March 2024
What a joy to be feeling the warm sun on skin, hear birds singing and, very excitingly, seeing the first of the bumble bees and honey bees!! It has been a soggy start to the Spring but it’s now well-and-truly here.
The moorland mizzle did a particularly intense display on the 16th of March for the day visit from the Land Workers Alliance* but it didn’t stop us from having a brilliant day of sharing, learning and mutual support as we walked around Pentiddy, followed by a tour and talk about Tregovenek and our vision for the land and its people. It was really heart-warming and affirming to hear such positive feedback and to hear, yet again, how much our vision stirs in people such a deep sense of hope. The connections forged with members of the Land Workers Alliance day will undoubtedly play a part in the next chapter of Tregovenek’s journey.
Practical and design work are on-going in the emerging community garden. Tasks for the next work party will include dismantling the old polytunnel and clearing the ground ready for creating more no-dig beds for food and medicinal crops. We’re in need of some funding to cover the costs of some of the bigger jobs to take it to the next stage. The finance circle is working closely with the garden circle on this – fingers crossed.
Our incredible regular volunteers are busier than the bees! Other than the creation of the community garden, our current work also includes repair work on the outbuildings and maximising on rain-water catchment, writing business plans, fundraising, starting to pull together the prospectus for the Community Share Raise, planning events… there is so much going on, most of which is unseen but so vital.
We are into our second year working with the University of Plymouth. This year they are assisting us with ecological surveys so that we can monitor the benefits that regenerative agriculture will bring to the ecosystems here. Alongside the more formal surveying, we will be holding a family-friendly Bioblitz in the Summer which will be an opportunity for everyone to come and help us to identify all the life that exists one the land here – flowers, trees, insects and small mammals. An invitation for this public event will follow in the next newsletter but for now, save the date! June the 22nd.
Another date for your diary is our latest course offering- A willow weaving workshop on 27th April.. Limited spaces so get in quick! To book send a message to mail@tregovenek.org.uk.
Work parties continue to take place once a month, 10am – 3pm with a shared lunch: Fri 22nd March, Saturday 20th April, Friday 24th May. Check out the calendar for all dates. We’d love to see you there!
*The LWA is a union of farmers, growers, foresters and land-based workers with a mission to improve the livelihoods of our members and create a better food and land-use system for everyone.