Next job: sieving compost!

We had a lovely Saturday with volunteers on the roof, some children from a local cubs group came along, enjoying the scorching hot weather with us!  We managed to do lots of jobs – planting out courgettes and tomatoes, sowing more peas, weeding galore…a very productive day.

Our Beekeeper Silvio showing volunteers some bees in honey-making action!

Up close and personal

Our Beekeeper Silvio was around on Saturday during the volunteer session, and he gave us a great opportunity to see the bees working away…honey-production in action!

The bees certainly seem very happy in the garden at the moment, more and more flowers are bursting into bloom, it must be a veritable paradise for bees of all sorts.

Plenty of Bumblebees to be seen as well…glorious creature of all shapes and sizes…some carrying enormous loads of pollen on their hind legs! I just wish they weren’t so good at evading my camera…would love to share them with you all!

So – what’s happening this week at FOOD from the SKY?

We’ll have some new plants for sale in the shop this week…come into Crouch End Budgens to get some Calendula, Borage, French Beans and Kale. Priced from only £1.29 each.

Wednesday – volunteers work day with Sarah…10am-1pm. Please bring comfortable clothes, strong shoes and most importantly SUNSCREEN and a hat!

Friday – harvest and work day with Jack…9am-4pm. Please bring the same as above! More hands are needed for harvest, so if you can get there early that would be great. Otherwise, we welcome volunteers anytime during the day – no obligation to stay for the whole day.  We’ll be starting to install the irrigation system, so any handy-people for such jobs are very welcome!

Saturday – volunteers work day with Sarah 12pm-4pm. It’s glorious being in the garden on these hot, hot days. Do come prepared though, bring sunscreen and a hat, as well as lunch to share.

Everyone was glowing with inspiration following our second Seed2seed course session on Saturday. The topic was Bees and other Pollinators, taught by the wonderful Brigit Strawbridge.  Brigit’s passion and enthusiasm for all things bees related was clear, she was a fantastic tutor, and her enthusiasm was very much contagious!  We all felt very priviledged to share her vast knowledge – learning the importance of many different varieties of bees in our gardens, and how to attract them and support them.

Brigit writes a great blog and one of her most recent posts is about the very important issue of neonicotinoids (link here) and the damaging impacts this agricultural pesticide is having on bees! As well, she includes a concise list of actions you can take to encourage the ban of this chemical group. We’d highly recommend Brigit as a speaker – she is currently looking for bookings for talks and workshops about bees so she can raise awareness of how important they are; how many amazing different species we have in the UK; and how we can help stop their decline. For more information look here.

Her top tips to help bees:

1. Be a lazy gardener! Leave piles of leaves and old rotten wood for bees to nest in & under.
2. Plant as many different ‘shaped’ flowers as you can; different bees have different requirements so the more variety on offer, the more different bee species you will attract.
3. Ensure you have a succession of flowering plants throughout the year. It’s no good having a garden full of blooms in June if there’s nothing for bees to forage on up till then.
4. Build or buy some solitary bee homes. They like old bamboo canes or holes drilled in wood. Drill different sized holes (3mm – 8mm) for different species of bee. Place them in south facing positions.
5. Find an old dead branch/trunk of lime or beech and prop it up against a south facing wall to attract carpenter bees.

We’re all now very much fascinated by the humble Bumblebee!

Some special facts about Bumblebees that will hopefully inspire you to realise how special they are too!

One of Brigits photographs of a beautiful Early Nesting Bumblebee

1. There are 24 species of bumblebee in the UK.
2. Bumblebees are also extremely important for pollination of plants.
3. Favourite nesting sites for Queen Bumblebees are old mouse nests.
4. Queen bumblebees brood! They sit over their eggs until they hatch after 4-6 days. As the baby bumblebee larvae hatch they are fed by the queen until after about a couple of weeks they spin a silk cocoon around themselves becoming pupa for another couple of weeks. Once this first brood has hatched, they will take over the role of feeding the baby bees while the Queen continues laying eggs. The process will continue until the colony is about 200 strong.
5. Once male bumblebees leave the nest they don’t return, so during the night you’ll often find them sleeping underneath the heads of flowers, or sometimes even right inside them.
6. Male bumblebees can mate repeatedly, they don’t die immediately after mating like honeybees.
7. Male bumblebees can be identified by yellow band around the head and a kind of moustache!
8. Bumblebees can rob nectar from long gullet-shaped flowers, by biting a small hole down the bottom of the flower where the nectar is located and sucking it out. This is a clever approach to get around the extra work required to get the nectar by entering the front of the flower!
   

   Our stall at the Fun Run on Sunday

On Sunday we joined in at the YMCA Priory Park Fun Run and Festival, along with the Budgens team. Us selling plants, them selling sausages and burgers!  It was a good opportunity to connect with locals who hadn’t heard of us before.

