How to use The Compost Bin.

Welcome to The Compost Bin, which contains my musings on my life. I live in Herefordshire with my husband and 11 year old daughter. We have 4 acres of land which contains a woodland, small orchard, garden and veg plot. We grow our own organic fruit and veg and make lots of cider, wine, jam and chutney. We share our lives with 16 Chickens, 3 Cats, 4 Guinea Pig and assorted wildlife!

I am a freelance Forest School Leader and Environmental Educator so work with both adults and children on all sorts of things. I also volunteer as a Master Composter and Master Gardener, helping people make compost and grow veg.

So, I might talk about; what we have been doing on our patch of land and in our wood, my work, the chickens and their funny ways, how to grow veg, the fun things our cats get up to, self sufficiency and what it actually means, more general environmental issues, composting, making various crafty stuff, happy and sad times here, living a slower, more hand made, frugal lifestyle, making and mending and re-using and re-cycling stuff, living more lightly on the Earth and my views on life in general.

I hope you enjoy your time spent inside The Compost Bin. I would also love to welcome you as a member of The Compostbin forum

Remember to click on the photos to make them full size!

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Master Gardener training

I spent the weekend (Sat and Sun) at Garden Organic , Ryton, doing Master Gardener training.

Master Gardeners have the important – and exciting role of supporting people and communities grow their own. To offer them reasons to grow food, remove barriers against, teach growing skills, and offer support. They believe everyone can grow food, whether in a garden or allotment, or on their windowsill or communal land. Whatever the crop; whatever the space. Food growing is important for a healthy diet and lifestyle, saving money, learning skills, and bringing communities together.

Much like my Master Composter role, but this involves being a community gardening, rather than community composting  advisor, so I am helping people to grow veg who need a bit of support to " get going". It could be they are a first time grower, or someone who grows some veg but needs a bit of advice and support to grow more...

We cater for all groups, each supported by a local co-ordinator who gets to know their skills and preferences. Some love doing presentations, for example, other hate them and prefer writing articles. Some engage with schools; others their tower-block neighbours.

I am part of a pilot Master Gardener scheme for Herefordshire: I am the only one at the moment but hopefully many more will follow in my footsteps in the future!

Training from Garden Organic staff was excellent, as always. Support, advice, instruction and information was really good and very informative. The food was wonderful , as well!!


 Philip giving a workshop on seed planting

 Andy the Head Gardener taking us on a tour of the wonderful Garden Organic Ryton site


I aspire to garden like this!  But as there is only Compostman and I to do all the work, I think it is an aspiration, only :-) But I can dream.....

4 comments:

craftycherry said...

Im actually quite envious watchuing your posts..we are pulling everything up now and will be letting the chooks through. We are planting the onions and brassicas but reading your posts I am reminded of that lovely springtime fever and that potential new plantings bring.
Cheer
Cherry

Little Terraced House said...

So glad you got to finally do it ! I spent the weekend MG ening at the Edible Garden show at NAG centre at Stoneleigh - brilliant reuslt we signed up hundreds to the One Pot Pledge !

Isn't Phil lovely !

Hugs Babs xx

Compostwoman said...

Hi Babs,

Yes, Phil ( and Kate)are really lovely and I am looking forward to mentoring my households and spreading even more good words about growing veg, composting and gardening :-)

Rebecca said...

Hi, I've just come across your site and enjoyed reading about your interesting work. I'm working on a new project in Hfdshire called Ecohere - supporting sustainability in rural Herefordshire(www.herefordshirenewleaf.org.uk/p/ecohere/page/ecohere). I'd be really interested to find out more about your work, particularly regarding community composting and community gardening, so please feel free to contact me at anytime - contact details on webpage.Rebecca