Alpacas have become increasingly familiar animals in the British countryside in recent years. One farmer explained that this is because: ‘They are pets, grass cutters, companion and guard animals, quality fibre producers and profitable breeders. They can be a side-line, or a highly rewarding ...

Great blog from Pipers Farm {image 1} It comes as a surprise to many that the grass beneath our feet is the UK’s biggest crop. The temperate climate, both warm and wet relative to other parts of the world, makes it the ideal environment for growing the green stuff, and especially so in the ...

The length of time from the beginning of development to the death of a plant is called its life span. The life cycle, on the other hand, is the sequence of stages a plant goes through from seed germination to seed production of the mature plant.  Annuals – (e.g. Vetch) these plants ...

This year at Groundswell (26-27th June) our Technical Manager, Sam Lane, and Technical Advisor Lizzie Arnold, will be on hand to discuss the demonstration plot of herbal ley,  focusing on the many benefits of the ley in terms of building soil fertility. At 4pm on Thursday, Sam will be running ...

Usually we’d advise against sowing seed in June or July, but would recommend waiting for more reliable rainfall in August or even September. But since we’ve had the wettest June for many years, with a full month’s rain falling in the first half of the month alone, it has made ...