Whilst the first day of meteorological spring has passed, we certainly haven’t escaped the grips of winter, with snow and cold temperatures hampering spring preparations in the garden. However, students have been working on a variety of projects from ecological ‘dead hedges’ to planting early crops of lettuce, beetroot, spring onions and peas in the polytunnel. Despite being bitterly cold outside the polytunnel temperatures are significantly warmer, allowing us to grow approximately 6 weeks before the last predicted frost date of 2023. Whilst it might sound like an oxymoron, a dead hedge is a wonderful habitat that’s full of life. Dead hedges provide hiding places and nesting habitats for all sorts of creatures, as well as food for insects. As it rots down, the nutrients are recycled back into the earth below.    

Students from The Bridge recently took home leeks that they had harvested, and Lucy went home to make a potato and leek soup, and this looked absolutely delicious! This is a fantastic example of the field to fork process. Well done Lucy!