Workshop on bees on 4th May 2013 at Radford Mill Farm

Come and learn about bees at this wonderful workshop being run by Brigit Strawbridge from BBC2's 'It's not easy being green'

Spring Green Fayre on Saturday 18th May 2013

Details of the forthcoming Green Spring Fayre at Radford Mill Farm. A wonderful space, good music and lots to do, A great day out for all the family !  

Behold our new central heating system !!!

In line with our principles of trying to be energetically self sufficient and alongside our plethora of solar panels, we took the bold move of installing a log burner to fuel the house’s central heating system. Designed on the farm by Richard and built by Roy this impressive burner was installed by Mario just as winter set in.

It has now been in use for the last 3 months using wood that has naturally been cleared from the farm. When going well, it heats the communal living space and people’s rooms and has been pretty effective at staving off the cold.

Our new river walk

Although we managed to escape relatively unscathed by the December flood it was a little close for comfort. We therefore decided to reinforce the riverbank along by the mill and at the same time create a new river walk. This is a beautiful little stretch and Operation Raleigh started the process by hacking back the undergrowth and Liz then cleared the steps down to the river.

From then Richard and the WWOFERS set about building walls and raising levels and now we have not only reinforced the riverbank at the point that it flooded the mill yard, we also have a wonderful new approach to our main event space.

Roll on the Summer when people will be able to experience the space and the new walk in its full glory. 

The great flood of 2012

 Flooding on the farm

We’d never seen anything like it in down here at Radford Mill Farm in the last 30 years. One day in early December after a particularly savage downpour, the river Cam, usually a gentle creature, burst its banks and flooded the lower reaches of the farm. People stood by anxiously in the mill yard and watched as the water just kept coming and the level rose at an alarming rate.  

Frank’s cottage got the worst of it and the poly tunnels were underwater and very soggy for a while. Whilst we did suffer some flood damage, thankfully this has been relatively minor but it was a real reminder of the power nature can have and how this can sometimes become up close and personal.

Our lovely new hot beds

We have established two hot beds using a technique popular with the Victorians.  

We created a brick border and filled this up with a mixture of fresh horse manure, hay and comfrey. This was allowed to rot down which generates heat. After about a fortnight we put a layer of soil on top so that the beds contained a ratio of 3 parts compost to 1 part soil. We then plant seedlings into this.  It is great for squashes, courgettes and salad veg.

For a period of 6 – 8 weeks they have generated a constant bed temperature of around 20 degrees compared to a ground temperature in the poly tunnel of 11 degrees c. 

The advantages are that it:

• extends the growing season
•  generates extra heat in the poly tunnels
• makes compost and improves soil fertility.