Involved in a community food growing project?
Interested in all year-round salad growing?
Beaten by the calendar this year so desparately seeking vegetable plants to plug gaps?
Inspired by poets whose vision captures our times?
…. or/and just fancy some “simply exquisite” freshly picked and flavoured lunch.. served with coffee & cake on London’s forest edge?
Connect to any of above?!
Come on Sunday 28 June to this month’s Open Day at Organiclea’s Hawkwood site. Choose your connect – drop in, or stay for the day (12-4).
See below for full timings/details, including Forest School (must be booked):
Hawkwood Plant Nursery, Sunday 28 June, 12-4pm
This month’s open day has something for all.
It’s our annual celebration of locally-connected poet John Clare, including a John Clare site tour with open mic session. We are hosting the Community Food Grower’s Network Summer Gathering which will include a series of workshops (open to all). Throughout the day there is seasonal savoury food and coffee with cake for sale, a bargain end of season plant sale and the Forest School. All welcome.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY: 12-4PM
Plant sale: Everything must go… gardeners on hand for last-minute seasonal advice and problem solving!
Refreshments: Coffee, teas and cake along with lunch catering using fresh produce sourced straight from earth to table.
Farm produce stall: Produce from Hawkwood, and from the farmers that supply our Walthamstow and Leytonstone street stalls. Other Community Food Growers from across north London also bringing produce.
Forest school (12-3pm): Activities and free play for children of all ages. Children under 6 must be accompanied. Spaces are limited so please email londonforestschool@gmail.com
ANNUAL JOHN CLARE CELEBRATION WITH SITE TOUR-ING POETRY, 2.30-4pm
2.30pm John Clare site tour: A tour of the 12 acre site around the orchard, bee hives, salad terrace, greenhouse, vineyard with a John Clare twist! John Clare was a 19th century poet who has the acclaim of “the greatest labouring-class poet that England has ever produced. No one has ever written more powerfully of nature, of a rural childhood, and of the alienated and unstable self” (Jonathan Bate).
Slam poetry/open mic session: Bring a poem to share if you fancy or join to hear the words of others -all welcome!
WORKSHOPS THAT WELCOME THE COMMUNITY FOOD GROWERS NETWORK SUMMER GATHERING – OPEN TO ALL
12-1.30PM: Growing salad thorughout the year: A salad rotation skill-share. Ru from Organiclea will lead a session on considerations for designing a salad rotation leading into a practical task on the Hawkwood salad terrace.
1-1.30PM: Learn more about the Wholesome Food Association(WFA): Established in 1999, the Wholesome Food Association is a network of growers, processors, suppliers and distributors of authentic, locally-grown, wholesome food. Our ethos is based on affordability, good growing practice, trust and common sense. Come and talk to Tess of the WFA to find out more and see if the WFA is right for you.
2-2.30pm: Introduction to the Community Food Growers Network. A short discussion about why and how the network of community gardens works, how to get involved and future plans.
Please share with others who you think might also find connection in any of the above.
— And just come visit for some free-time in green space with growing plants; as recently shared in our grower’s blog: “June has been all sweat and dust. The rains passed over our heads, and the skies barely spat until the 20th, when the heavens opened, giving us veg growers … good reasons to party hard..” .. see https://organiclea.wordpress.com/ for latest post, ‘Of brassicas and kings’ and more regular writings about our site work. Come share!
You can find directions to our Hawkwood site at http://www.organiclea.org.uk/contact-us/ Giving rail, bus, river-cycle and road links. Parking is available at the site.
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