Come and buy your potatoes, onions, seeds, garlic, and have a chat with the people who are about to become our neighbours on the site behind the shop. As it’s the first week of March, we will now be open 10 til 12!
Potatoes are now in – over 10% cheaper than last year
We have the following varieties:
First Earlies – Red Duke of York, Orla*
Second Early – Nadine
Salad – Charlotte, International Kidney
Main – Cara*, Desiree, King Edward, Stemster, Rooster
* Blight Resistant Varieties
They are priced at £1.10 / kg except for Rooster which is £1.50 / kg
Potato Fair at West Oxford TODAY, 2-7
We will have potatoes in stock in the shop from this Sunday. If however you want to buy all kinds of fancy ones, the Pennard Plants Potato Fair (organised in conjunction with Oxford and District Federation of Allotment Associations) is on TODAY at West Oxford Community Centre, 2pm til 7pm.
Open day at Boundary Brook Nature Reserve, Saturday 17th Feb
Children’s activities including a treasure hunt, plus stalls and guided walks at the nature reserve adjoining the allotments:
Irrigation works
We have received a grant from the council to put in a few extra taps and waterbutts in between the ones we have. Currently there is an exploratory trench open on the top road (Howard St end). It is safely fenced off, but please do be aware of it. Other works, including trench digging, will be taking place on all three roads over the next few weeks, please go carefully and do not move the fences under any circumstances. If there is a problem, please contact the committee via email.
We look forward to shorter walks to the water sources this year!
Now in shop
We have just taken delivery of French Beans, Runner Beans, Broad Beans, Garlic, Onion Sets, Shallots, Peas and a variety of other seeds.
120 litre Water butts have been reduced to £22, so very good value!
Potatoes are due for delivery in the 3rd week of February
Soil/composting workshops at Sandy Lane Farm, Tiddington – THIS SUNDAY
Stewarding our Soil Workshop
Event Hosts: Regenerative Agriculture UK
Venue: Sandy Lane Farm, OX9 2LA
Sunday 28th January 2018 9am-5pm
The event is being run by Regenerative Agriculture UK and the workshop will be delivered by Dave Beecher.
“The focus of the day will be practical, considering how the soil health principles discussed apply in real life and how we translate them into practice. It will act as a good introduction for those wanting to get started on both understanding soil biology and supporting its healthy development”.
It promises to be an informative workshop & a hearty Sandy Lane Farm lunch & refreshments will be included in the cost of the day.
You should be able to click on the link to find out more about the day and to download a booking form: https://www.regenag.co.uk/index.php/course-calendar/stewarding-your-soil.
Rubbish dumping
We hire a skip each year (this year two, due to the first being filled in one day), at considerable expense, to allow plotholders to dispose of rubbish. We do not have a regular waste collection due to the cost and practicalities of access. At other times we ask plotholders to dispose of their own rubbish by taking it to Redbridge, or home to add to the normal waste collection if appropriate. Please keep in mind the difficulties of waste disposal when considering whether to bring things that are “bound to be useful” to the site – either you or subsequent plotholders will have to deal with them at some point!
Under no circumstances should rubbish be dumped on other people’s plots, and anyone doing this will be required to remove the rubbish immediately and dispose of it properly. They may also risk being asked to surrender their membership of the Association.
If anyone reading this was responsible for balancing a pile of mostly broken glass on a bramble patch on site recently, please take the earliest opportunity to remove it.
Winter pruning and grafting courses
Andy Howard of the Heritage Fruit Tree Company will be running Winter Pruning + Grafting Training Courses 20th and 21st Jan, 3rd and 4th Feb.
More details here: Dear Fruit Lover .
Potato Fair – date for your diary
O&DFAA (Oxford and District Federation of Allotment Associations) will be holding its 1st POTATO FAIR in conjunction with Pennard Potatoes.
On Thursday 22nd February, from 2pm – 7pm at West Oxford Community Centre, Botley Road.
Admission FREE, All welcome
(Parking is very limited on site. Botley Road buses use Osney Island stop. Ten minute level walk from Seacourt Park and ride)
More information here: http://www.potato-days.net/ – a large number of potato varieties will be available for sale, as well as onion sets, shallots, fruit bushes and trees, dahlias and gladioli. You can pre-order items from Pennard Plants for collection on the day too.