Field Notes March 2023
from the Free Range Glamping Field ** Spring is coming… ------------------------------------------------------------
I’m so ready for some sitting around in the sunshine, after what seems a very damp and chilly winter. When the sun has peeped out, it’s been a tantalising sign of what’s to come. We did manage to get the yurts up in a break in the rain, so are on track to open at the start of the Easter holidays. Whilst the summer is now pretty booked up, there’s still lots of availability in April, so to encourage the brave, please use the code ‘Brave’ to get 20% off any April bookings on the website (https://www.freerangeglamping.co.uk/booking) , made before the end of March. **
Yellow Peril - for grasses ------------------------------------------------------------
I love it when the meadow grows really tall in June and July and the flowers in it start to bloom. For many decades the field has been regularly fertilised - organically with slurry, and this has limited it’s biodiversity, strengthening the grasses, which crowd out the rest. For the last few years we’ve stopped this, and now we’re looking at what else we can do to improve it’s diversity. This year, a project led by Heather, the Bore Place Ecologist, is testing using Yellow Rattle to allow other plants to thrive. The Yellow Rattle is semi-parasitic, feeding off the nutrients in the roots of nearby grasses, enabling others a better chance of getting established. Look and listen out (unsurprisingly for a distinctive little rattle) for the Yellow Rattle, and over time hopefully for more wild flowers in the meadow.
Buy very very local ------------------------------------------------------------
Many visitors want to taste the products made at Bore Place, and this summer that’s going to be much easier. Ideally we’d have a farm shop, but we’re just not sure if we’d have enough customers to pay the staff costs, so we’ve found an innovative way to dip our toes in the water. Just near the car park we’re going to build a ‘Farm Gate’, where you can buy the produce from the farm. Under a canopy will be a glass fronted locker vending machine. Young people with Special Education Needs will stock and look after the machine as a way of getting work experience. Whenever you like, you’ll be able to buy produce from the machine, by choosing the locker with the thing you want, and paying with your contactless credit or debit card. Up and running by the summer, we plan to initially stock with our seasonal veg, Bore Place honey and of course Blackwoods cheese. The ice cream freezer will also move there, so it’ll be even easier to stop by and get one. Building starts in May, so without wanting to tempt fate it should be ready for the summer.
The bats and the bees ------------------------------------------------------------
The range of courses and events at Bore Place seems to be ever expanding, so if you’d like to learn or try something new, why not take a look. Some are even free, such as the BioBlitz on the 20th May. So if you’d like to start keeping Chickens, or Bee’s, spotting some bats, or just go for a guided walk under a full moon, then here’s the link to the full list (https://www.boreplace.org/whats-on) .
Underwoodsman John ------------------------------------------------------------
We work really hard to minimise our environmental footprint, so where we source our wood is very important. We’re very lucky to have on site, our own Underwoodsman, John Waller. An underwoodsman, basically makes stuff out of the underwoods - the lower parts of the trees and brush. So that means baskets, fencing hurdles and that kind of thing. However thankfully he does also sustainably coppice the trees on the site, from which we get the logs we use for the wood stoves and fire pits. John came to Bore Place a fair few years ago, as the Ecologist. Now he has his own thriving business making underwoods products and teaching his skills. You can see the list of his courses on his website here (https://underwoodsman.co.uk/green-wood-courses/) .
I wish us all a sunny, rainy (at night) and flourishing summer, and look forward to welcoming you back to Free Range Glamping at Bore Place
Chris