The Shock of the New (Potatoes)
There are some people who have a favourite season, but I can never settle on one. I
just like the fact that we have distinct seasons, and the shifting nature of things. Winter
gets a bad press, these days, and of course I’ll be cursing along with everyone else if
our beloved Potato Day is disrupted, but in general, winter is as enjoyable as every
other season. The very cold weather stops us working in the garden, and while some
might be gnashing their teeth with frustration, some of us heave a sigh of relief: an
excuse! Time to rest and forget the list of tasks for a while. Time to enjoy a lovely
winter walk with NOGs friends – what a brilliant idea of Barrie’s to replace the
December evening meeting with a beautiful walk in the snow and a pub lunch.
Now in January, and with the sloth of Christmas behind us, winter gives us time to
anticipate new things. The garden and allotment are frankly untidy, with many winter
vegetables tested to destruction. We are ‘behind’ of course, as we always are. But no
matter, redemption is always just around the corner for a gardener, the positive spirit
that Barrie hails in his notes. Chiming in perfectly with such an optimistic attitude in this
Newsletter is Karen Fry’s lovely piece on her brand new allotment, which perfectly
captures the thrill of taking on a new plot.
Potato Day has become our winter kick-start – a winter ‘seed’ ritual of the very best
kind. It’s our biggest event of the year and one which has us in the grip of a certain
anxiety, as it is such an ambitious project for a small group like ours, and it is difficult to
get it right; indeed, it is practically inevitable that we will get it wrong in some respects.
But it is a phenomenally exciting start to the year, and we all love being a part of it. We
might not have sourced exactly the varieties that you were hoping for – but we try each
time to respond to demand, especially Ros’s comment that we should go for
‘something new, something a bit different’. So this year we have some new (but
actually old) varieties on offer: heritage varieties like Witchill, Yetholm Gypsy, and
Edgecote Purple, and unusual newer varieties like Yukon Gold, a lovely Canadian
baker, and Sarpo Mira bred for blight resistance. Cross your fingers that our Scottish
suppliers have taken heed of The English Gardener, in which William Cobbett gives us
his matchless advice on storing potato tubers: ‘if you can ascertain the degree of
warmth just necessary to keep a baby from perishing from cold, you know precisely the
precautions required to preserve a potato above-ground’!
Of course what really makes Potato Day such fun is you – members and non-members
alike have shown enormous enthusiasm for a day which celebrates diversity and in a
small but symbolic way subverts the disgracefully monolithic nature of the food
industry. It is wonderfully cheering that so many folk in Nottingham are indeed keen to
have a go at growing their own.
With that in mind, we have decided to follow up Potato Day with another special event
in February. We have invited the BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and Guardian
columnist Alys Fowler to speak at a meeting to be held at the Friends Meeting House
on Saturday 26 February. Alys will also be signing copies of her book, The Edible
Garden. There will be another chance to buy seed potatoes, a seed swap, and teas.
We hope that this event will appeal to gardeners young and old, and will provide even
more encouragement to cherish our urban growing spaces. Please support us at both
these events – they are pointless without you, but with your involvement we can really
kick-start a great year for Nottingham growers.
2
Our Dear Leader Writes!
It looks as if someone has set fire to my broad beans (Super Aquadulce Claudia
planted early November) and has left me with the charred remains. Recognise the
experience? I had hoped, vainly, that the thick covering of snow would have protected
them from all those days of deep frost. Maybe yours survived, covered, instead, with
horticultural fleece? In past years I’ve managed to defeat the winter and the arrival of
blackfly in the spring by these late autumn sowings, but not this one. So, it will be a
bounce back from adversity by a sowing in modules any day now but in the
greenhouse or wherever they can be cosseted.
This characteristic of gardeners to fight back from, if not to actually enjoy, setbacks has
often been commented upon. ‘Potato blight last year? Well this year I’ll try another
resistant variety.’ Or, ‘Carrots failed? Maybe I didn’t quite plant them in the right place;
no problem.’
I painfully remember one particular reverse which almost made me throw away my
spade for good. We had grown a lovely crop of peas on the then Coppice Garden
Allotments. They were absolutely laden. Off we went to harvest them one day with a
large basket when we knew they would be ready. We needn’t have bothered: someone
have picked them for us and had considerately left us with a neat pile of empty pods at
the end of each row. We often wondered if they tasted as good as they had looked!
So it seems that this inherent challenge in gardening to overcome adversity from all
quarters and to learn from past experience, this new year yet again will be a powerful
impulse for many of us to ‘join the fray’. Looking round Nottingham Organic Gardeners,
I don’t think many spades will be thrown away!
I suppose what I’m really talking about is that spirit which in another and wider context
persuades so many of us that no matter what, ‘another world is possible’. Anyway, last
year was a great year for NOGs and this year is going to be even better.
Thank you for all your involvement and support and have a ‘bloomin’ good New Year!
