Old Varieties — Page 3 — Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties

Mar 30 2011

Fences to protect rare juniper woodland

Government permission is being sought for plans to regenerate two areas of native juniper woodland in the Cumbrian Lake District.

The proposed project aims to fence off nearly 30 acres of Glenridding Common, alongside one of the popular walking routes up to Helvellyn, for up to 15 years.

By keeping grazing animals out of this area, the native juniper woodland will have a chance to re-establish itself, assisted by some new planting.

Details of the proposed fencing near Glenridding Youth Hostel and the old Greenside Mines and information about how to make comments will be on show in Patterdale Village Store and on the national park website; www.lakedistrict.gov.uk until 29 April.

The proposals have been drawn up by the Lake District National Park Authority, the graziers on the common and Natural England. The LDNPA has already consulted with other interested partners including the parish council, the Local Access Forum and Friends of the Lake District.

The decision on whether to approve the proposals will be made by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Head of Environment and Heritage for the national park, Andrew Herbert, said fencing was needed to promote the regeneration and growth of juniper by the exclusion of grazing animals. He appreciated that people would have a range of views about the project which needed to be considered. He Added;

“Our native juniper is a rare habitat in a European context. As such it represents an important component of the Helvellyn and Fairfield Site of Special Scientific Interest of which Glenridding Common forms part.

“Grazing is preventing the natural regeneration of juniper on the Common and the proper establishment of young plants that are still present. Successful regeneration of the juniper will contribute to meeting national scientific conservation targets and enhance this important part of the national park’s spectacular landscape.”

Comments on the scheme should be sent to: the Planning Inspectorate, Room 4/05, Kite Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN.

More information

National Park Authority

Mar 20 2011

Opportunity to grow rare tomatoes

Rare tomatoes from a Garden Organic collection of endangered vegetables and fruit will be made available for gardeners this spring thanks to a new venture.

Garden Organic, the UK’s leading organic growing charity, has teamed up with Delfland Nurseries to make a selection of tomato plants available from the charity’s Heritage Seed Library – a collection of vegetables made up of varieties either dropped from seed catalogues or handed down as family heirlooms, at risk of otherwise being lost from gardens forever.

The Heritage Seed Library works to conserve varieties by growing its accessions for seed each year, building stock and distributing seed to its 10,000 strong membership. This is the first time that the varieties have been made available as plants, other than at the charity’s HQ, Ryton gardens.

Through the new venture, gardeners will be able to buy The Heritage Seed Library tomato collection consisting of 6 plants containing the varieties: Jubilee, Darby Pink-Yellow, Tomato Noir, Pink Cherry, Yellow Currant and Wladeck via mail order. All of the plants are organic, peat free, and grown by Delfland Nurseries with £2.23 from each pack supporting Garden Organic’s work.

Head of the Heritage Seed Library, Neil Munro said, “The Heritage Seed Library is famous for its vast selection of tomato varieties. Hopefully this venture will see more gardeners growing and enjoying these varieties, which without the work of the Heritage Seed Library would no longer be available. We hope the more people that grow and enjoy this tomato collection, the more they will understand why it is important that we conserve them.”

Jill Vaughan of Delfland Nurseries said, “It’s a great opportunity to be able to access seed from this very important collection of vegetables and make them available to gardeners. There are some real gems in this tomato collection and we’re pleased to be able to give gardeners the chance to buy them as ready grown, peat-free plug plants to get their gardening off to a head start.”

Delfland Nurseries is taking orders for the tomato plants now and delivery dates for the collection are: March, April and early May.

To order your Heritage Seed Library tomato collection visit www.organicplants.co.uk or call 01354 740553 (Mon to Fri 9am – 5pm).

Tomato “Jubilee”
Indeterminate. Cordon. Previously commercially available. Described as “the best flavoured yellow”. Produces a heavy yield of slightly flattened globes of around 170-200gms; fruits have a mild but good flavour.

Tomato “Darby Pink-Yellow Striped”
Indeterminate. Cordon. Saved seed from striped tomato fruit from the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton. Do equally well in polytunnels, a cold greenhouse in pots and outside in a pot against a south-facing wall. Flavour is best when fruit are really ripe.

Tomato “Noir”
Indeterminate. Cordon. This variety was donated to the Heritage Seed Library by John Yeoman of the Village Guild. Produces large, sweet flavoured, dark red fruit with green shoulders. John Yeoman describes them as “a rare and decorative novelty.

Tomato “Pink Cherry”
Semi-determinate. Pinch out side (axial) shoots regularly. Prolific and hardy doing well both outdoors and under glass. The small, plum-shaped fruits begin pink, becoming red once ripe, have a pleasant, mild flavour and look wonderful in a mixed salad.

Tomato “Yellow Currant”
Indeterminate. Cordon. Originally a South American wild tomato. Bushy plants produce an abundance of tiny (1/2″) bright yellow tomatoes with a sweet taste.

Tomato “Wladeck’s”
Indeterminate. Cordon. Brought over from Poland after World War II by Wladeck Neitzgoda. This prolific variety can be grown outdoors or under glass. “Heavy trusses, which require ingenuity to support. Fruits are large and vari-sized beefsteak-type…the taste is a revelation – unsurpassed flavour and aroma.”

More information

Garden Organic – Heritage Seed Library

Delfland Nurseries – Leading organic propagator.

Feb 28 2011

Highland Cattle

Native to western Scotland, the Highland breed of cattle is one of Britain’s oldest, distinctive and best known breeds, with written records dating back to the 18th Century.

Highland cattle are a hardy breed, ideally suited to survival on poor mountain land with high rainfall, making the most of poor forage.

Many Highland cows continue to breed to ages in excess of eighteen years, sometimes giving birth to around 15 calves which are generally given birth to outdoors.

The hardy nature of this breed means that they can be reared naturally, thriving in the hills and uplands of our country, without the need for intensive farming practices.

The longevity and hardiness of the Highland breed, keeps their farming costs lower than many other breeds, making them an important contribution to the agricultural economy of the UK. They can be found in many areas of the British Isles and are in high demand in other areas of the world where grazing is poor and weather conditions cold and wet.

Highland Beef

Highland cattle produce lean, well-marbled, flesh that ensures tenderness and succulence with a very distinctive flavour. From a nutritional aspect, Highland Beef is healthy and nutritious with lower levels of fat and cholesterol and a higher protein and iron content than other beef.

More information

Highland Cattle Society – Find out more about the distinctive Highlander cattle.

Highland Cattle World – Read the stories of Highland cattle folds around the world.

Feb 19 2011

Rare breeds help restore meadow

An article in Farminguk.com states that Gateshead Council is using rare breed animals to help restore a wildflower meadow.

Rare breed Hebridean sheep and longhorn cattle from Bill Quay Community Farm have been used to graze land over winter to help put the magic back into a wildflower meadow at Wardley.

Intensive agriculture and forestry over many years has seen a huge decline in wildflower meadows and the insects and animals that frequent them. This is already changing in Wardley thanks to Bill Quay Farm’s furry friends.

Livestock grazing allows wild flowers to prosper, benefiting a wide range of insects and other animals. This form of management has encouraged breeding skylarks to return to the site.

The improvements to the Wardley meadow play a significant part in the implementation of the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan, which Gateshead Council has supported for many years as part of the Durham Biodiversity Partnership. The action plan exists to help threatened species and habitats and one part of this involves the restoration of flower rich grasslands.

Read full article

Feb 03 2011

Dyfi Valley Seed Savers Seed Swap

Dyfi valley Seed Savers have announced that there will be no Seedy Sunday this year but a seed swap will take place in February.

This year the Dyfi Valley Seed Savers have been concentrating on our other projects – the Welsh Vegetable Trials, and the Powys Orchard Survey.

Time has not allowed for the organisation of this year’s Seedy Sunday. There is, however going to be a seed swap at the Cwm Harry Land Trust, Vastre Estate in Newtown on the 19th Feb, 10.30 to 3pm.

They are also looking for another group to take on the Machynlleth Seedy Sunday and Seedling Saturday events, but have had no success so far. The events have been running to a successful format over the last few years, but there’s room for flexibility. The important thing is that they continue.

If you have an interest in running community food/gardening events and feel you can help them out, please contact Chloe, Claire and Anita for more information at info@dyfivalleyseedsavers.org.uk

Read full article