Beyond Plaw Hatch Farm
liz charnell | rose bramwell
I recently took a trip up to Scotland. One stop was revisiting Findhorn where I originally fell in love with growing and learnt so much about the invisible aspects of what it is to become a gardener. I also went to Laurencekirk to meet up with Rose Bramwell who I first met as a young 18 year old. She came with her parents in tow and a CV that blew me away, in fact I might not have read it as well as I might have so rich was it with life and potential.
So, 10 years later, I’ll give her a space so she can tell her own story about growing and, if you read between the lines, you will see this is not just about vegetables.
I came to Plaw Hatch for my Biodynamic apprenticeship from September 2013 to April 2015. I then came back to Plaw Hatch to cover Gala’s maternity leave and subsequently was involved with managing the pigs, sheep and poultry and helping Maya on the arable side, from March 2018 to October 2020.
In September 2021, I came to Balmakewan in Laurencekirk, Scotland, and spent the winter preparing for the first season and getting ready to launch Fieldfare CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). In the first year I grew solely in the walled garden using no dig methods on about 1.5 acres. I had 43 CSA members and myself as the grower. This year, we have 54 members and have employed Flora for seven hours a day, two to three days a week. I have expanded the growing and now cultivate about 1/3 acre of field vegetables and undercover in a new tunnel that is 8m × 50m. I am not certified Biodynamic but am dedicated to Biodynamic practices.
I would love to reach 200 members, have another full-time employee and be able to offer a two-year apprenticeship to up to 4 people at a time. It is a goal of mine to bring 2 draft horses onto the team for field cultivation, hopefully by year four or five! My intention is to provide a source of top-quality food to the local community in a way that is affordable. The CSA model can facilitate this by enabling people to pay for their share in up to 6 monthly instalments before the CSA starts in May. The CSA runs for 34 weeks from May to Christmas, with a half share being £450 and a full share £850.
For me, farming is my way of taking care of the piece of land I am working with and to regenerate it and bring as much life into it as possible. It is impossible as one person to do this for the whole world, so I focus on what I can manage as an individual. Land health is a fundamental factor in human health, so I try to cultivate the healthiest soil and environment possible in order to grow food that is fulfilling its full potential from a nutrient perspective. Truly health-giving food should be a basic right for every human on the earth; if I cannot give that to the whole world then I will do my best to give access to it for those in the local community who want it.
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face and heart to see this young woman beginning to realise her dreams at such a challenging time. If you are heading up the A90 to Aberdeen, stop at Balmakewan and have a break. Ask to see the walled garden - it’s tucked away - and perhaps by the time you visit she will have re-erected a glasshouse they took down and got for free! As ever, it is not just Rose there but is nevertheless brilliant and awe inspiring. Even though she and the team at Balmakewan still have a long way to go, Rose is determined to make this world more beautiful where she is.
What an inspiration.
