Deal Hop Farm - Rhizome Pick ups

Tea break at Ripple Steam planting

The purpose of this post is to let Deal Hop Farm members know of the arrangements to pick up the Hop Rhizome that has been ordered.

(For information only if you have picked yours up already)

We have been a little overwhelmed by the response we have had locally - We have well over 100 sites and looks like we will plant about 220 plants!

This includes a fantastic diversity of sites with clusters of growers on all the allotments locally, Walmer Castle Kitchen Garden, Ripple Steam Brewery, Martha Trust, Rippledown Centre, Pines Calyx Garden, One pre-school group, Just Reproach, Lighthouse, Community gardens at the Landmark and Deal Station, people sharing gardens, others sponsoring them at the community spaces plus many, many gardens around the Town

You can see what the Deal Hop Farm looks like at our Google Map

Residents and Staff involved in Deal Hop Farm at Martha Trust

Pickups will be at the Landmark Garden (High Street Deal)

- Friday 3rd March 11-1.30pm

- Saturday 4th March 10:30 -12:30

- Friday 10th March 11-1.30pm

- Saturday 11th March 10:30-12.30

It would be very helpful if when collecting this you could bring a couple of plastic bags or a container

If this does not work for anyone let us know and will sort out another means

Stuff you should be doing Now:

1) Decide on Location for your Hop - remember they need lots of Sun & free draining soil + if you are planting more than one they need 3ft between the plants

2) Think about how or what it is to grow up

3) If planting in the ground start to prepare the ground - you may need some good compost (like John Innes No3 or similar)/Well rotted Farmyard manure/or home produced compost

4) If planting in Container - remember the bigger the better. Min of 40ltrs (At the Landmark Garden we are looking at recycling some old plastic dust bins - they hold about 100ltrs) and source new compost/manure .Remember to get some old crockery/broken pots/stones at the bottom + ensure that the bottom have good drainage holes. Don't use a pot saucer as the Hop roots do not like wet feet.

5) Please read the enclosed planting instructions - The Rhizomes are planted vertically with the crown at the top

6) have a look at the Grow Beer planting Video

7) Ideally we need to get the hops planted by mid-March

8) Take some before and after photos

9) Relax and have a beer

Launch meeting at the Lighthouse

When you pick up your Hop Rhizome, we will give you, per plant:

- Some gravel (optional: especially useful if you are using a container or have a heavy soil)

- Compost mix to put around the Rhizome (farmyard/chicken/seaweed manure) 1-2ltrs

- 5m of Hop Twine

- 1 Prima Donna Rhizome

We have plenty of Hop Twine - so if you need more you are welcome to it for a small donation (we will have it available at all the meetings in April and at Deal With iT events in the Landmark Garden)

We also have a small stock of proper Hop Pegs which the farmers use for £2 . You don't necessarily need one of these (especially if you are planting in a container) as a tent peg or similar will do

We are putting all documents on the Facebook Group DealHopFarm as well at the page on the DealWithIt website.

Please post your photos or send them to us at Info@dealhopfarm.org.uk

We are in the process to setting up the first social/talk at the end of the month - we will put out a separate email  in about a week's time

Any problems, questions (hop related please :) drop me a line here, on facebook or give us a ring - we are here to help!

Best Wishes and thank you for your support for making the Deal Hop Farm a great success

Steve

Project Co-ordinator

01304 372673

Victoria's Green Matters 12th February 2017

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column on Green Issues for us:

There has been such a hoo-ha this last couple of weeks over the unavailability of certain vegetables. It is amazing to think that courgettes and lettuces could be such news worthy items!

We have, of course, been brainwashed by the supermarkets into believing that we should be able to buy anything that we want, whether it is in season in the UK or not. We import a huge amount of our fruit and vegetables because our climate just doesn’t allow us to grow lots of things. It seemed that it was the lack of courgettes that was the first thing to be reported and this because of really bad weather in Spain where the courgettes are usually grown.

We were not sorry for the people of southern Spain who were suffering an unusual cold spell, only sorry for ourselves because we were denied our supply of vegetables. We then hear that some supermarkets have actually imported iceberg lettuces from the USA – at great cost to the environment because they were transported by air and at great monetary cost to the consumer if they chose to buy them. How ridiculous this is! Where has seasonal eating gone?

There are many root and leafy vegetables available at this time of year that are grown here and the more local to your area, the better. If you want an interesting salad, try red cabbage and grated carrot with balsamic vinegar. Delicious!

We know that we must import exotic fruits that can’t be grown here – how can we imagine life without bananas? – but we really should not be buying imported items just because they are out of season here.

French film Phenomenon 'Tomorrow' comes to Deal 16th March

'Tomorrow’ [DEMAIN] Film Show
Thursday March 16th at 7pm

Drinks open from 6pm

Astor Community Theatre,
Standhope Rd Deal

Feeling despondent with the current climate and global politics? Already viewed by over 1.5 million people in France alone, and winner of Best Documentary at the Cesar Awards (the French Oscars), ‘Tomorrow’ has has a huge impact.