Barrie Ward
A Message from the Treasurer
Subscriptions are due January each year. If it has slipped your mind or you would like
to join us, here’s how to pay up!
Post a cheque payable to Nottingham
Organic Gardeners:
Mike Spalton
108 Repton Road
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 7EL
Or – a greener way to pay – email me for
details of how to set up a standing order:
michael.spalton@ntlworld.com
The subscription rates are:
Waged
Individual
Family
£10.00
£15.00
Concessions
Individual
Family
£7.00
£12.00
It would be even better just to see you at a
meeting or an allotment work party!
Thanks for your support.
3
Propagation by Peter Mallett
In July of last year, we were fortunate to have a talk by Peter Mallett on propagation techniques. Peter was kind enough to offer us a
summary of the techniques he discussed, so here it is for those of us who can never remember what type of cutting is supposed to be
used at what stage in the year!
Stem Cuttings
Type
Softwood/
leafy
Semihardwood
leafy. Halfripe cuttings
Hardwood/
leafy
evergreens
Hardwood/
leafless
Timing
Mainly
spring/summer
but any time if
suitable plant
material and
conditions are
available
More mature
material: late June September
depending on
species. Base of
cutting becoming
woody
Autumn / Winter
October - February
October- Feb
(Best time is leaf fall)
Preparation
Cuttings 50 – 70mm long (2”-3”)
Preferably with terminal bud, not flower bud
Nodal cuttings - clean cut below a node remove lower leaves. Low strength rooting
hormone to base if you wish
Rooting Conditions
Suitable rooting medium
Suitable container
Need high humidity, high light at top of cutting,
aeration, drainage, warmth at base,
e.g. mist propagation, closed propagator or frame or
polythene bag
Examples
Coleus
Chrysanths
Carnations
Fuschias, Shrubs
Cuttings 70mm-100mm long (3”-4”) May be
nodal, heel or mallet cuttings.
Extra wounding at base (remove thin slice of
bark). Some gardeners like to dip in fungicide
to prevent disease (botrytis). Hormone to
base of cuttings if you wish.
Leafy, so need “close” conditions with high humidity.
Bottom heat will help, e.g. mist propagation,
propagator, cold frame or under low polythene tunnel
in the open (sun tunnel) using white polythene.
Many shrubs
Hebe, Cotoneaster,
Berberis, Rosemary
Daphne, Rhododendron
Mature, ripened one year shoots with
terminal bud, 100-150mm (4”-6”) long but can
be longer.
Nodal cuttings
Remove tip of shoot except for tender or
hairy leaved plants - remove lower leaves.
Extra wounding - 10-25mm slice at base.
Hormone treatment, if preferred.
Well ripened one year shoots pencil thick.
Avoid soft tips. Cuttings 200-300mm (8”-12”)
long. Slanting cut above top bud, straight cut
below bottom bud (so that you know which
way is up).
Insert into deep trays or pots in a prepared bed in
cold frame or under low poly tunnel.
Difficult subjects are better in a propagator with
bottom heat. Avoid touching leaves.
Some spray fortnightly with fungicide to control
botrytis. Maintain a humid atmosphere and remove
dead leaves.
Ceanthus
Cotoneaster
Ilex
Laurels
Vibernum
Root in open ground usually.
Best in light soil or add sand/grit at base of cutting.
Make “v” trench. Insert by two thirds and firm in.
Space rows 30cm apart
May be rooted in pots in cold frame
May be pushed through black polythene for weed
control
Blackcurrant, Redcurrant
Gooseberry, Forsythia
Honeysuckle, Dogwoods
Willows, Climbing &
rambling roses
Growing Potatoes in 2010: Which were your favourite varieties?
ANN BOOTH
I wonder how everyone enjoyed their new potatoes in 2010? My first row was Epicure,
described in Barker and Mansfield’s Potato: The Definitive Guide to Potatoes and
Potato Cooking as being a traditional Ayrshire and still grown extensively in Scottish
gardens. It originated in the UK in 1897 and is said to be suitable for baking and boiling
with deep eyes and a distinctive flavour. In fact it was disappointing – very floury and
with little flavour. I much preferred the second row of Charlotte although that again was
less waxy that I had hoped. I’m also now eating British Queens, which make very good
mashed potatoes.
There was an interesting article by Sarah Raven, the cookery writer and gardener, in
the Telegraph on Saturday 24 July in which she published the result of a recent trial of
new potatoes. Below are her comments of the ones which she favoured and which she
said she would grow again.
First Earlies
Second
Earlies
Variety
Winston
Flavour and flesh
Lovely
Anya
Fantastic. Pink fir
Apple taste and
texture but three
times as healthy
and quick
producing
OK, slightly yellow
Charlotte
Second
Earlies to
early
Maincrop
International Good
Kidney
Texture
Midway
between waxy
and floury so
ideal for boiling
mash or baked
Very very waxy
Comment
Early potato of
choice
Midway
between waxy
and floury
A good all
round potato
but not the
favourite
If harvested as
a second early,
makes a perfect
very waxy salad
potato. Can
also be used as
a general
purpose early
maincrop
An old French
variety, highly
valued for its
flavour which
further improves
on storage.
