Back last June, I wrote in a blog post about how we had spent a gorgeous weekend with our dear friends, the Dougherty’s, in the glorious Cotswold area of Stroud. Our visit included going with them on their monthly day at the Stroud Community Agriculture, part of the Community Supported Agriculture movement.
One of the big dilemma’s of living in an urban setting like London is the perpetual yearning for open spaces, countrside and connection to the earth. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have a small garden and do our best to connect with the earth by growing flowers and veg. But our visit to the Stroud farm did leave me wondering if you have to leave London to experience being part of wonderful initiatives like this. We were a little excited when on our visit last June, one of the farmers said that there were plans to start a community farm in Sutton, which is a short drive from us here. For nearly a year we kept checking in with our friends if there was any news on this new farm and I periodically trawled the internet.
Last Tuesday, our dear friend Charlotte said she had been to a local farmers market and picked up a leaflet about Sutton Community Farm. I squealed “that must be it, that must be it” and got onto the net pronto to discover that our local community farm had just launched as was looking for people to get involved. Excitedly, we packed our picnic yesterday and headed off to the farm (only 20 minutes away!), blessed by gorgeous weather to boot.
Oh the bliss of being in a big field, with our hands in the soil. Watching the children run free in a field of tiny blue flowers, making ‘flower hats’ and discovering the water sprinklers which made them giggle with glee every time they got showered with droplets of water!
Neil helped plant a hedgerow. Isabella helped to water seedlings and plant onions.
I worked with the children collecting pebbles so that we can make some mosaic signs to help people find the farm easily (hey, passion for nature and mosaics coming together…why not?!)
And then we all sat in the sun, with our new friends (oh, and an old friend we hadn’t seen for years who just so happens to have got involved too!), and enjoyed a lovely picnic. Ahhhh…it doesn’t get much better.
what a totally fabulous and wonderful day! I will definitely be paying that a visit. My friend lives in Kingston and her daughter has become inseparable from the local stables – I am itching to visit there too given it's not that far and country-fied like you say.
Love the idea of pebble/mosaic signs, what a good idea! I spent the whole weekend digging and planting in my very small london garden. I enjoyed it, but bigger spaces, yes!
have just done a blog post on simple pleasures too . . . . . .
Amelia.x
Hi. Sounds like a wonderful day. When I lived in North London I loved escaping to Hampstead Heath which is a lovely patch of countryside in the city. Shame you can still hear all the traffic noise though!
I am taking the experimental art course with you! Look forward to sharing our art.
hello concetta dearie. love your blog, your pics and your writing. i feel as if i have a secret look into your life before our art course starts. looking forward to getting to know you and seeing what you create in our next 6 weeks together 🙂 xoxo – roxanna (or roxi as people like to call me)
Concetta, that's so wonderful! Such a lovely experience for the kids (and you too :)). The upside is that living in London, you appreciate that glorious open space even more! x
how wonderful! Sounds like you have some great days ahead there. Please share your mosaic signs for the farm once they are done!
Bonjour!
Great new re-designed blog!
We too here signed up for a similar program called "AMAP". Can't wait to go in the field and help!