Open Source Seed Initiative
The Open Source Seed Initiative seeks to make seeds perpetually available without the danger of them being patented, and thus guarding against the takeover of our seed stock by corporations. Today, only three companies (Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta) account for about...
Tipi living
After the high winds at the end of last year, our poor tipi was rather the worse for wear, so we sent it off to The Sail Yard in Killinchy to be repaired, and they made an excellent job of it. This season we were determined to put it up well, and so after no...
Pruck
As Dougie taught us, the word to describe stuff that is handy, and which others are disposing of, is ‘pruck’. Well we’ve had a bumper week for pruck. A friend is moving house and doesn’t have room for all the things she has collected up over...
Firewood finally
The past two winters have involved a constant battle to find enough wood fuel to keep us warm, and at times when trudging around in sleet and snow to retrieve sodden timber from the woods has been nothing short of miserable. So this spring we built the lovely new...
Misty mornings
These crisp, sunny mornings are what make this one of my favourite times of year, and the farm is starting to burst into life once again. Here we are experimenting with no-dig potato growing in last year’s chicken enclosure. The potatoes are simply bedded on a...
The new season gets underway
It has been rather quiet here on the blog recently – first because this winter was considerably quieter than the last, and a time for reflection and planning. A lot of reading was done over the quiet months, and in some ways this has reinforced our sense of...
Drumming at Lackan Cottage farm
Something we really want to do here at the farm is connect people – to each other and to the land. I love drumming, so we were really pleased to welcome Marcella Gilliland here today, with Julia Cross and Vanessa from Sunflower Festival, to have a look...
It’s seed sowing time!
The joys of our polytunnels mean that even on horrid days we can be doing something and be toasty and dry. Lyra can come down and play whilst we get on with the serious business of growing this years supply of veg. Four of the outdoor beds are planted with autumn sown...
Volunteers wanted!
After a much needed winter break, we are gathering ourselves for the year ahead, and thinking about the projects that lie ahead. As always there is much to do, so we are looking for some volunteers to come and lend a hand. We will feed you and put you up, (or feed you...
The way of the whippet
This is Wilma the Whippet, the latest addition to the Lackan Cottage Farm household. Dumped in mid December, with 12 puppies, Wilma was fortunate enough to be picked up by the dog warden and taken to the Mid Ulster Rehoming Centre at Drumbonaway kennels. Sadly...