A favourite
Not good for
storing
Midway
between waxy
and floury
Belle de
Fontenay
Delicious – perfect
for potato salad
The waxiest of
the lot
Nicola
Ratte
Fantastic
Fantastic, tons of
little potatoes, all
delicious
Very waxy
Very waxy
One of the best
salad potatoes
I’d be interested to hear how everyone has got on with their spuds, and in addition
would like to put in a request that for next year’s potato day we have all the potatoes
listed above.
You will find Charlotte, Nicola and International Kidney on our list – and we are looking
out for a source of Belle de Fontenay and Anya, but are less hopeful about Ratte,
unfortunately, though it is also popular with the committee.
WINTER NEWS
Seed Order: Thank you to everyone who put in a seed order for Chase
Organics. The order was placed on 20 December and we will be in touch once
the seeds are here. Ordering from Chase Organics is an excellent way of
supporting Garden Organic, and of course we all benefit from the discount!
Please speak to one of the committee if you are able to help us on Potato Day.
Volunteers are needed to set up, sweep up, and do everything in between!
As you have seen, we have Alys Fowler coming to speak to us at a special
Saturday event (26 Feb, Friends Meeting House, Clarendon Street). Please tell
your friends! At this event we will run a seed swap – so please remember to
bring some seeds with you. Offers of help, cakes etc will all be gratefully
received. Do let us know if you would like to display a poster or hand out some
flyers. NB In order to cover costs, we will have to charge for this event: £5
(waged), £3 (unwaged, children aged 5-15), under-fives are free.
There is very little time left to object to the proposed ‘mega dairy’ in
Lincolnshire, but if you’re quick you can still send a direct email to North
Kesteven District Council: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-cow-factoryfarm. See also http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealedhow-zerograzing-is-set-to-bring-usstyle-factory-farming-to-britain2010107.html for a report in the Independent on this trend in farming.
St Anns Community Orchard will be holding an Activity Day on Sunday 16
January from 11-4. At 3pm there will be a Wassail, the traditional custom of
praising fruit trees to ensure a bountiful crop. Free tea and coffee. Popcorn on
the fire and space for children to play. St Anns Allotments, entrance on
Ransom Road opposite Hill View Community Centre about 200 yards from the
junction with Hungerhill Road.
6
A New Allotment Diary
KAREN FRY
The story so far… in June 2009 I went on the waiting list at St. Ann’s Allotments. I
chose this site as it’s central, it’s big (huge in fact) and it’s got a lot happening there,
including long-abandoned plots being renovated, so I hoped I’d get a plot sooner than
some other places closer to home.
October 2010
I wasn’t far wrong; a year and four months later I was excited to open a letter inviting
me to view several allotments with a group of prospective tenants. Eight of us spent
two hours looking at a very varied selection of plots. I made notes and took photos,
looking for a plot or two which fitted my criteria: a smallish, facing south(ish) with a
view, not too overgrown and not too shaded. We all went back to the STAA offices and
were asked to make our choices in the order on the waiting list – I was third down and
after a slightly nervous couple of minutes got my first choice. I was so excited to at last
have my own allotment that my hand shook a bit as I signed the forms!
I was now the tenant of a 264 square yard plot: sloping more east than south, shaded
by a tall but skinny hedge and with a couple of patches of Japanese knotweed, but
with most of the ground already cleared and with its own SHED!
So, to work. First measure your plot to get a base plan. Preferably take a friend and
get them to clamber into the difficult corners. Draw out the plan and start planning
where the beds are to go, the compost heap, the water-butt, the picnic bench and the
fruit trees… then go back and have another look at the waste land that is the bottom
half of the plot and realize that it’s not time for garden design just yet. Help was at
hand in the form of the left-over black plastic from the NOGs allotment. I could now
forget about the bottom third for a few months, and Rob, the STAA Partnership
Worker, arranged for the Japanese knotweed to be tackled.
November
My first day’s work. I did some digging and found lots of couch grass roots. Rather
demoralizing, as it took me over an hour to dig over less than 2 square yards – how
long is it going to take me to dig 264? On the other hand I met my neighbours, who all
seem very nice, and one has attacked part of the hedge, revealing a view across
Sneinton, Clifton and beyond.
As the month wore on I got into the swing of couch-grass removal, and the time-scale I
need to be thinking about. The soil seems quite good – it’s basically on clay but the
plot seems to have been gardened well until recently so it’s actually not bad. I started
to move things into the shed – a rake, an old fork, my favourite ancient red goretex and
some elderly walking boots. Now I can come here and garden at any time.
