Shop Local

Grow Local

Eat Local

Entertain Local

Enjoy Local!

Homepage

GIY

WemTTI

Books

News

Links

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Agroforestry in Wem (www.silvaspin.org.uk)
[The Hollies, Wem Lane, Soulton, Wem, Shropshire SY4 5RT]
will be open for a guided walks:

Tuesday 7th - Friday 10th July - 6.30 pm
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July - 2.00 pm

The role of bees in agriculture

A talk by Joanna Schup

Open meeting of WEM CIVIC SOCIETY

Senior Club, Chapel Street, Wem

Tuesday July 21st 2009 - 7.30pm

Community Lunch

hosted by WemTTI

Senior Club, Chapel Street, Wem

Saturday September 26th 2009 - mid-day

REPORTS of EVENTS

Tuesday June 30th 2009

The film 'Farm for the future' was shown at a public meeting hosted by WemTTI. A number of discussions followed featuring many of the issues raised:

The average age of UK farmers is 60.
Farming skills are being lost.
The UK imports a large %age of its food.
Mainstream agriculture is heavily dependent on petrochemicals, either to drive machinery or in the manufacture of fertilisers and pesticides.
The difficulties faced by people who want to farm.
The film was positive in that it offered options for the UK. Onr of these was 'forest gardening' which has the capabilty of being as productive as conventional agriculture.

Saturday May 16th 2009

WemTTI had a stall at the annual Wem Millenium Green Annual Plant Sale. The weather was wet and windy but a steady stream of Wemians braved the elements. A major problem was preventing the wind distributing leaflets.

Saturday May 2nd 2009
10.30am - 12.30pm - Swap Shop held at The Senior Club, Chapel St., Wem

Wem's First Green Fair:
'Grow your own Fruit & Vegetables'
was held at the Senior Club, Chapel St., Wem
on Saturday March 14th 2009.

Wem's First Green Fair was voted a success by visitors and organisers. The fair included: two master composters demonstrating the art of compost making, advisors to deal with visitors' queries, a seed exchange stall, a display by Shropshire Organic Gardeners (SOGS). Books, seeds and gardening sundries were also available for sale.WemTTI is very grateful for the support provided by a number of Wem residents and traders in staging this fair.

Terry Hobday (WemTTI Chairman) and David Chester-Master (SOGS) pictured with a selection of vegetables from the SOGS display. These vegetables, fresh from the garden included Scorzonera (Oyster Plant), an unusual vegetable rarely seen outside of specialist greengrocers or farmers' markets, which intrigued many visitors. The plant can be harvested from October to April. Younger leaves of Scorzonera can be blanched and served cold in winter salads. More usually the root is eaten and can be prepared in a variety of ways: mashed, baked, fried in batter or baked with a covering of breadcrumbs and cheese. If the vegetable is to be boiled, it should be peeled after not before cooking. Varieties of kale were also available - a useful winter source of greens. A number of visitors were surprised at the range of vegetables available during a relatively harsh winter.

Hazel Adkins demonstrating the production of flowerpots from waste newspaper. A 'Seed Exchange' facility was also available at this stall. 'Seed Exchange' has grown into an important activity from the days when a few gardeners exchanged unwanted seeds locally. It allows the use of surplus seed that would otherwise be wasted. Often it is the only way to obtain older and more unusual varieties of fruit and vegetables. These are the varieties that commercial organisations don't regard as 'viable' in that demand is not sufficient for large scale production or those that producers cannot make a commercial case for the expense of getting a 'sales licence' from the EU.

The Master Composters proved to be very popular with visitors. Wem residents are seen here discussing the finer points of compost making with the Master Composters. There is a double advantage to making your own compost:

it means that less material goes to landfill... costs the council less... costs local people less... and
it saves the gardener money!

The message taken away by many visitors was... 'Start small. Don't try to be self sufficient and be disappointed or overwhelmed. Plant a few seeds to begin with and go on from there.' There are a number of sources of help for the new gardener:

Wem & District Gardening Club.
Shropshire Organic Gardeners.
Books from your local library or bookshop.

Homepage GIY WemTTI Books News Links

Shop Local Grow Local Eat Local Entertain Local Enjoy Local!

	The role of bees in agriculture
	A talk by Joanna Schup
	Open meeting of WEM CIVIC SOCIETY
	Senior Club, Chapel Street, Wem
	Tuesday July 21st 2009 - 7.30pm

	Community Lunch
	hosted by WemTTI
	Senior Club, Chapel Street, Wem
	Saturday September 26th 2009 - mid-day

	REPORTS of EVENTS
	Tuesday June 30th 2009
The film 'Farm for the future' was shown at a public meeting hosted by WemTTI. A number of discussions followed featuring many of the issues raised: The average age of UK farmers is 60. Farming skills are being lost. The UK imports a large %age of its food. Mainstream agriculture is heavily dependent on petrochemicals, either to drive machinery or in the manufacture of fertilisers and pesticides. The difficulties faced by people who want to farm. The film was positive in that it offered options for the UK. Onr of these was 'forest gardening' which has the capabilty of being as productive as conventional agriculture.

	Saturday May 16th 2009
WemTTI had a stall at the annual Wem Millenium Green Annual Plant Sale. The weather was wet and windy but a steady stream of Wemians braved the elements. A major problem was preventing the wind distributing leaflets.

Hazel Adkins demonstrating the production of flowerpots from waste newspaper. A 'Seed Exchange' facility was also available at this stall. 'Seed Exchange' has grown into an important activity from the days when a few gardeners exchanged unwanted seeds locally. It allows the use of surplus seed that would otherwise be wasted. Often it is the only way to obtain older and more unusual varieties of fruit and vegetables. These are the varieties that commercial organisations don't regard as 'viable' in that demand is not sufficient for large scale production or those that producers cannot make a commercial case for the expense of getting a 'sales licence' from the EU.
		The Master Composters proved to be very popular with visitors. Wem residents are seen here discussing the finer points of compost making with the Master Composters. There is a double advantage to making your own compost: it means that less material goes to landfill... costs the council less... costs local people less... and it saves the gardener money!
The message taken away by many visitors was... 'Start small. Don't try to be self sufficient and be disappointed or overwhelmed. Plant a few seeds to begin with and go on from there.' There are a number of sources of help for the new gardener: Wem & District Gardening Club. Shropshire Organic Gardeners. Books from your local library or bookshop.