SINCE giving up his Reconnect editorial chair, MARTIN FOS- TER has been getting some dirt under his fingernails – no, he’s not sleeping rough; he’s getting into growing…
ALTHOUGH I have been involved in land and landbased projects (some my own, some other people’s) all my working life, they’ve all been based around keeping livestock and I’ve never really been actively involved in growing produce. Now though I’m here at Tigley Tump (an off-grid smallholding just outside Totnes) and fruit and veg production is a significant part of what we do. And I’m growing to love it. Our priority is the production of food for our own consumption and we then sell any surplus at our farm gate stall (check out our map on Facebook to find it – www. facebook.co.uk/tigleytump), and on a local produce stall (run by The Apricot Centre – www. apricotcentre.co.uk) at Friday’s Totnes market. And because we feel very strongly about the quality of the food we eat ourselves – no chemicals, sustainable methods, etc – it means our customers enjoy the same benefits. Although I’ve grown a few things in odd corners of gardens in the past, I’ve always felt I had something lacking. Information about how to plant or sow, tend and harvest is out there in abundance, of course: I’ve got plenty of books on the subject and the ether is positively groaning under the weight of how-to websites. But somehow I didn’t have the ‘feel’ for it. Maybe it was just impatience on my part; perhaps it would have come after I’d experienced enough growing cycles. But I learn best from working alongside someone who really knows and loves their subject and fortunately Tigley Tump has Paul, the radical horticulturist. Paul loves all things plants. He trained at Schumacher College and has the perfect mix of technical knowledge (he can quote Latin plant names, if that’s what’s important to you), practical ability (his pruning skills are a form of living art) and wheelbarrow loads of enthusiasm. And it’s his enthusiasm that I find most inspiring. For me it’s still early days and I’m happy to ‘plant those’ or ‘weed that’ but I’m beginning to see each job as part of a process: the bigger picture is starting to come into focus. Slowly (very slowly) I’m learning the language of growing: not the Latin names (languages were never my strong point), but more the natural rhythm of preparing the soil, sowing and planting and tending the crops. It’s actually not so different from high-welfare livestock husbandry: working with nature to create a life-cycle that is sustainable and beneficial but non-exploitative. Underlying all this ethical consideration is the commercial imperative. As well as producing food, we need to make a little money (no matter how self- sufficient we might become and no matter how much we pare back our overheads, the bills still roll in) and Paul had an idea. Pea-shoots. They’re the delicious and super- nutritious sprouts produced by garden peas – perfect for salads, sandwiches and for sprinkling on and garnishing just about anything. The simple truth about growing is that if you get the conditions right, it will happen. Spread your soaked peas over the correct growing medium and make them comfortable in the appropriate environment and nature will do its job – easy peasy. And that’s fine if you want to grow a few shoots for your Sunday tea. But what if want to produce and sell pea shoots to local stores and, we are delighted to say, even to ensure a regular supply for a major wholesaler? What you need, my friend, is a system. And that is when you need to really know your onions (yeah, ok). You need to calculate the perfect density for sowing; you need to create the ideal environment, on a whole different scale; and you need to be able to harvest and package them in a way that will appeal to the consumer. While at the same time remaining cost-effective and efficient. And that is what Paul has done and that is what is happening right now at Tigley Tump. As well as all the richly varied and complimentary activities around more conventional fruit, veg and meat production, we now have a small but perfectly formed business producing pea- shoots – and selling them through the aforementioned local stores, market stalls and wholesalers. Paul isn’t looking to make his fortune, and as his (relatively) able assistant I’ll be content to just settle the occasional bill, but we’ve proved that it is possible to make money from an entirely natural, sustainable and non-mechanised project (a pair of scissors for harvesting is as hi-tech as it gets). As I said, I’m growing – to love it! * Follow all the Tigley Tump goings-on at www.facebook.com/ tigleytump