Happening this week at FOOD from the SKY…

Wednesday: work day in the garden 10am-1pm. Warmer weather this week – so bring sunscreen, comfortable clothes, strong shoes.

Also on Wednesday 4pm – 7:30pm we need help carrying compost up the stairs to the rooftop! We’re having 2 tonnes of compost arrive to the Budgens carpark and need many strong arms and legs to move the compost upstairs!  Skip your regular gym session and join us for some stair-climbing instead…pretty please!

Silvio (FFTS beekeeper) inspecting our hive

Friday – work day with Jack 9am-4pm.  Come and help with harvest and more.  Bring strongshoes, warm clothes etc

Saturday – we’re open for a volunteers day this Saturday from 12-4pm.

Come and lend a hand in the garden, we’ll be making nettle and comfrey tea solutions, on top of the usual jobs of sowing, transplanting etc. The forecast says sunshine, so remember to bring sunscreen/hat, it will be a nice day to spend in the garden!

We’ve been very busy with various events for the Crouch End Festival…the last day of which was on Sunday…it was a great local festival and a pleasure to be involved with, it was wonderful to see so many new visitors on the roof!  But with any big events it always feels like a weight off your shoulders when they’re finished so we breathe a sign of relief as well!

Our film night on Friday by the Short Film Movement+ was great fun, though a bit chilly! Wrapped up in blankets and warmed with wine – viewers settled on the roof to watch a brilliant collection of short films: She Who Measures, Notes, Time Catcher, Love Suicides, Nuit Blanche and Spin

We’re hoping to have more film events on the roof in the future…collaborating with Green on the Screen who feature Eco-films and food on the first Wednesday of the month. Keep an eye on our website for more details later during the summer!

Also on Friday our first delivery went across to Belsize Park Budgens.  The second retail site for FOOD from the SKY which will be topped up every Friday with our fresh harvest. Plus we’re also growing a few things in containers outside the store as well: strawberries, mint, chives and nasturtium currently! Lucky Belsize Park shoppers can now enjoy our wares too!

Happening this week:

Wednesday – join our work day with Sarah 10am – 1pm, please bring comfortable clothes, strong shoes and your waterproofs! Arrive at 10am for briefing.

Friday – join our work day and harvest with Jack 8am -4pm, please bring comfortable/warm clothes, strong shoes. Arrive anytime after 8am.

Sunday – at Hornsey YMCA Fun Run & Festival, come find our stall in Priory Park – we’ll have FOOD from the SKY plants for sale, including: Runner Beans, Broad Beans, Tomatoes, Chillis, Nasturtiums and Strawberries!

The rain certainly didn’t hamper the visiting kid’s enthusiasm for facepainting…the queue for facepainting was constant all day, and once the rain cleared a little later in the afternoon we had a regular stream of visitors climbing the staircase and exploring our rooftop.

Our garden tasting tour was popular, and many people learned how to make planting containers from yoghurt pots, toilet rolls and juice cartons. We were also showing how to make insect and bees hotels, with lots of people taking home their own hotel to encourage and support insect life in their own garden. Yay!

Thanks to our team and volunteers: Jack, Charlotte, Fred, Ben, Azul, Lia and Susan for helping out on the day – couldn’t have done it without you!

Coming up this week we have more festival activities – join us for a vocal music performance on Wednesday and a night of short films on Friday…

Jenni Roditi – Vocal Tai Chi  9 May 2012 – 13:30

Jenni is a composer, singer and pianist. She has also been a Voice Movement Therapist and Integral Voiceworker for 20 years. Through this work, and also through her travels and studies with singers from around the world, she has recently developed Vocal Tai Chi.

The Short Film Movement+ 11 May 2012 – 20:00 doors open (film starts approx 8:30pm)

Join us for an outdoor screening of short films and performance hosted by The Short Film Movement+

The Short Film Movement+ celebrates short film and its interrelation with various art forms. Focusing on themes related to the human condition their aim is to inspire, explore, question and debate.

Other activities this week:

Wednesday – join our work day with Sarah 10am – 1pm, please bring comfortable clothes, strong shoes and your waterproofs! Arrive at 10am for briefing.

Thursday @ Budgens Belsize Park, 1pm - we’ll be at the relaunch party of the Belsize Budgens store – come and hear a few words about our work with Belsize and other cool activities happening in their local area!

Friday – join our work day and harvest with Jack 8am -4pm, please bring comfortable/warm clothes, strong shoes. Arrive anytime after 8am.

We strongly encourage you to get out and about this week making the most of festival activities on offer within Crouch End…there’s lots to choose from…support your local community and check out the festival website for more details http://www.crouchendfestival.org/

Crouch End is THE place to be from the 4th through 13th of May – there is a veritable paradise of amazing events and activities to see and get involved in around the area!!