I started pulling ivy out of the hedge: pull, cut, chuck behind. Repeat ad infinitum... I
realized that the avenue was a source of valuable leaves and chippings and finished
each session with a stint of raking.
December
No chance of further couch-grass-digging, it was under several inches of snow.
However I pulled huge amounts of ivy out of the hedge, and used it for Christmas
wreath-making. Marc, the Garden Support Officer from STAA helped me to cut down
several ash and sycamore trees from the hedge. I now covet a ‘Silky’ Japanese saw.
7
I’ve also got some very useful big poles which could be used to create a shelter. I had
fantasised about doing a lovely laid hedge but reality is that I’ve not got the time, and
it’s 25 years since I did any hedge-laying.
January 2011
Hadn’t seen the plot for about a month when I finally managed to get over for a couple
of short sessions: raked the leaves over the soil to protect it, pulled more ivy out of the
hedge, and started cutting up the wood from the tree-felling. I brought a picnic stool
from home, so now I can sit and admire my terroir. It’s going to be a long job, I can tell,
but I’ve fallen for the place already.
http://www.staa-allotments.org.uk/
Potato Day will be held again at Sherwood Methodist Church from 10.30 – 2.00. We
have tried, as in previous years, to respond to feedback and have adjusted the
varieties and amounts ordered accordingly. We try very hard to strike a balance
between old favourites and less familiar varieties. We are somewhat restricted in that if
we want to offer a large number of varieties (which is, after all, the point of the event)
we can’t order them all in equally large quantities. On the other hand, if we don’t order
some of them in larger amounts then the event is not economically viable. This is why
there are apparently strange disparities in stock levels, and why we advise you to
come early if you are looking for specific varieties. We also can’t guarantee that all
the varieties will be delivered to us – two varieties were unavailable due to frosting last
year. Conversely, we may be able to offer more varieties than listed – sometimes we
have some ‘extras’ at the last minute. We hope you find something you like in the list,
and look forward to your feedback! NB we have ordered extra Golden Gourmet
shallots this year, and will have Sturon and Red Baron onions available.
* = Soil Association certified organic seed
Arran Pilot
1st Early
Arran Victory*
Carlingford
Late
main
Late
main
2nd Early
Catriona
2nd Early
Charlotte*
2nd Early
Colleen*
1st Early
Desiree*
Early
Main
2nd Early
Cara*
Dunbar Rover
Trials have found good resistance to common scab. Late blight maybe a
problem but not if grown as a first early.
Vivid purple-blue skin, white flesh. Can be high yielding if given a long
growing season. Tasty, floury potato, great mashed.
Attractive white tubers with red eyes. Stores well. Good disease
resistance. Mild flavoured creamy flesh, good baked or roasted.
Firm/waxy texture. Grows well under polythene for early salad production.
Good common scab and skin spot resistance. Also recommended for
sowing in July for Christmas salad potatoes in a bag or container.
Oval tubers, white skinned with purple eyes, floury pale yellow flesh and
pleasing flavour, good exhibition variety.
Long yellow tubers. Stores well. High yielding, good tuber blight
resistance. Waxy salad potato. Let’s face it – if you could only grow one, it
would be Charlotte! (Extra stocks ordered.)
White skinned with light yellow flesh with good resistance to blight and
scab. Good boiled, also fries well. Performed well on NOGs allotment.
Pink skin, yellow flesh and a great flavour. Excellent roasted, boiled or
baked.
Bred in 1936 by Charles T Spence of Tynefield Farm, Dunbar, and very
rare. Oval in shape with white skin and snowy white flesh. It may not be a
8
perfect, shiny white modern potato, but the cooking and taste quality are
excellent. The flesh is floury, and they have a pleasant, sweet flavour.
Great roasted, baked and mashed.
Edgecote Purple
2nd Early
Edzell Blue*
2nd Early
Epicure
1st Early
Golden Wonder
Harmony
Late
Main
Maincrop
Home Guard
1st Early
International
Kidney
1st Early
Isle of Jura*
Kerrs Pink
Early
Main
Maincrop
Kestrel
2nd Early
King Edward
Lady Christl
Late
Main
1st Early
Marfona
2nd Early
Maris Bard*
1st Early
Maris Piper
Nadine
Early
Main
2nd Early
Nicola*
2nd Early
Orla*
1st Early
Pentland Crown
Maincrop
Picasso
Early
Main
Late
main
Pink Fir Apple*
Pixie
2nd Early
Premiere
1st Early
Record
Early
Main
First listed in 1916 they are a long oval yellow fleshed variety that is a
good all-rounder with a firm waxy texture. Very popular in high-class
restaurants. They showed high blight resistance when tested under
organic conditions.
Is said to originate from Edzell, Angus in late 1800s. It has a blue/purple
skin which contrasts with white flesh. High dry matter, floury but very tasty.
