Two Upcoming Farm Walks in County Down
There will be two beautiful farm walks taking place on horticultural holdings in Co. Down.
Both walks are free to attend and open to everyone.
1.Monday 04 August 2014 16:30pm – 19:30pm Grower: John McCormick Address: Helen’s Bay Organic Gardens, Coastguard Avenue, Bangor, County Down, BT19 1JY
Some background to Helen’s Bay Organic Gardens
John McCormick established Helen’s Bay Organic Gardens in 1991 (www.helensbayorganicgardens.com). It is situated on 20 acres of fields adjacent to Belfast Lough in Helen’s Bay, Co. Down and is licensed to EU organic standards. It combines growing vegetables on a field scale and 10,000 sq ft of polytunnels exclusively for their box scheme, market stall and farm shop. The soil is a heavy clay with a clay shale subsoil demanding careful management on three sites a few minutes apart. Rotations including green manure fertility periods are well established. The home site also hosts a community garden, a well-established demonstration allotment, fruit growing.
2.Wednesday 3 September 2014 16:30pm – 19:30pm Grower: Roy and Sheila Lyttle Address: 90 Portaferry Rd, Newtownards, County Down, BT23 8SN
The business started in the early 1980s by Roy and Sheila Lyttle, initially growing on 7 acres at the home farm. At this stage a wide range of conventionally grown crops was grown for several customers. The business expanded rapidly and in 1997 a decision was taken to invest in a new packhouse facility to specialise in preparing and packing Spring onions and Leeks, which were well suited to our light soils and favourable climatic conditions on The Ards Peninsula, for delivery to the multinationals which had arrived in N. Ireland. In 2000, 15 acres of ground was entered in to organic conversion and in 2003 the business started to supply organic leeks and a range of brassicas directly to Tesco and to several other independent retailers and box schemes. Other lines have been introduced, carrots, parsnips, swedes and potatoes and today the business grows 125 acres of conventional vegetables and 25 acres of assorted organic produce.
Please visit www.soilassociation.org/farmersgrowers/events/farmwalks for more information
