Regional centre to learn vegetable growing, orchard growing, forest gardening, foraging for wildfoods, scything and wildlife gardening

Who are we?

Fir Tree Community Growers is a 5-acre small holding run as a community interest company (not-for-profit) by a core of seven volunteers who have worked together since 2011. We are between Wigan, St Helens and Skelmersdale WA11 8RG.

The community farm has vegetable growing, alley cropping with hazel, orchards and the north west first commercial forest garden all sold through Liverpool Organic Direct Box Scheme. The forest garden's main trees were planted in 2016 and we now need evidence to present to the Heritage Fund for £10k to plant up the lower levels for pollinators and for more fruit to fill gaps. This will lead to opportunities for learning traditional heritage and forgotten skills in vegetable growing, fruit growing (including pruning), foraging of wildfoods, scything, coppicing, growing reeds and encouraging wildlife (nectar bar, shelter belts, hedgerow and ponds).

We will run a pilot until mid-2021. After this time our long-term goals are to develop:

a regional visitors attraction offering day courses,
a classroom to accommodate up to 30
weekly opportunities for wellbeing (targeted at vulnerable people who do not attract direct payments) and
a free open source web-based learning for the general public of our pioneering work.

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* 1. As a volunteer, would you be interested in helping with the mammoth planting task in the forest garden, gaps in the hedges and orchards from the Autumn 2020? And which day is best for you?

Friday

Saturday

Not available

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* 2. As a Volunteer rould you be interested in laying a 100 metre hedge (which is 13 years old) to improve hedgehog habitat? And which day is best for you?

Friday

Saturday

Not available

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* 3. Which free pilot courses, to improve traditional heritage skills would you like to attend? Tick as many as apply.

Growing vegetables

Forest garden care including scything

Fruit pruning

Foraging for wildfood

Wildlife gardening

Herb gardening

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* 4. Can you suggest which organisations we should link with including hiring our facilities?

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* 5. How should we promote our work?

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* 6. Can you suggest an email contact in an organisation who will bring beneficiaries to the farm to attend a pilot wellbeing session (targeted at people who are vulnerable but may not attract direct payments)?

Regional centre to learn vegetable growing, orchard growing, forest gardening, foraging for wildfoods, scything and wildlife gardening

Who are we?

Question Title

* 1. As a volunteer, would you be interested in helping with the mammoth planting task in the forest garden, gaps in the hedges and orchards from the Autumn 2020? And which day is best for you?

Question Title

* 2. As a Volunteer rould you be interested in laying a 100 metre hedge (which is 13 years old) to improve hedgehog habitat? And which day is best for you?

Question Title

* 3. Which free pilot courses, to improve traditional heritage skills would you like to attend? Tick as many as apply.

Question Title

* 4. Can you suggest which organisations we should link with including hiring our facilities?

Question Title

* 5. How should we promote our work?

Question Title

* 6. Can you suggest an email contact in an organisation who will bring beneficiaries to the farm to attend a pilot wellbeing session (targeted at people who are vulnerable but may not attract direct payments)?

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* 7. Would you like us to keep in touch? Please leave your email

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* 8. Any other suggestions?