Print Icon
 
   
     
Hello from Lauriston Farm...

Welcome to the February newsletter - we've reached 'Imbolc' and the first stirrings of spring (though Gaelic tradition has it that fine weather around now means winter will last a lot longer, so careful what you wish for). At the farm, Drop-in Volunteering continues on Thursdays 1pm-3pm, and we have lots of other ways for you to get involved this month as well.

In this newsletter:
  • Reminder about the Seed Share and Apple Wassail tomorrow (Saturday 3rd), and the Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop (5th) and Orchard Planting (10th)
  • Market Garden Volunteering (10th)
  • Farm-wide Tree, Willow and Wildflower Volunteering (16th, 17th & 28th)
  • Your help needed - looking for new Pickup Points for the veg bags in Davidson's Mains and Cramond
  • Could Lauriston Farm be part of an active travel route for you? - please fill in our survey
  • Some nice footage from the wildlife cams of wildlife using a pond at the farm
     

First a quick reminder (and note for any new subscribers) about what's happening on the farm this Saturday 3rd February...
We have a Seed Share 10am-1pm (drop-in) and then our first ever Community Orchard Wassail 2pm-4pm. All free, and all are welcome. We hope to see you there!

     

Community Orchard events

Monday 5th & Saturday 10th February

Community Orchard
You can also join us in the Orchard on:


Monday 5th February, 1.30-3.30pm
Winter pruning in the orchard workshop - led by the Botanics


Saturday 10th February, 11am-1pm
Planting more fruit trees


(these are not just for Orchard Group members - you're welcome to come along just to learn skills for yourself or to help out as a one-off)


If you have any questions about the orchard please email toni@lauristonfarm.org

     

Market Garden Volunteering

Saturday 10th February, 10am-12:30pm & 1:30-4pm

Market Garden

Market Garden volunteering is back! We're waking up the garden and we'd love to have auld hands and newcomers join us to help grow food for the community. The likely jobs this month are: crop maintenance, filling sand bags, path maintenance, and some propagation preparation. This is a chance to learn any of these skills - you don't need prior knowledge. We're looking forward to welcoming the community back into the Market Garden. Please sign up here:

     

Tree, Willow & Wildflower Planting

Fri 16th, Sat 17th & Wed 28th February

Tree planting
Come and help out with tree care, tree and willow planting and making our wildflower garden space flourish! The dates and plans are:

Friday 16th Feb, 10.30am-12.30pm - Tree care & planting

Saturday 17th Feb, 10.30am-12.30pm - Tree care & planting

Wednesday 28th Feb, 2-4pm - Willow and Wildflower planting

Please register on Volunteer Signup to let us know you're coming:
     

Drop-in Volunteering

Thursdays 1pm-3pm

Wrap up warm and come along to the farm's Community Garden & Allotments to get involved (in the fenced area by the Toby Carvery car park). You don’t need to know about plants already – it’s a good place to learn (and if you do have knowledge, it’s a good place to share it). There is a mix of heavy and light jobs - you can go at your own pace and choose the ones that are right for you. Everyone can choose based on their health and mobility on the day. And there is always a tea break!

If you haven't been before, click here for more details and access notes 

As ever, if you have any questions, you can contact communityallotments@lauristonfarm.org

     

New Pickup Points for the Veg Bags

CSA Veg Bags

We’re glad to say we have secured funding from the Regional Food Fund

(delivered by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership with funding from Scottish Government) to expand and improve our pickup points for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) veg bags. This will allow us to create more pickup points, and make the current ones larger and more accessible. We hope to double the number of CSA members this year.

   

Can You Suggest Suitable New Pickup Points?


We are looking for suggestions for new locations in Davidson’s Mains and Cramond for our pickup points. If you know of a potential space for one of our sheds, or a suitable indoor alternative, please click this button to let us know:

     

Active Travel Survey

Farm Active Travel Routes

Could Lauriston Farm become part of an active travel route for you? 
 
If there is community interest, we can apply for funding from Paths For All to create solid, accessible paths across the farm, connecting with onward travel routes, allowing you to cut through the farm without getting muddy! Here are some example uses we can think of: 
  • school pupils could go up the west side of the farm on a safe path parallel to Cramond Road South (and emerge clean at the other end!)
  • Cramond residents could cut through the farm to go to the Toby Carvery for a meal, or to get to National Cycle Route 1, or to the Lothian Bus routes at Silverknowes Parkway 
  • Silverknowes and Muirhouse residents could cut through the farm to get to Cramond 
Can you think of other uses? And would you use them? Please send your feedback, comments and suggestions using this form:

     

Wildlife Cam Highlights

Click here to see some video footage from the wildlife cameras of resident wildlife using a pond at the farm. We also spotted curlews grazing in the middle field in January - hurray! And remember we're always interested in your wildlife spots - you can log sightings on our project on iNaturalist.

     

Thank you for reading. Hope to see you at an event, volunteering session or wildlife spotting on the farm soon.

from all at Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op

   

Follow Us On

You are receiving this email as you signed up for our newsletters.

Want to change how you receive these emails?

You can Unsubscribe or Update your preferences