The Goodbyes

Goodbye from Mandie

Arriving at Plaw Hatch at the beginning of the pandemic was a stroke of luck; as the country went into lockdown I found myself embarking on a new experience of working outdoors everyday producing biodynamic vegetables to sell to our community. I’m now coming to the end of my two-year apprenticeship in the garden and my time here has been so healing for me on a personal level and so rich in the experiences I’ve had.

I’ve met many incredible people who have come as volunteers, to shop or just walk around the farm, but it is the staff and particularly the dozen or so others who work and live here that have had the biggest impact on me. Being brought together in times of worry, sadness and deep loss as well as enjoying the celebrations, arrival of babies and new pets were all intrinsic in creating the sense of community I had been searching for.

The work itself has been a wonderful way for me to really feel the benefits of working in and with nature and allowed me to adapt with the seasons, taking it easier in the winter months and ramping it up through the long summer days. It has also been a real eye-opener to realise the direct affect climate change is having on our food security as some of our crops this year suffered from lack of water and pollinators! On a global level it is now evident to me that sustainability alone is insufficient and the path to a thriving planet has to be through regeneration

Much of what I have learned through this apprenticeship as important, such as soil health, biodiversity, crop rotation and animal welfare, have all been practised here for decades, but new ideas are being implemented all the time to improve the way we do things and adapt to the changing conditions. I’m inspired and encouraged by the enthusiasm, knowledge, and ideas of the next generation of farmers I have met here and at my apprenticeship seminars. It gives me great hope for the future.

On a more personal level I have been so fortunate to have my partner join me for this summer as a volunteer on the farm and we have had an incredible summer living together in the cabin in the woods. Yesterday we foraged Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, picked spinach from the garden and prepared them with Plaw Hatch eggs for our breakfast. Life is great!

So, with gratitude to all I’ve met and for all I’ve experienced these past two and half years, I will move on to another adventure and take a piece of Plaw Hatch in my heart with me.

Thank you all!

Goodbye from Ditte

The time flies by. I have that feeling that I always get towards the end...

I have spent half a year in England at Plaw Hatch, being on the farm, being with the animals, with the rainy and sunny weather, being with amazing people around me, learning everything I can and constantly absorbing, the lovely people who came to watch by the milking parlour, the silage, and the grain; all these things I will take home with me. I am feeling really grateful that I got a chance and was given the trust to grow into a farmer, it is amazing. I thank all the people I learnt from and who answered all of my questions. My goal was to understand a mixed farm and I feel I have completed that. The past few months I have experienced what being a part of a mixed biodynamic farm could be. Thank you all and see you another time!

Goodbye from Marigold

After spending five and a half months here in the UK, Forest Row and Plaw Hatch Farm, it’s time to head back to the Netherlands to reconnect with the community and get back into the school vibes at Warmonderhof (for those that haven’t heard of it, it’s a biodynamic agricultural college). Taking along with me all the inspiring moments, the love and welcoming that I have had the honour to witness and experience, all the moments from chickens laying eggs on the kitchen counter, getting lost in the woods on multiple occasions, having weird experiences with dogs, stirring preparations in the early morning sunrays, Saturday parking lot sessions with Ditte and a cup of Nik’s coffee.

Plaw Hatch and Forest Row have given me a broader perspective and given me an experience of what the idea that I have of biodynamics can look like in reality. From growing food from seed into a diversity of living things, to the many people I have seen filling tanks of spring water.

With the garden being my centre, I was guided by three awesome humans, Emma, Liz and Mandie, who have taught me so much about gardening, nurturing, acknowledging, broadening my vision/ perspective, teamwork, communicating, the maintenance of engines, honesty. