News Archive
Mon 16th Aug 2010
Bread-making in the garden
Despite heavy rain throughout the afternoon, over 40 people took part in ‘Bread Day’ at Barracks Lane Community Garden last Saturday. Participants were shown how to make different types of bread, including pizza bases, naan bread and cheese-loaves by local community member Christine McDermott.
Attending the event was John Letts from the Oxford Bread Group (OBG). OBG is a registered cooperative of local people who buy bread and distribute it via local hubs. John answered questions about the past and recent history of bread-making in England, and spoke about his interest in growing local varieties of wheat. Also taking part was Wheatley baker Joe Coleman, from Cornfield Bakery, who makes bread and supplies the Oxford Bread Group with bread to distribute. Joe demonstrated kneading techniques gave advice on how to make a great loaf.
Using the garden’s cob and tandoor ovens, bread and pizza was baked and then enjoyed by participants. Stephanie Griggs-Trevarthen said "The bread day was fantastic. It was really interesting to hear from the Oxford Bread Group about the nutritional value (or lack of) in modern types of bread, but the best part was when we got to eat all the goodies we had made - delicious!"
Barracks Lane Community Garden’s Bread Day event is part of a series of events, funded through the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food programme, being put on at the garden between 2010 and 2012. The workshops are free and open to all. The garden is situated on Barracks Lane, off Cumberland Road, in Cowley/East Oxford.
More photos
download pdf: here
Thu 22nd Jul 2010
Garden wins an OSCA!
On Friday 16th July, Barracks Lane Community Garden was announced as runner-up in the “Enhancing and/or preserving biodiversity” category of the Oxfordshire Sustainability and Conservation Awards (OSCA). The garden was presented with a cheque for £100, and a framed certificate.
Run by Oxfordshire County Council, the OSCA’s is a competition that aims to showcase all the great environmental work that's been taking place in Oxfordshire by schools and community groups. The winner of the Biodiversity category was SS Mary and John on Cowley Road. Barracks Lane Community Garden is very proud to have been recognised for its work in enhancing the local environment.
Mon 12th Jul 2010
Creating a buzz in the garden
Members of the local community took part in workshops demonstrating beekeeping and what plants to grow plants for bees, at Barracks Lane Community Garden, last Saturday.
People got the chance to view an observation hive up close and learn about the equipment used in beekeeping. “Hopefully, the workshop has dispelled some of the misconceptions but not the wonder of keeping bees, and has helped local people who are considering beginning beekeeping” said Terry Thomas, an Oxfordshire beekeeper for 44 years, who ran the workshop.
Esther Pozzani, a beekeeper living in Wolvercote, gave a talk and took people around the garden, discussing the best plants to grow for bees in early spring and June, when there is less pollen for bees around. Esther said “it doesn’t matter whether you only have a small balcony or garden, or an allotment, it’s really easy to grow plants to support bees”.
Children made bee finger puppets with recycled materials and felt in a craft workshop run by local artist Gemma Burditt, and in the evening there was storytelling and music. Eric Maddern, performed his show “What the Bee Knows”, a provocative look at the roots of our current global crisis, threaded around the story of the bee, and local band Telling the Bees, performed songs inspired by folklore, English landscape and the politics of protest to an enthusiastic audience.
Barracks Lane Community Garden’s Bee Day event is part of a series of Local Food events being put on at the garden between 2010 and 2012. The workshops are free and open to all. The garden is situated on Barracks Lane, off Cumberland Road, in Cowley/East Oxford. See website for further details.
More photos
View/download document: Tips on bee-friendly gardening by Esther Pozzani
download pdf: here
Mon 5th Jul 2010
Challenging composting myths
A compost workshop was held at Barracks Lane Community Garden last Saturday, where locals were given helpful advice on truth and myths around what you can compost.
Run by Master Composters" Martin Stott and Clare Marsh, both trained by Garden Organic, it was discovered that the idea that you shouldn’t put citrus fruits into your compost bin as it will make it too acidic, is a myth. “You would have to eat or use an awful lot of oranges and lemons to make your compost acidic” said Martin. “If you put in 24 cases of orange peel a week, well that might make it acidic, but people composting at home will never reach these levels. It’s perfectly ok to put your citrus fruit peelings onto your compost heap”.
In truth, as Martin and Clare explained, most kitchen waste can go into your compost bin apart from cooked food such as pasta, rice, bones and leftovers that were cooked in oil. These can be collected by the City Council’s food waste scheme. Other things to avoid include animal waste and coal from summer barbeques.
Almost everything else can go in a compost bin, including garden waste such as grass clippings, and ‘brown waste’ like cardboard, old newspapers and even shiny leaflets posted through your mail box. To most people’s surprise, even perennial weeds such as bindweed can go into you compost bin. Just leave them out in the sun for a couple of weeks to dry out completely, then you can safely put them on your compost and they won’t do any harm.
Clare and Martin also reminded us that you can use your compost too! Once it has rotted down, approximately after 3-4 months in summer but longer in the cooler months, you can put it on your garden as mulch, or add to your vegetable beds to increase nutrients. You can also use your compost to pot up seedlings.
Barracks Lane Community Garden’s Compost Workshop is part of a series of Local Food events being put on at the garden between 2010 and 2012. The workshops are free and open to all. The garden is situated on Barracks Lane, off Cumberland Road, in Cowley/East Oxford. See website for further details.
More photos
download pdf: here
Mon 14th Jun 2010
Chicken success at community garden
People came from as far as Didcot to take part in Barracks Lane Community Garden’s Chicken Day on Saturday. Over 130 people attended the popular event in Cowley, learning about how to keep chickens on your allotment or at home in your garden.
Children and adults alike enjoyed meeting Lorraine’s chickens, Phyllis, Macy and Minnie, as they wandered about the garden. Lorraine spoke about their lovely social habits, and answered questions on how she looks after chickens in her small Oxford garden.
Local author and poultry keeper, Julia Hollander, launched her new book, Chicken Coops for the Soul to a large crowd gathered in the garden’s yurt. Julia read extracts from her new book and spoke about the housing, food, health, social habits, weeding abilities and legal issues of keeping chickens at home and on your allotment.
Many people expressed excitement about keeping chickens, with many saying that the event gave them the information they needed and that they now felt ready to begin chicken keeping themselves.
Barracks Lane Community Garden’s Chicken Day event is part of a series of Local Food Programme events being put on at the garden between 2010 and 2012. The next event will be ‘Bee and Honey Day’ on Saturday 10th July. The workshops are free and open to all. The garden is situated on Barracks Lane, off Cumberland Road, in Cowley/East Oxford. See website for further details.
See further photos from the event. download pdf: here
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