Steaming or microwaving avoids disintegration involved when boiled.
It recovers from frost damage better than any other variety. It has deep
eyes, a floury texture, good flavour and high yields.
Rough brown skin & yellow flesh. Stores well – long dormancy. Very dry
floury potato. Excellent roasted
Very high yields of bold bright tubers. It has excellent storage
characteristics with long natural dormancy and resistance to black dot and
silver scurf. Good for exhibition.
Short oval tubers with white to cream flesh. Susceptible to drought. Good
resistance to damage, powdery scab and spraing. Medium to high dry
matter.
Kidney shaped potato with pale yellow skin and flesh which is waxy when
young. Excellent boiled or as a salad potato. Famous for its flavour. Can
also be grown as an early main crop but has low resistance to late blight.
Good resistance to powdery scab, blackleg, gangrene, virus and spraing.
It has medium dry matter and boils extremely well.
Short oval, pink tubers with cream flesh. Late foliage maturity. Moderate
yields but good taste, medium dry matter.
Kestrel gives good yields of very attractive, long oval, partly coloured
tubers which have good all round cooking quality. Good exhibition potato.
Good resistance to common scab, powdery scab, spraing, mild mosaic
virus, slugs and bruising. Good cooking quality, flavour and frying colour.
High yielding variety of numerous uniform attractive tubers. Good all round
disease resistance. Excellent cooking qualities.
Very popular early baker and can also be grown as a maincrop.
High yielding, good size and appearance Retains its colour and shape
when boiled.
Maincrop maturity with high yields and many tubers per plant. Suitable for
storage. Heston Blumenthal’s recommendation for chipping!
Nadine produces very high yields of bright attractive tubers. In favourable
conditions it is the highest yielding variety in the UK. It has excellent
resistance to silver scurf and black dot.
Second early maturity, high number of uniform tubers per plant, medium to
long dormancy. Good resistance to common scab, potato leaf roll virus
and bruising. Very tasty!
Most blight resistant first early. High early yields, good appearance, long
dormancy, resistant to scab & blackleg
Oval white tubers with white to cream flesh. High yields. Resistant to blackleg,
common scab and leaf roll virus. Medium to high dry matter.
Oval white tubers with pink eyes and cream to light yellow flesh. Good
resistance to common scab.
Very knobbly pink skinned long tubers, yellow flesh. Delicious flavour hot
or cold, waxy firm texture so good in salads - and curries! Perfect sag aloo
can be yours at home!
Produces high numbers of attractive partly coloured tubers of consistent
shape and size. It shows good resistance to scab, and drought. Tubers are
white fleshed and have excellent cooking characteristics.
Suitable for French fries and boiling, with medium yields, early bulking and
high dry matter. Good all-round disease resistance and tasty yellow flesh.
Great tasting floury potato. Excellent mashed, roasted or fried.
9
Remarka*
Rocket
Early
Main
Early
Main
1st Early
Romano
Maincrop
Sante
Maincrop
Sarpo Mira
Maincrop
Saxon
2nd Early
Setanta*
Maincrop
Swift
1st Early
Ulster Prince
1st Early
Valor*
Wilja
Late
main
2nd Early
Witchhill
1st Early
Yetholm Gipsy
Early
Main
Yukon Gold
2nd Early
Robinta*
Stores well - long dormancy. Good all round disease resistance including
blight. Produces large tubers suitable for baking, very good flavour
Smooth red skin & cream flesh .High level of disease resistance. Tubers
retain their shape well when boiled.
Produces extremely early yield of firm, waxy texture tubers. Big tubers if
left.
Short oval, red tubers with cream flesh. High yields and long dormancy.
Good resistance to foliage blight, spraing and skin spot.
Good resistance to foliage blight, powdery scab and virus. Most commonly
grown organic variety.
Tubers have some resistance to splitting and good resistance to bruising.
Trials have found good resistance to blackleg, late blight on foliage, late
blight on tubers and potato virus.
Consistent high second early yield of bakers. Boils and bakes with good
texture and freedom from cooking blackening or disintegration. Good for
long-term storage. Excellent blackleg and powdery scab resistance.
A very high dry matter potato with extremely high resistance to foliage and
tuber blight, gangrene and dry rot. Keeps well.
Very early variety. Short foliage makes it a good variety for growing under
plastic or in pots. Good disease resistance. Produces large tubers if left.
Waxy potato; good flavour and texture. Very white flesh. This variety has
low resistance to late blight but should not be a problem if lifted early.
Excellent disease resistance Waxy potato with a mild flavour
Long oval yellow tubers with light yellow flesh. Good resistance to
common scab, leaf roll virus, common scab and powdery scab.
