Em Gen members take on Devon

Rachel showing us around the Apricot Centre. 

Last week, members of Emergent Generation got together in Devon for a lovely day exploring the Apricot Centre with Rachel Philips and the Forest Garden at Dartington with Martin Crawford.

We had a warm welcome with tea, coffee, and biscuits made from the wheat grown at the Apricot Centre. Rachel gave us an introduction to what goes on at the farm. From arable, to beef, from vegetables to flowers, from educational courses to wellbeing services, it was hard to think of something they didn’t do.

This diverse business model is crucial for them. This has made them more economically resilient to all the recent changes in agricultural grant schemes. Ideally, Rachel says they would prefer not to rely on grants, but with the current economic climate, that is hard to do.

The glorious variety of cut flowers on display.

Agroforestry was the first thing they implemented. It was designed with the assumption that they wouldn’t have to irrigate crops in Devon. The agroforestry helps to keep the soil moist and slow down water loss through evapotranspiration by creating a sheltered environment for the crops. Whilst they have to irrigate crops now, there is no doubt that they use less water.

It was clear that people are at the heart of everything they do. They offer subsidised places on courses for farmers with a Devon postcode, they work with children in local schools, and cater their produce to match the interests of the local market. 

Rachel said that the best thing the agricultural sector could do is help fund farmers as they move from a more conventional system to a regenerative one. It takes time for the soil to improve as it adapts to not being treated with lots of chemicals, so by easing the transition, it would incentivise more farmers to do this.

Exploring the woodland area at the Apricot Centre.

After a delicious lunch cooked from produce from the farm, we walked to Martin Crawford’s Forest Garden on the Dartington Estate. This small, but mighty woodland was planted 31 years ago. Given the size of some of the trees, you would have thought it was much older.

The 2-acre forest garden was built up of three different layers: shrub layer, tree vegetables, and the canopy. The canopy provides shade and shelter from the wind and frost, the mid-layer trees provide structure, and the shrubs offer a diverse range of edible treats. 

Martin made an interesting point, saying that the closer an ecosystem is to a woodland, the less energy is needed to maintain it. It takes 1 person, 1 day a week, to maintain the forest garden. They sell the cuttings and seeds as well as running courses and hosting walks to earn an income.

Highlights were nibbling on extremely spicy Szechuan pepper seeds, learning how to manage bamboo sustainably, and what tree leaves have the highest protein levels (grapevine leaves and white mulberry). 

The challenge Martin faces is similar to Rachel's, with the uncertainty of using tenanted land. This Spring, the Dartington Hall Trust gave them a years notice to vacate the land. After a huge upheaval and public outcry, negotiations to determine another long-term lease are underway. The sheer amount of publicity this received in a short space of time shows how valued this small 2 acre forest garden is to the local people. It has attracted over 50,000 visitors over the past 30+ years, hosts important scientific research on carbon storage, and is often referred to as the best example of a food forest (or forest garden) in the temperate world.

Martin emphasised the importance of water and how it was the central point of the design process for the forest garden. It is important for the trees, as well as lots of other insects that help monitor the pest populations. 

A big thank you to Martin and Rachel, who showed us around.