Produced by activist and writer Cyril Dion and actress/director Mélanie Laurent, it tells the story of their search for solutions to the crisis humanity faces.


It is a hugely positive, affirming and inspirational film, exploring much needed creative solutions in the fields of food, energy, transport, economics and education.

 It visits permaculture farms, urban agriculture projects, community-owned renewable projects, local currencies, creative schools, ambitious recycling projects. 

 It has been a huge boost to community-led projects, and is currently on release in 29 other countries, regularly receiving standing ovations, and leading to the formation of many new community projects.


We’re really pleased that the Transition Network has negotiated the rights to distribute the film in the UK and are happy to be able to show it here in Deal.


The Astor Bar will be open from 6pm for pre-film chat and nibbles. and there will time for informal chat after the film

The film runs to just under 2hrs and has substitles (although at 70% is in english).

The tickets cost £5 - money is being used by the Astor to support its community work.

See a trailer here: https://youtu.be/NUN0QxRB7e0

Walmer Beach to get its Spring Clean 5th March

We have our next Beach Clean at Walmer on Sunday 5th March at 9:30am (notice the earlier Spring Like Time :) ) meeting at the Sea Cafe on Walmer Green

This clean is our contribution to the 'Great British Spring Clean' being organised nationally by the Keep Britain Tidy and other environmental groups. We hope to develop the idea for 2018 in Deal and get litter picks at a number of 'grot spots'.

We will supply Pickers, Bags and Gloves - the Clean will last about 1 to 1.5hrs.

Great Launch meeting for the 'Deal Hop Farm'

We had a great launch meeting for the 'Deal Hop Farm'  - Our community Hop growing initiative at the Lighthouse on Thursday.

The packed pub had over 60 people to listen to our plans to Grow Beer in Deal. 

We had many sign-ups and the 'Farm' now stands at 44 sites in the town and district with over 100 hop plants.

The Hopinasta's will also be  running a information stall at the Landmark Centre (Cafe) on Saturday between 10am to 1pm.

The project will be taking members until the 23rd Feb.

Many thanks to everyone who came to the meeting on Thursday and the Deal With It Volunteers for organising the stalls and sign-ups and to the Lighthouse for hosting. (see our page on the Deal Hop Farm for more details or join the Facebook group DealHopFarm )

Victoria's Green Matters 2nd Feb 2017

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column on Green Matters for us.

There is some good news at last on the environmental front from green energy supplier, Ecotricity. This small company supplies electricity only from renewable sources and is going ahead to produce ‘green’ gas from, of all things, grass.

Permission has been granted for them build their first ‘Greengas mill’ and there are more requests for permission in the pipeline, including plans for two gas mills on the site in Lancashire that the government has earmarked for fracking, against the wishes of the local council and community.

Gas will be produced by the anaerobic digestion of grass. This is the decomposition of organic material without the presence of oxygen, resulting in the production of bio-methane gas which will be ‘scrubbed’ to remove some of its carbon dioxide. As this gas is from newly grown grass, carbon dioxide has been sequestered by the crop during its growing time and the carbon dioxide produced when it is burnt will be sequestered by the next crop. It is not like fossil fuels which have been removed from the ground.

The grass will be sourced from marginal land and lower quality arable farmland. The material that is left after the gas has been removed is an excellent natural fertiliser which will be returned to the fields to improve soil quality and to reduce the need for chemical fertilisers.

We already produce green gas from waste food and animal excreta up to about 5% of our needs so making green gas from grass will cut carbon emissions, make the UK energy independent, support food production by improving soils, create wildlife habitats and support farmers.

Deal Hop Farm - Community Hop Growing Project

Deal With It – Transition Deal is launching a Community Hop Growing project in the town: the Deal Hop Farm

We hope to create a patchwork hop farm made up of peoples’ gardens, allotments, and community gardens & spaces in the town. There are several similar successful schemes around the country. So far we have about 20 people interested including the English Heritage’s Walmer Castle.

We are also teaming up with Ripple Steam Brewery to help produce the beer and mentor the club on the brewing side. It may take a couple years to make our own crop viable for a commercial brewer but the end objective is to produce a locally grown Deal Beer.

We have a stall in the Landmark Garden on Saturday 4th Feb and a Launch meeting at the Lighthouse on the Strand on Thursday 9th feb at 6pm where you can find out more.

Our leaflets on the project can be found at The Lighthouse, the Green Berry, the Freed Man, The Just Reproach, The BoHo, Farrier, Das Bar, Landmark Centre, Town Hall, Golf Rd Centre


More details on our page here and at  facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/DealHopFarm/

Membership form link