pay someone to provide training.  In effect, this means that we would be able to employ someone to lead a three hour allotment session per week (currently led by myself or the volunteers). If this goes through, then I have it in mind to approach Chris from BTCV (remember him?) and offer him first refusal.  I bumped into him in the supermerket last week, after not being able to get in touch with him since his contract ended earlier this year, to find that he is at a loose end and in danger of retreating from S Wales completely.  As he was such a great asset to the area when he worked here, I would like to at least offer him some incentive to stay.  I would be very happy indeed if we were able to take him on, as he has extensive experience in leading community allotment projects already, as well as being an all round Good Bloke.

So, there you have it.  Prayers for grants to be granted, please!

Btw, the new pic at the top is from the Big Dig.

Today we have accomplished a great task. It was so great that it took us all day. We left the house just after 8 and finally got home at 5.

In that time we collected a rented, flat bed Transit and moved the best part of a tonne (at least) of rotted manure from a friend’s of a friend’s manure collection. We’ve moved around a quarter of his pile and will be back in the future for more – funds permiting.

That may take a little time as we have almost exhausted our bank account – yes we now have one. So as well as looking for specific grants to fund a greenhouse, shed etc we also need to begin thinking of ways of raising more funds. So if anyone has any ideas please let us know.

Tomorrow we have 2 volunteers spreading the muck and we have to clean the truck and return it. If there is time we’ll help with the spreading.

Many thanks to Dan for the driving of his dumper, his JCB and giving up his Saturday morning. Thanks to the Rev P (our treasurer) for letting Dan off household chores to help. Thanks to Brian for supplying us with free poo and tea. Thanks to Paul for giving up his Saturday to help us and buying us lunch (we forgot to give your money back) and offering to give up his Sunday afternoon to spread muck. Thanks also to Dave who will also be spreading much tomorrow afternoon.

2009 Targets

WORKING ON THE PLOT

The first activity planned for this year is the collection and spreading of manure tomorrow (Sat).  A team of us will be collecting the muck, kindly provided by a couple of local horses, delivering it and putting it on the plot.  This will rot down in the course of the next few months, adding condition and nutrients to the soil.  Mmmm (the plants will say!)

The plants in question are currently in the form of a seed order which is due to be sent very soon.  The focus for this season will be to grow a number of more traditional, hopefully easy, crops on the bottom plot.  Also planned is the establishment of some boundary plants for shelter on this plot, and perhaps a pond and some fruit bushes.  The hope is also that some funds will come through to allow the purchase of a greenhouse, shed, raised beds and other essentials for the top plot, which is looking to be the location for permanent structures.  I, personally, would like to see these things in place by the end of this year, so that they are in use by next season and we will be able to concentrate on the planting around them.

ADMIN, FUNDRAISING AND THE LIKE

Lisa, the Communities First worker, is in the process of putting a Trust Fund bid together for us.  If this is successful, then the plan is that it will pay for all of the above!  I have a copy of the funding bid so far, she and I need to work on it together next week and have it submitted by the end of Jan to reach the next round of applications (otherwise it will be a case of waiting ’til April).  Please pray.

We are also working on our corporate image.  Well, okay, we are sorting out a logo to use as a letterhead etc.  One of our Trustees has a friend who is happy to do this for a nominal fee, so this should hopefully be sorted with very little difficulty.

The next Trustees meeting is planned for the beginning of Feb.  This will be the forum where any other major decisions for forward planning are agreed upon.

Of course, this is simply the allotment side of the whole thing.  Watch this space for other developments in areas already mentioned by Jeff.  Also, do not forget to look out for the ‘Things Unknown’ . . . we certainly will!

Dith

Although my attempts at monthly updates and target setting have fallen by the wayside recently (Jan Target: Resume monthly progress posts!), I could not let this opportunity to look back over this last year go by unnoticed.  So…

WORKING ON THE PLOT

At the beginning of the year, we had the excellent assistance of Chris from BTCV and his volunteers.  This, combined with occasional help from my friend Jon, enabled us to clear the botton plot and plant a few crops.  Sadly, the loss of Chris’ help and other matters led to a slack period which meant that the only successful crop, apart from the potatoes, were the weeds.  This was soon rectified by the return of one of the BTCV volunteers and another very useful volunteer.  Due to sterling work by these guys most Monday afternoons since September, the bottom plot is now very well dug over and looking great.

Another boon was the help given by the Global Exchange (VSO) volunteers which endabled us to clear the top plot by the end of November.  The day of the Big Dig saw their random, but nevertheless effective, digging skills put paid to all the concerns about our losing the plot due to lack of attention.  Two other volunteers may also be added to our number as a result of their involvement in the dig. Overall, the day was alot of fun; involving much laughter, alot of mud, some hard work the consumption of a vast amount of soup and tea!

The two current regular volunteers and myself also sat down at the end of this year to plan a layout of the two plots and put together a seed order.  It was nice, at that point, to sit in a lovely warm cafe, and we have some good ideas for the coming year (see forthcoming post!)

ADMIN, FUNDRAISING AND THE LIKE

Despite a few problems initially, the Chestnut Fund grant that we applied for via BTCV came through and proved very useful.  It enabled us to supplement the money from a generous donor the previous year and purchase the necessary insurance for our work.  The Chestnut Fund also provided basic tools which have helped things to get underway.  In addition, we are now in contact with a local Communities First worker who has provided us with alot of information and support.  She is currently in the process of sourcing other funds which, if they come through, will be very useful in implimenting future plans, 

This year also saw the formation of a Management Committee and the appointment of Trustees.  One result of the Trustees meetings is that now have our own bank account (to put all the lovely grants in!)  These meetings have been really productive and provided a focus and support for the administrative side of the work.  Consequently, we now have a constitution, have registered as a business limited by guarantee and are looking at options for a logo for Sustaining Life.  Another vital function provided by the committee meetings is the fact that they can keep me from going off on tangents!

OVERALL THOUGHTS

It has become obvious to me, as I have been typing this summary, that much of the focus to date has been upon what we have done in a very physical sense.  Whilst that is not a bad thing, I personally do not want to forget who I serve and why I am doing this.  At the end of the day, it is not about growing nice crops and making me look good!  It is about honouring the Lord and serving those he has given us.  Please pray that we do not forget this as we progress into 2009, and join us in thanking the Lord for how far he has brought us already.

As you will see we are starting to change. Now that plot has “hatched” we are expanding and it seems that the blog will need to as well. We are no longer just a one trick pony but beginning to expand into other areas.

We are moving into the work of visiting prisioners and as part of that I have been in contact with the local Youth Offenders Institute (YOI) a few miles away from us. We are already visiting another young lad at a YOI a little farther away.

I find that such people are written off by society and demonised by the media. Once you are tarred with that brush it nevers seems to come off. You can try to hide what you’ve done but you’re always worried that someone may find out and judge you on what you were and not are now.

In addition many have no one to visit them or require someone who’ll just sit, listen and not judge them. There is a lot of male postering going on in institutions and it can be hard to be yourself. You’re locked up for hours on end with nothing to do but can socialise for a few hours a day. So all you do is sleep and think – not much of a way of rehabilitating people is it.

So prison visitors can be a great help and distraction.

It’s odd that I have this as a calling as small talk is not my strong point.