Believed to have originated around the late 1800s it is known for its
vigorous growth with excellent high yields of white skinned tubers with
white flesh. A very early variety suited for salad use. Waxy type yet floury
tasting. Blogger Rebsie Fairholm (‘Daughter of the Soil’) says ‘it just tastes
very potatoey. It's got a richness and complexity to it though. Potatoeyness
elevated to a higher level of refinement, I guess. And it has a really smooth
texture too, which is quite an important quality in a floury potato. Witchill is
ultra floury, but it doesn't have that coarse dryness you often get in floury
spuds. It's the ideal floury spud for people (like me) who normally only like
waxies.’
Developed in 1899 in the Border village of Yetholm, once the gypsy capital
of the Borders, by the Little Brothers. It is unusual because it is the only
potato to show red, white and blue variegated skin. Retains its colour, the
texture is floury and the flavour is quite delicious. Rebsie Fairholm also
grows this one: ‘this is a very special potato and it tastes fantastic. Under
its thickish skin the texture is on the waxy side and very moist, and the
flavour strong, sweet and earthy.’
Introduced 1981 in Canada, this is a yellow-fleshed potato ideal for baking.
Often described as having a lovely ‘buttery’ flavour.
The above list is subject to alteration. We have a possible source for Anya, Belle de
Fontenay, Lady Balfour and Winston (three of which were mentioned in Ann Booth’s
article), but cannot confirm at this stage. Tubers will all cost 15p each, regardless of
whether they are organic or non-organic seed.
10
Treasurer’s Report and Accounts
I have great pleasure in presenting the treasurer’s report and audited accounts for the
year ending 30 November 2010. I hope they are self-explanatory, but I will be very
pleased to answer any questions that you may have at any time.
Overall, this was another good year for NOGs, even with a deficit of £2897.68
(because we spent the Lottery Grant Money that was received in the previous year
creating a Surplus last year of £3961.48). But to keep in the tradition of all treasurers,
all good things do come to an end some time, so we as Nottingham Organic
Gardeners must not get COMPLACENT – we cannot expect everything we do to be a
brilliant success without putting all the hard preparation in first.
Membership at the year end was 90: slightly down on the previous year. But two
members paid their subs for 2011 well in advance. It would be a great help if you could
all make your New Year’s resolution for 2011 a green one – pay your subs by standing
order! Please email me (michael.spalton@ntlworld.com) for the details.
Thank you to all the people who supported the seed ordering scheme, the seed and
plant swap and, of course, the raffle and the trip to Harlow Carr, these surpluses give a
good contribution to NOGs funds.
Here’s how we spent some of the money:
Speakers expenses have increased, but we have had another good year of excellent
speakers arranged by Brian Hobby – and more lined up for the first half of 2011.
In the colder months of the year we pay a contribution of £10.00 a night to the cost of
heating the meeting room.
The news letter is excellent value for money, created by the reporter, editor and printer
Rachel Palfreyman.
Potato Day 2010 was another big outlay, but also a great success. 8810 tubers were
sold in just a few hours with a further 939 being sold after the day. This was a big team
effort organised by the potato pickers Brian, Rachel and Malcolm with Kate and Karen
taking on venue booking and publicity. The surplus £1004.59 is now the major source
of income for our Demonstration Allotment which is led by allotment co-ordinator (and
chef) Ros Pither.
The Allotment is where a lot of the money goes. It would be great to see you all at the
allotment especially at the meetings that are held there and the open days. Or why not
come along for a morning of work and one of Ros’s lovely lunches, eating what we
have grown and of course enjoying good fellowship. See what has been achieved
already: the cabin by Pete and Dave, the productive polytunnel, the dead hedge, and
the path. Come and help us create the pond and the new compost bins.
Thank you to all for your financial support of NOGs in particular those who make the
cakes and jam, grow plants for sale, and buy raffle tickets. Special thanks go to Sarah
Baker, our Auditor, for all her help and guidance.
