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Hello from Lauriston Farm
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It's nesting season for the birds - a crucial, delicate time. We're asking visitors to be alert to ground nesting birds at the farm, including skylarks, and endangered curlew and grey partridge. To avoid accidental harm to our breeding birds, it's safest to stick to waymarked paths, and keep dogs out of longer grass and wilder areas.
As we approach Beltane and the transition to the warmer half of the year (usually through another stormy blast: the gab o' May), there are bright, fresh greens everywhere, and we are really up and running with the planting.
In this newsletter...
Events & Workshops- Community Meals are Back (from 7 May)
- Reminder: Introduction to Growing Your Own Food Course (starts 11 May)
Volunteering Opportunities
- Volunteer in the new Flourish Garden (from 6 May)
- Volunteer in the Seed Patches (15, 22 & 29 May)
- Drop-in Gardening (Tue 1-4pm & Thu 2-5pm)
- Volunteer in the Market Garden (Tuesday mornings)
- Birdsong Survey Walk (23 May)
News & Updates
- Field Notes from the growers
- Farm Wheat & Soil in New Exhibition
- Land Partner news, volunteering and learning opportunities
- A request from Environmental Studies students
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Thursdays 1pm, starting 7 May | |
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The sun has been shining, the crops are coming up so it’s time to restart our community meals! Everyone welcome. The meals are Thursday lunchtimes, starting 7 May at 1pm - come and share some soup, salad and delicious bread from Granton Garden Bakery. No need to book, just come along to the Community Kitchen in the farm Allotments & Garden.
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Reminder: Introduction to Growing Your Own Food Course | |
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Would you like to learn to grow your own food? There are still some spaces left (mostly in the morning) for our fun and practical course for beginners, starting Monday 11 May. Join us for six lessons over six weeks to cover everything you need to get growing. Choose the morning or evening course, and the ticket price you can afford from the sliding scale. Read more details and book your space here:
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Volunteer in the Flourish Garden | |
Wednesdays 1-3pm, starting 6 May | |
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We're making a new therapeutic garden called Flourish and you can help it come to life. The garden will be based around a pond which was dug out last year, but is yet to be filled or planted. The space will also include seating, raised beds, medicinal herbs, arts and crafts plants, and sensory planting. You can get involved with pond development, planting and propagating, path building, willow weaving, dead hedging, and raised bed building. You don't need previous experience to join in. We will be in the Community Allotments & Garden. We’ve got outdoor work kit you can borrow, plus gloves, and we supply all the tools. Sign up here to join us:
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Volunteer in the Farm Seed Patches | |
Friday 15, 22 & 29 May 9:30am (finishes 11:30) | |
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As you may know, the farm produces a lot of its own seeds. We know that if we produce our seed well, it makes for way healthier plants and a more resilient farm. Seed learns to adapt to our soil and climate. Year-on-year, we produce more seed and hopefully get better at it! We could do with some extra hands in the seed patches in the market garden on Friday mornings - sign up here if you'd like to help grow and care for the seed crops: | |
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Tuesdays 1pm-4pm & Thursdays 2pm-5pm (drop in) | |
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We run drop-in sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, with Agnes, Lisa and Hannah in the Community Allotments and Garden. If you're looking for a way to learn about growing food... or to share the knowledge you have... or for community... or for some fresh air and gentle exercise... or to make a difference locally... or for a reason to get out the house, try coming along! Newcomers and beginners always welcome. Please try to arrive 10 minutes before the start time on your first day - after that, it's drop-in anytime during the opening hours. We've got outdoor work kit you can borrow, plus gloves, and we supply all the tools. Just bring yourself.
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Volunteer in the Market Garden | |
Tuesdays 10am-12 noon, weekly | |
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We are loving having our Tuesday volunteers in the market garden - with regulars and newcomers making a fresh, energetic team each week, and making a big difference. You can now sign up for May and June dates. This is a great way to experience food growing at a larger scale, and your efforts will turn into many meals in the local community. You don't need previous knowledge - just bring energy and enthusiasm. Newcomers welcome, please sign up here to join us:
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Saturday 23 May 6:30am (finishes 8:30am) | |
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For the fifth year, Prof John Frank is leading Birdsong Survey Walks around the farm. We're now at two surveys done, and two to go. John teaches participants how to use the free app 'Merlin' for bird identification, so you don't need birding knowledge to join (but knowledge and experience is also welcome). Across the four spring walks, John is making a count of the bird species at the farm - which is important information for us as we work to increase biodiversity, and John also uploads the survey results into the national Breeding Bird Survey. Spaces on the walks are limited - please sign up here to join the May survey walk:
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Market Garden Field Notes | |
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Farm Wheat and Soil in a New Exhibition at the Botanics | |
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In the new exhibition 'Earth Matters', ceramic artist Eleanor White's piece ‘Quern’ features a quern (a timeless tool for milling grains) handmade from clay taken from farm soil, with a sheaf of the Granton Rouge D'Ecosse wheat. A celebration of food sovereignty and a reflection on sustained care for local grains - click here to find out more.
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News from the Land Partners | |
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Would you like to help tend medicinal herb beds? There are volunteer sessions in the Grass Roots Remedies herb garden (inside the Market Garden) every Wednesday 4-6pm with Soraya, and the first Friday of the month with Rhona 10-1pm. You will be sowing seeds, keeping the herbs watered and TLC’d and having a good natter. Come along and help nurture the medicines.
Any questions?
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MSc Environmental Sustainability students from the University of Edinburgh are researching Participation, Inclusivity and Sustainability in Community-Led Urban Green Spaces in Edinburgh. If you'd like to help them, click here to fill in their survey.
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Thank you for reading. Hope to see you at an event, volunteering session or wildlife spotting on the farm soon.
from all at Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op
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