Presentation to Organic Seminar

Hopesay Glebe Farm, early spring Hopesay Glebe Farm is our small holding in South Shropshire. We have about 10 acres from which we produce vegetable, chickens for eggs and mutton we also keep about 70 colonies of honey bees off site in Herefordshire and South Shropshire. We also do  various  related activities such as  school visits, walk rounds and this year  classes on site  in  with the  Soil Association and Shropshire  Hills  AONB. Main income comes from direct marketing at farmers and weekly markets

All our produce is sold direct via Farmers Markets and a regular weekly market in Shrewsbury. We are full time on the farm and have no other paid employment. We employ the equivalent  of three man days per week plus another day when markets clash.

Master classes

This years class 2008

Master classes organised by the soil association and Shropshire Hills AONB.

12 people per tutor paying about £25  each per day.

Taking about £300 for the day.

    Preparation takes about two three days per course, notes take 6 to 8 hrs  Although when a course is repeated,         the preparation is spread.
   

We provide materials and equipment

    Protective clothing for beekeeping, tools for gardening, equipment for soil testing. , allergies to stings.

Two courses offered

General subjects of: Growing your own vegetables
                                General introduction to vegetable growing, principles of soil management, understanding                                     of rotations and general information on the years work.
                            : Beekeeping and chickens
                                Introduction into handling birds nutrition and housing, Expected production supply of birds.
                                Handling bees, hives, nutrition and feeding, queen rearing, harvesting and bottling.

Organisation

Publicity

    Important to have enough publicity to get participants, we had SA and local Shropshire Hills information        networks. Especially important in rural area with low population.

Lesson Plan

    Important to know what is to be achieved by the end of the day. Key objectives

Planning the route of walk round & practical activities

    Risk Analysis, holding checked for potential dangers, bee stings, barbed wire, uneven paths. Make a plan for         the days events, what happens when. Timing critical to achieve the lesson plan and to ensure participants             given value for money.

Seating, food and comfort important

    It is important participants have a pleasant experience.Plan for comfort breaks, tea breaks and lunch. Important     to provide seating  if  participants are kept in  one          place for any length of time. We used straw bales and     collapsable tables. We held the more formal parts of the     gardening course in a poly tunnel, despite this on         the latest course (nov) it was too cold so we had to try and         keep moving so a back up of an indoor room     needed in inclement weather.
       
    

Notes available, handouts,website & internet cloud

    I chose not to print handouts due to the amount of paper needed, so I have links to a google "Knol" on my blog     spot. This meant that participants could look up my notes when they wanted and print out on their own paper in     they wish. I also maintain a blog about our small-holding so participants can keepup to date with what we are         doing if they are interested

Feedback Form

    Important a they give you information on your performance and the relevance of what you are doing. A section     on potential improvements does bring out lots of ideas which can be used in subsequent classes.

Future developments

Beginners courses

       Basic information on gardening including digging, weeding ,planting and seed raising

Seasonal courses. spring summer autumn

    Perhaps a more advanced course going into more detail for specific crops

School gardens, teachers and pupils planning and development

    Potentially a course for teachers setting up a school garden.

Cookery and gardening

    Possibly splitting a day with gardening in the morning and cooking harvested produce in the afternoon

Relevance to business

Publicity

    The fact that people are coming to your holding will give publicity via word of mouth and any other spin offs like         articles in local papers

Future customer

    A possibility of recruiting customers your your existing enterprise

Income

    Can be profitable as long as more than one course of each type is run. Also a possibility of charging for meals     or produce participants may take home.

Adding a little back

    Your business is more than just an enterprise selling Vegetables, Meat or Eggs it brings the business more into         the community more of a local resource.