Welcome to the SRT blog No. 67
10th September 2021 – Welcome to our blog post No. 67
Coming up….
We are involved and holding some events in September.
- Saturday Sept 18th
Abbots Autumn Fest
Berkhamsted Great Big Green Week
Northchurch ‘wildlife trail’ drop in
- Thursday Sept 23rd
Berkhamsted market
Activity Centre ‘Celebrate the Apple’
The Abbots Autumn Fest is on Saturday 18th September 2021, at School Mead, Abbots Langley WD5 0AE, from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Sunnyside will be there with plants, produce, apple press demos and tastings.
A fun filled family, community day in the village of Abbots Langley. Celebrating its orchard heritage it’s a fun-packed day to promote local growers, food producers, crafts and community in a friendly and intimate atmosphere of music, fun, games, and laughter. Come and see the crafts, plants, bell ringing, yarning, raffles, tombola, coconut shy, games and many other activities for all ages. Food and drink available, so you can stay all day. www.abbotsautumnfest.uk
Sunnyside will be in the Berkhamsted Civic Centre from 10 to 4pm with a produce and perennial plant stall. We have grown a s/6 wildflower meadow plugs to sell and talk about the environment. Complimentary tea/ coffee/ juice will be available throughout the day and we are supplying biodegradeable coffee cups, compost and seed for customers on their way out to take a hand of compost and plant their own seed. www.berkhamstedtowncouncil.gov.uk/uploads/berkhamsted-gbgw-whats-on-guide.pdf#greatbiggreenweek
In conjunction with Climate Action Berkhamsted Sunnyside Northchurch have an open day so the local community and trainees / family can come and enjoy a unique walk around. There will be lots going on: spot the wildlife, look at moth traps, sow some seeds, learn about pond dipping, see the animals, enjoy refreshments at the café/farm shop, see the apple press in action and watch woodworking demos with The Repair Shed. Saturday 18th September 10 to 2pm
Children must bring responsible adults. £3.00 per wildlife trail map. Pay on the day. Note: this is an agricultural site and parts have uneven ground away from the main buildings. So, do wear appropriate footwear and clothing, depending on the forecast. Also, if visiting the chicken orchard, you will need to dip footwear, so will get wet.
Thursday Sept 23rd – the Thursday market stall in Berkhamsted High Street will also sell the wildflower meadow mix plant plugs.
Then after hours the Activity Centre will be celebrating the Apple with the local community invited to come and harvest some apples in the orchard, sample some Sunnyside apple juice, shop at our on-site market stall with Sunnyside grown produce, apple juice, eggs, local honey and our homemade jams and chutneys, take part in apple themed colouring and crafts. Thursday 23rd 3.30 to 5.30pm.
Refreshments and our own apple cake are included in the price. £5.00 per adult with up to 3 children FREE. Children must bring responsible adults. The numbers are limited to 30 visitors for this event so do sign up soon. Book a space by buying a ticket from our farm shops, at our Thursday market stall or BACS. Please contact Dawn on publicity@sunnysideruraltrust.org.uk for these details. Note: this is an agricultural site and parts have uneven ground away from the main buildings. So, do wear appropriate footwear and clothing, depending on the forecast.
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Collecting and saving seeds to plant later at Northchurch.
Hollie doing a fine job – but could secretly be her Christmas list!
Tidying up the bubble (Keder) greenhouse with Steph, Hollie, Georgie and Laura (volunteer)
Honey bee and hover fly enjoying the late flowering, pink, sanguisorba in the central perennial bed.
Sam often has to have a feature, he feels left out if he hasn’t had his photo taken!
The cats are in competition with Sam for the agghh…..cute photo this week at Northchurch.
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Meet Xena the resident ‘Queen’ at Hemel Food Garden – beautiful.
Winter bedding plug plants have arrived and were being potted up on one of the hot days at the beginning of the week! Superb team effort in the ‘cool’ of the shade.
Harvesting turnips and fab lettuce for the café and farm shop.
It’s sunflower time – who has the tallest?
Work was carried out in the Gadebridge park SANDS garden. Diane and Grace taking a well deserved break in the shade from the weeding, hedge trimming and tidying.
Sam did an excellent job mowing, weeding and a general tidy in an outside contract garden
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Processing carrots and apples from the allotment. Peeled, chopped and bagged for freezing so they can be used through the winter. They also made apple flapjacks for all to try and for the café to sell – gluten and vegan free!
As I was away last week – Scott made green smoothies on Bank Holiday Monday….spinach, peanut butter and banana mixed with milk of your choice ( coconut was delicious apparently!)
And some ‘olympics’ activity to celebrate the Paralympics.
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Becca was manning the Thursday Activity Centres market stall in Berkhamsted high street this week.
Last week it was Tim & Lewis taking a turn.
Noreen made a visit to the new Sunnyside hub café in The Active Dacorum Apex Hub, Sports Pavilion, Redbourn Road, Hemel Hempstead HP2 7BA. As part of the opportunity, we are producing food for not only the cafe but also meals for a local school which caters specifically for children with learning disabilities.
Market stall mock up activity to review the layout with trainees for some new ideas.
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Until next week….