Mike Spalton (Treasurer)
11
Nottingham Organic Gardeners
Income and Expenditure for the year ending 30th November 2010
Core Income
Subscriptions
(90) 716.00
Paid in advance 2011(2) 17.00
733.00
Visitor Fees
(15)
30.00
Bank Interest
3.56
Com. Seed Order
31.47
Seed & Plant Swap
37.89
Raffle 135 less Prizes 46.88
88.12
Trip to Harlow Carr See note 1
68.69 992.73
Core Expenditure
AGM 09
4.00
Speakers
262.00
Meeting Room Heating
50.00
Treasurers Expenses
13.41
Secretary’s Expenses
22.41
News Letter 115.98 less Advert 5.00
110.89
Garden Organic Membership
45.00
R.H.S Membership
31.00
M’ship City Farms & C’munity Gardens 30.00
Public Liability Insurance
76.00 - 644.71
Promotional Income
Potato Day net income See Note 2
936.27
Transition Nottingham Sneinton Market
50.95 less stall donation 10.00
40.95
Nottingham in Bloom launch
45.20 1022.42
Promotional Expenditure
Photograph Prints
17.83 -17.83
Allotment
Open Day Plant Sale
60.42
Donation
5.00 + 65.42
Running Expenses
Rent
100.92
Contents Insurance
80.00
Seeds & Potatoes
65.49
General/ Petty Expenses (see note 3)
342.23 588.64
Major Long Term Purchases
Cabin/ Shed (see note 4)
2856.19
Metal Cabinet/Site Box
234.98
Generator
149.97
Path
260.93
Stakes for dead hedge
47.76
Wheelbarrows
68.00
Tools
44.97
Trellis
64.27 3727.07
Expenditure over income for the year
Opening Bank 01.12.09
Opening Cash 01.12.09
Allotment Float
4801.75
152.73
50.00
5004.48
Closing Bank
Closing Cash
Allotment Float
Expenditure
Over Income for the year
1849.97
206.83
50.00
2897.68
5004.48
12
348.02
1004.59
-4250.29
- 3245.70
2897.68
Note 1
Coach Trip to Harlow Carr
Seats sold
Raffle
Donation
430.00
28.00
5.52 463.52
Less
Hire of coach 375.00
Raffle Prize
17.99
Photo Copying 1.84 394.83
Surplus
68.69
Note 2
Potato Day
Income
Entrance
Tea & coffee
Cakes
Potatoes on the day
After sales
Leaflets & books
Expenses
Room Hire
Stationery
Milk
Potatoes
Skea
Codnor
Whitemoor
Surplus
188.50
6.87
49.53
1321.60
22.40
17.09
1605.99
50.00
29.89
2.06
296.50
216.87
74.40
587.77
669.72
936.27
Note3
General/Petty Expenses 342.23
This covers such items as Petrol for mower & generator, ponchos, string, bales of straw, tea coffee milk and extra food that
we have not grown our selves for 10 or so workers at the allotment and is less than £7.00 a week
Note 4
Cabin/Shed
Materials
2786.19
Plaque
50.00
Thank You to Pete& Dave 20.00
2856.19
Winter Work is Never Done!
So far the winter this year has been very cold – good to get rid of some pests and
diseases but also a big challenge to the wildlife. I hope our winter project work will help
most of the wildlife with which we share the allotment. The pond is the big winter job
and should be ready by the spring; it will provide drinking water for the birds, mammals
and insects as well as being a home for pond creatures.
Over the summer we have developed a dead hedge on our boundary with the road. A
very useful feature, as it is where we put all the wood we accumulate during our
gardening, from privet plants which were an unwanted hedge, to branches from the
‘coppiced’ sycamore and prunings too woody to go in the compost heap. These are
13
secured by some posts to keep them together and we are hoping to plant the dead
hedge with ivy and other climbers to further hold it together and enhance the wildlife
habitat. I am really looking forward to finding the first nest in there, and I am jolly sure
many animals and insects will shelter in there over the winter.
Before we can dig the pond out we have to finish moving the compost area and while
we are doing that we are also making a path in our forest garden. The polytunnel now
has lovely keyhole raised beds … almost complete as I write … and if we get time we
would like to plant some step-over apples to mark the edge of the informal gardens
and begin a fruit cage next to the polytunnel. Also on the wish list are a gravity-fed
automatic watering system for the polytunnel, a change of site for the allotment tap,
planting some more fruit trees, finishing off the path. Each time we have a meeting we
come up with some more ideas so I think we have enough projects for next winter as
well.
The cold weather did have a big shock for us as we went into the tool container to get
the potatoes out to cook for lunch. Lots were frosted beyond use and I am sure we
aren’t the only ones to lose most of our harvest this year. We will line the tool container
with polystyrene fish boxes next year – after we have used them for seed trays that is.
Perhaps we can have a competition to find out how many uses there are for these
boxes!!
Rachel did embarrass me somewhat with her editorial in the last newsletter but I would
like to say that we have a band of lovely people who work on the plot - we have fun,
work quite hard, really enjoy ourselves and everyone brings a different set of skills –
together as a team we develop the allotment as a demonstration allotment and have
quite a few visitors who come along and see if they can learn something. Hopefully we
are encouraging others to begin growing organically. If anyone would like to join us we
have jobs for the energetic and less energetic, for experienced gardeners and novice
gardeners. We all work and learn from each other and would love to see you – either
just for the occasional work party or more frequently – the decision is yours ….
Ros [rospither@hotmail.co.uk]
See the back page of the Newsletter for the work party dates.
15 December 2010
The committee finalised the programme for the first half of 2011, and discussed the
possibility of holding the annual allotment BBQ earlier in the year so that we have a
lighter evening for it. The committee debated whether to buy a new projector as the
borrowed one we currently use has poor colour balance. It was decided to see whether
a new cable would solve this problem. A decent projector will be needed for Alys
Fowler’s talk. A coach trip to the RHS show at Tatton Park was suggested and it was
decided that we would investigate costs before discussing this further.
