CALTHORPE COMMUNITY GARDEN

J U N E 2 0 2 0 N E W S L E T T E R

Dear All, While we can’t wait to welcome you in the park again but until this time comes, we want totell you what we did in the last month and what we plan to do during the summer months. As regulations allow, more and more of you will be able to use our garden again either tovolunteer with us, maintain your plots or simply to enjoy nature in a safe environment. Weare still closed but you can book a session for volunteering or for fun. Details can be foundon our website and social media.

Website: http://calthorpecommunitygarden.org.uk/Emails: ila@calthorpecommunitygarden.org.uk

gaven@calthorpecommunitygarden.org.ukkatalin@calthorpecommunitygarden.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/calthorpecommunitygarden/WhatsApp: Growing at home – please contact Mila to be added

If you would like to support our emergency response to theCoronavirus pandemic, please click on the link below. We areconcentrating on those households in our immediate area butwe try to support people living further afield or put them intouch with an organisation near them. CONTACT US

SUPPORT WHAT WE DO

CALTHORPE FOOD BANK

With the support of the Felix Project, and fresh harvested vegetablesfrom our garden we deliver food to self-isolating older people andfamilies who are struggling to make ends meet. 48 households receive our donations, most are single people livingalone but we have some couples and families, 66 people in totalbenefit from the donations. We also make cooking meals for themost vulnerable such as older people in supported accommodation.We are lucky to have the support of 5 local volunteers, 3 who

sort and package the food and 2 who deliver by bicycle. Thanks

to a grant from the Mercers’ Company, we are be able to

purchase a cargo bike so we can make a larger number of

deliveries per trip.

KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER  OUR 'GROWING AT HOME' PROJECT

This project has meant so much more than just a physicalactivity to us, it really keeps us connected during those difficulttime. We can share our problems, ask for advice and admire eachother's pictures of growing vegetables. The weekly onlinemeetings held by Mila were and are very important to all of us. "I appreciate very much this opportunity to inspire our days with aliving project. This period of world confinement, has been a'spiritual retreat', a period of integral growing. The creation of myfirst food garden in central London is a beautiful challenge, I feltthe close connection with the Calthorpe community people, makingme part of a lovely family that has so much love and care for all ofus. A great highlight of this unique time in our lives. I feel likespreading the bug to all my neighbors and help them to create theirown food plant gardens thanks to this initiative." Diana "This project goes beyond growing food or plants. Its more thanthat. It brings a sense of belonging, a sense of sharing, a sense ofconnection, a sense of care. And it is through caring and belongingthat a sense of community is built, through "feeling like a family",so we can overcome any obstacles and grow healthy and strong,like a beautiful plant". Jade M.

Our weekly 'plants for sale stall'  on Monday's 1pm - 2pm at the

gate has become very popular. A big thank you to everyone who

has given generously by buying their flowers, herbs and

tomato's from us. 

We have raised over £800 so far. All the plants we sell have

been grown by volunteers, many with disabilities  and the

money we raise will go towards setting up our food bank /

delivery service to help the most vulnerable people in South

Camden. We will have different plants for sale each and we also

have small packets of quick to grow veg seeds that can be sown

and eaten at home.  Keep an eye on our website for whats on

offer each week.

FUNDRAISING PLANT SALE

WEEKEND PLAY PROJECTNOTE FROM OUR WEEKEND STAFF

if it’s a weekend, our focus is on families and kids. Our weekend team

share a lot of amazing ideas and activities on our Facebook page. Here are

some pictures from the projects of the last few weeks.

To all our regular weekend familiesYou can book the Calthorpe Garden for one hour at a time. This is for our

families that are struggling with kids at home and need to get out for a

while to let off steam. This is strictly for two single households only. So DO

NOT invite friends from other families or homes. Strict Social distancing

and hygiene rules will be in place.

The building is not open unless you need to use the toilet. Try to go before

you leave home to reduce the use of our facilities.

There will be no arts and crafts activities and no sports equipment out,

except for a football, table tennis and badminton but you can bring your

own things to play with if you like.