See the festival website for more details: www.crouchendfestival.org

If you haven’t already been to visit our beautiful roof garden, or if you’re a regular volunteer and would like to put your hand to some new activities and enjoy some tasty food from our garden – now is the time to come and see us!

The programme for our activities on the roof is as follows:

Food, fun and garden activities in the Sky  5 May 2012 – 12:00 – 16:00

A special open day…we’ll have the following workshops and activities

• Make your own plant pots using different materials
• Make insect hotels
• Garden tasting tour
• Delicious homegrown food and refreshments with ingredients from our garden
• Facepainting

Jenni Roditi – Vocal Tai Chi  9 May 2012 – 13:30

Jenni is a composer, singer and pianist. She has also been a Voice Movement Therapist and Integral Voiceworker for 20 years. Through this work, and also through her travels and studies with singers from around the world, she has recently developed Vocal Tai Chi.

The Short Film Movement+ 11 May 2012 – 20:00 doors open (film starts approx 8:30pm)

Join us for an outdoor screening of short films and performance hosted by The Short Film Movement+

The Short Film Movement+ celebrates short film and its interrelation with various art forms. Focusing on themes related to the human condition their aim is to inspire, explore, question and debate.

Of course – as a small non-profit organisation we can’t make these events happen without the help of volunteers…if you have a little spare time to contribute during, or in helping to plan the event please let us know. Contact sarah@foodfromthesky.org.uk

We are also on the look out for garden lights to borrow for the film event on the 9th. If you know of anyone or anywhere that we might be able to borrow such do get in touch.

Greatly appreciated!

Exciting news – we’re pleased to announce the opportunity for two dynamic people to join the FOOD from the SKY team!

The positions are Fundraising Coordinator Intern and Events Coordinator Intern

As a young, innovative organisation we’re readying ourselves for expansion and the next stage of growth.  Fundraising and event management will both be critical aspects that shape how we move forward and develop the organisation. There will be opportunities to bring your individual style and creativity to the positions! This is a great chance to gain exposure to the life of a social entrepreneur, urban food growing, ethical business practice, and our growing network and resources.

Food from the SKY is about inspiring and growing a healthy and sustainable relationship with food in cities and with our supermarkets.  We are doing this through food growing on roofs and running educational programmes for individuals, schools, supermarket’s team members and organisations. See full job descriptions and details below:

Job Description – Events Coordinator

Job Description – Fundraising Coordinator

Both positions are voluntary with some bonuses. They will require a minimum commitment of 3 months

Send us: If you are interested in this position and opportunity please send your CV asap and a paragraph about why you feel you would be suitable for this position. We want to know you a little more, so as an optional extra send us something that inspires you! Send applications to Sarah McFadden: sarah@foodfromthesky.org.uk

Deadline for applications is 5pm Monday 21st May 2012

We are looking forward to meeting you and growing with you!

We’re very excited to announce our participation in the Crouch End Festival!!!

Happening from the 4th til the 13th of May the festival will be a wonderful celebration of the creativity within our local area.

Did you know Crouch End has one of the greatest percentage of resident populations working in the creative field in London (estimated at 40%).

If you haven’t already been to visit our beautiful roof garden, or if you’re a regular volunteer and would like to put your hand to some new activities and enjoy some tasty food from our garden – now is the time to come and see us!

The programme for our activities on the roof is as follows:

Food, fun and garden activities in the Sky  5 May 2012 – 12:00 – 16:00

A special open day…we’ll have the following workshops and activities

• Make your own plant pots using different materials
• Make insect hotels
• Garden tasting tour
• Delicious homegrown food and refreshments with ingredients from our garden
• Facepainting

Jenni Roditi – Vocal Tai Chi  9 May 2012 – 13:30

Jenni is a composer, singer and pianist. She has also been a Voice Movement Therapist and Integral Voiceworker for 20 years. Through this work, and also through her travels and studies with singers from around the world, she has recently developed Vocal Tai Chi.

The Short Film Movement+ 11 May 2012 – 20:00 doors open (film starts approx 8:30pm)

Join us for an outdoor screening of short films and performance hosted by The Short Film Movement+

The Short Film Movement+ celebrates short film and its interrelation with various art forms. Focusing on themes related to the human condition their aim is to inspire, explore, question and debate.

Visit www.crouchendfestival.org for more details on the variety of events featured in the festival overall

Of course – as a small non-profit organisation we can’t make these events happen without the help of volunteers…if you have a little spare time to contribute during, or in helping to plan the event please let us know. Contact sarah@foodfromthesky.org.uk

We are also on the look out for garden lights to borrow for the film event on the 9th, as well as some medium/large speakers to project the film audio around our generous roof space. If you know of anyone or anywhere that we might be able to borrow such do get in touch.

Greatly appreciated!