14
Preparations for Potato Day were discussed. Spending on seed potatoes is slightly
higher than last year. We decided to copy lists of varieties for people to use on the day,
and also to have available the basic guide to growing potatoes. If it is possible, we
could show a DVD of chitting and growing potatoes – it was decided that we would
look into the possibilities at the Methodist Church. Volunteers will wear aprons and/or
badges so that they are more easily identifiable.
The Alys Fowler meeting was discussed. Alys may be able to spend the morning with
us to look at the allotment and then speak at the Friends Meeting House. Costs were
discussed: based on the projected cost of Alys’s fee plus room hire, we would need to
sell at least 150 tickets at full price to cover costs. The poster/flyer was almost finished
and ready for printing.
6 January 2011
The main topics for this meeting were the AGM, further preparation of Potato Day, the
Alys Fowler talk, and the proposed coach trip to Tatton Park.
AGM: it was agreed that Barrie would chair the meeting and give a brief report on the
year’s activities. All committee members agreed to serve again if elected. Bethan
McIlroy also agreed to stand for election – she was co-opted in the summer and has
served since then. The accounts and treasurer’s report will be made available for
members to look at in advance of the meeting.
Potato Day: Cash will be counted by the Treasurer plus one other committee member
away from the Methodist Church, as per the auditor’s recommendation. The list of
potato varieties will be checked and printed for use on the day by volunteers and
visitors. Efforts will be made to source a few varieties that were requested by members
but were not available from Codnor or Skea. These are Swift, Belle de Fontenay, and
Lady Balfour. It was decided that the café area would be the best place for the DVD,
provided we can get the equipment to show it on. More blue trays are needed for the
potatoes, and Kate agreed to get hold of paper bags and felt tip pens. Karen and
Bethan agreed to update the display and Karen would sort out a press release. We
would arrange to start to set up at 6pm on Friday night at the Methodist Church.
Alys Fowler: Alys’s agent has confirmed that she will sign books and speak to local
media. We agreed to contact Radio Nottingham and the Evening Post. We decided to
print 500 A5 flyers and 100 A4 posters for distribution at other gardening groups, in
garden centres and nurseries, and in veg boxes. Bethan agreed to produce tickets,
which will all be numbered. Brian would print them on card, with the aim of having
them ready for the January meeting. Anyone interested in having an information stand
at the Alys Fowler event would be charged £10 and given 2 free tickets.
Tatton Park: the rough estimate for a coach plus entry on the Saturday of the show
was £25 per person. It was decided to put this to members to try to gauge interest.
Under AOB, it was noted that NOGs have been invited to participate in Long Eaton
School’s World Environment Fun Day (11 March 2011). No committee member was
available to attend – it is a Friday. However, we feel that this is a worthwhile event, and
so decided to ask whether any member would like to represent the group.
15
Tuesday meetings: Hotel Deux, Clumber Ave at 7.30 pm, unless otherwise noted
11 January
8 February
8 March
12 April
10 May
14 June
From Sand Dune to Botanical Garden: a view from San Francisco
Vanessa Grundy
Lynn Taylor, Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
Garden Conversazione – let’s have a natter about our gardens
Sally Cunningham (Garden Organic) Growing Exotic Food
Annual Plant and Seed Swap
Irene Wilkinson (Chair of Garden Organic) will visit the NOGs
allotment and report on her role at GO.
Events
Sat 29 Jan
Potato Day, Sherwood Methodist Church, 10.30-2.00
Sat 26 Feb
An Afternoon with Alys Fowler, Friends Meeting House,
25 Clarendon Street, 2.00-5.00pm
NOGs Allotment Work Parties, 10am-2pm
Plot no. 6, Whitemoor (entrance on Wilkinson St)
Monday 17 January
Saturday 22 January
Monday 31 January
Saturday 5 February
Monday 14 February
Saturday 19 February
Monday 26 February
Saturday 5 March
Monday 14 March
Saturday 19 March
Monday 26 March
Saturday 2 April
Monday 11 April
Saturday 16 April
Monday 25 April
Saturday 30 April
Monday 9 May
Saturday 14 May
Next Newsletter
Please pass all your letters, articles, questions and so on to me by (or before!) 31
March for inclusion in the spring newsletter. Handwritten or word-processed is fine.
Give me a call if you need my address. Many thanks.
Rachel Palfreyman
rachel.palfreyman@nottingham.ac.uk
Committee Members
Karen Fry
Vanessa Grundy
Brian Hobby
Malcolm Lewis
Kate Newton (Secretary)
Rachel Palfreyman
Ros Pither
Mike Spalton (Treasurer)
Barrie Ward (Chair)
karenafry@hotmail.com
vjgrundy@hotmail.com
9306457
9652753
9625297
9621016
9625099
9231631
9602324
New website address: http://www.nogs.btck.co.uk
16