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Photographic Exhibition – “A Fruit Farming Year: Nature and Nurture” May 26 – June 9

Wildflowers in the orchards at Castle Fruit Farm by Pat Strauss

Ledbury Food Group’s eagerly awaited photographic exhibition “A Fruit Farming Year: Nature and Nurture”, featuring photos by local photographer Pat Strauss, will be on display from 26 May – 9 June in the Panelled Room of the Master’s House.

Ledbury Food Group arranged for Pat to visited the family-run modern commercial orchards of Castle Fruit Farm throughout one farming year. Expecting perhaps a simple cycle of planting, growing and picking, we discover instead a myriad of diverse but interconnected activities. In winter, when the countryside appears dormant, we see workers juggling the weather to plant and protect young trees, alongside bird netting and counting, and putting up nesting boxes. Migrating birds are orchard “workers” too, clearing pests and cleaning up unharvested fruit.

Continue reading “Photographic Exhibition – “A Fruit Farming Year: Nature and Nurture” May 26 – June 9″

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A Ledbury Farming Year 2015-16 Slideshow Now Available

Andrew Powers feeding new born lamb

Ledbury Food Group’s website now features a slide show of photographs from our exhibition “A Ledbury Farming Year 2015-16”

This 6 minute presentation tells the story, in photographs and sound effects, of a year in the working life of two independent producers just 2 miles from Ledbury in Little Marcle: sheep farmer Andrew Powers of Marcle Farming and organic vegetable grower John Davenport, owner of Little Marcle Farm Shop. Continue reading “A Ledbury Farming Year 2015-16 Slideshow Now Available”

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Walk this way to find Ledbury’s food producers…

Drop any line on a map of the countryside around Ledbury and you are likely to cut through a number of different farms, each with their own way of working the land and with their own portfolio of produce. That’s just what Ledbury Food Group did last month – only we walked the line, met some of the farmers and enjoyed some of the produce! Continue reading “Walk this way to find Ledbury’s food producers…”

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Introducing ‘A Farming Year at Bentley’s Castle Fruit Farm’

Apples in frost at Castle Fruit Farm by Pat Strauss
Apples in frost at Castle Fruit Farm by Pat Strauss

The Ledbury Food Group would like to introduce its second Photography Project in the “Ledbury Farming Year” series. The purpose of these projects is to get an inside view of the workings of farms and producers in our area, so that we can relate more directly to them and understand the challenges and rewards facing the people who bring food to our tables. This year we will be featuring Bentleys Castle Fruit Farm near Dymock, and looking at not only the orchards, but at some of the issues facing a small commercial farm. As well as selling their fruit wholesale, it is sold at Jenkins greengrocers and seasonally at the Saturday market in Ledbury, the monthly produce market in Kempley and at food fairs in and around Ledbury. Continue reading “Introducing ‘A Farming Year at Bentley’s Castle Fruit Farm’”

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Growing Vegetables with John Davenport

Spend ten minutes with John Davenport and you’ll go home and plant radishes in your window box. His enthusiasm is infectious as he shows you around his twenty five acres at Flights Orchard Farm, Little Marcle. Like his father and grandfather, he grows a wide range of salads and vegetables. With that kind of deep-rooted knowledge, there are no complicated planting plans. John knows exactly what is going where as it’s all in his head. Having converted to organic farming in 1985, soil fertility is crucial. He operates a strict four year rotation – clover, brassicas, non brassicas and then potatoes.

John Davenport in his potato field
John Davenport in his potato field

Continue reading “Growing Vegetables with John Davenport”