Other volunteering opportunities for this week…

Wednesday 10am-1pm. Work day with Sarah. Please bring comfortable clothes, strong shoes and your waterproofs! Arrive at 10am for briefing.

Friday 8am-4pm. Work day and harvest with Jack. Please bring comfortable/warm clothes, strong shoes. Arrive anytime after 8am.

Saturday 12pm-4pm. Work day with Sarah. Bring lunch to share.

And we now have some of these lovely plants for sale in Budgens. Our tomatoes are the Moneymaker variety and have gone full circle with Food from the Sky, as these plants were grown from the seeds we saved from last years plants!

Our organic tomato and strawberry plants are only £1.99 each.

Once you’ve got your plants home, here are some tips for planting out and general care to help maximising your harvests.

Tomatoes

• Keep soil moist but not water-logged, dry conditions will significantly increase risk of fruit splitting
• Just before transplanting the tomato plants to their final position drive a strong stake into the ground 5cm from the planting position. The stake should be at least 30cm deep in the ground and 1.2m above ground level. Tie main stem of plan to the stake
• Feed with an organic tomato fertiliser every 2-3 weeks (if growing in containers every 1-2 weeks)
• Tomatoes need a lot of sun so make sure you give them a full-sun position in your garden
• When the first fruits begin to form, the plant will produce side-shoots between the main stem and the leaf stems. These side shoots should be removed by pinching them out
• Pick as soon as they are ripe – as well as tasting great, this encourages production of further fruit
• Cut off yellowing leaves and those shading lower ‘trusses’ of fruit

Strawberries

• Choose a sunny, sheltered site with well drained soil and add plenty of manure before planting out
• Keep strawberry beds free of weeds at all times
• Keep well watered until they are established
• Protect fruit from birds with netting or similar
• As the fruit develops, their weight will cause them to lay on the ground. Before this happens cover the soil around the plants with either straw or black plastic. This will prevent the fruits from lying directly on the soil which will rot them
• Pot up or remove runners

HAPPY GROWING!

Ps. In another few weeks we’ll have more plants to sell. Through spring/summer look out for FOOD from the SKY courgette, chilli, french bean, squash, coriander, lettuce and kale plants for sale in Budgens!

Late on Friday night our beekeeper Silvio was busy transporting the bees from Camden to their new home with us in Crouch End. They arrived onto the roof at about 11pm that night!

Their arrival happened to coincide with our first Seed2seed course session for 2012 that began the following morning.

Bees settling into their new surroundings

It was an interesting introduction – but am pleased to report students & bees behaved themselves

The bees were getting aquainted with their new home and exploring the roof a lot during the day…saying hello to people as well as plants. Cool, calm and collected was the order of the day and we successfully proved that bees and people can cohabit well together!

The next steps to welcome the bees will involve focusing on planting some nectar and pollen-rich flowers and herbs that will complement our garden and provide an easily accessible offering for the bees.

Sowing their first seeds to take home and nurture

Seed2seed 2012 journey begins!

15 excited students began their Seed2seed journeywith our tutor Jack Astbury to learn about ‘Sun, soil, water, planning and planting’.

Together under the arches

They were able to learn which plants would be best suited to their gardens, how to analyse soil, make a wormery, work with compost, design self watering systems, make natural fertilisers such as nettle and comfrey solutions and much more.

In the afternoon students embarked on planning their gardens. Having created drawings of their growing space as homework (some very accurately drawn and to scale as well – impressive stuff), Jack was able to offer extra guiduance on challenging growing conditions.

Of course everyone’s growing space was different…our students had a real assortment of spaces including allotments, shady gardens, a rooftop, balcony’s and overgrown urban jungles! Battling against wind, lack of sun, limited space, tough soil etc.

Learning about compost

It goes to show urban growing is not without it’s challenges…but hopefully after the course everyone felt much more confident – going away with enough knowledge to overcome these challenges and turn their garden space into a food producing paradise!

A big thankyou to Jack for delivering excellent material in an accessible and practical manner. And also to our apprentices Fred and Charlotte for helping out with other tasks and prep for the day. Thanks to dedicated volunteer Ben for staying on to help with clean up too!

And so we look forward to the next Seed2seed session on May 19th. The wonderful Brigit Strawbridge will share her knowledge about bees and other pollinators. We have a few spaces left on this course session. If you’re interested in learning about this fascinating topic please contact sarah@foodfromthesky.org.uk to book. More details here.

Making soil sausages and organic fertilisers

This week join us for volunteering days on Wednesday and Friday:

Wednesday 10am-1pm. Work day with Sarah. Please bring comfortable clothes, strong shoes and your waterproofs! Arrive at 10am for briefing.

Friday 8am-4pm. Work day and harvest with Jack. We’ll be continuing to work on the irrigation system and building the wormery. Please bring comfortable/warm clothes, strong shoes. Arrive anytime after 8am.

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