You can book a one hour slot by calling (no texts) 

on 07787 399 348 on FRIDAYS between 12 and 6pm ONLY. 

Slots are:

Saturdays: 12.30-1.301.30-2.302.30-3.303.30-4.304.30-5.30

Sundays: 12.30-1.301.30-2.302.30-3.303.30-4.304.30-5.30

Looking forward to seeing you soon, coz we miss you.

One of our goals to 2020 is to create a compost centre where we

represent all the different composting methods available in cities and

where we can invite and involve our community in composting. The

Calthorpe Compost Centre will serve as an educational centre for local

residents, schools and offices where everyone can learn about the

importance of composting and find a method that suits them best.

CALTHORPE COMPOST CENTREWE HAVE A NEW IN-VESSEL COMPOSTER

We have already had a wide range of composting options, from the traditional heap and worm compost to

the unique small scale anaerobic digester, and this has now been expanded with another new element - the

Ridan in-vessel composter that can take as much of 200litres of food waste a week and turn it into a an

amazing compost within 2 weeks.

We hope that soon you too will be among those who can turn their food waste into a great soil improver.

Details on how to join are coming soon.

EXCITING CLOSED-LOOP PROJECT STARTS IN JUNESurealy, you remember our hydroponic tower from last year, where we

grew nearly 12 kg of lettuce on less than one square meter during the

late summer months. This year, the park will host another hydroponic

project, but this time the goal is for our plants - which will be fed with

liquid manure made from food waste - to generate electricity as well!

Andreea, in charge of the project, is presenting the new attraction: "The

prototype involves setting up microbial fuel cells (MFC)  to potentially convert

the organic substances present in auto claved and diluted acid mine drainage

(AMD) into electricity in an anaerobic environment, in association with a plant

growth and harvest study within the premises of a vertical garden. It aims to

monitor the production of  electricity and useful biomass along with the

biogas production from digestate. The build involves accessing local/ easily

accessible, reusable materials to facilitate easy replication in different

locations."

DIGGING DEEP - MAINTAINING TOMATOES

Provide support: The stem of a tomato plant is rather fragile, to givesupport it will need a cage or a stakeWater regularly: To prevent mould or fungal diseases, water plants inthe morning and always the soil, never the leaves. After transplantingwater your plant every second day, even less frequently after 10 days.Give each plant about 7.5 litres per plant per week. Increase water asthe plants get larger and when the weather is hotter.Trim for bigger yield: regularly remove extra side shoots and too bigleaves that takes energy from the plant and might cover the fruits notallowing them to ripen.Harvest: Tomato needs at least two months to ripen but will do itcontinuously and you can harvest it till the first frost. You can harvestgreen tomatoes as well, place them on a sunny spot and they will turnred.

Cecilia, volunteer: In Ancient, Mexican agriculture, the three sisters werecorn, beans and pumpkin that people grew together. Corn was the maincrop, which provided more calories than any other, Legend says that cornshould be grown with other crops, rather than alone as it needs the help ofits sisters. Together, they combine to make a complex, and sustainableplant growing process that gives the soil fertility and people a healthy diet. During planting, ceremonies were held to honor the plants and a festivalcommemorates the first ear of corn. Through these festivities, oraltraditions re-tell the legends, preserving the knowledge and legacy of thethree sisters, for generations. The process works by the corn giving the vine, a stalk to climb upon, inreturn, the bean helps stabilise the corn and their roots give nitrogen. Theother sister, pumpkin, has shallow roots and is like a living mulch. Itprovides shade, preventing weeds and retains moisture at ground level.Pumpkin spines also deter predators. The abundance of their plant residuecan be put back into the soil, after harvest.

NEWS FROM THE GARDENWE TRY AN ANCIENT METHODE - THE THREE SISTERS

we have sold a lot of tomato seedlings at the sales in recent weeks. Since tomatoes require not only sun and

water, but also care, here are the most important steps to follow to have a beautiful, healthy plant and lots of

fruits.

courtesy of Jade M,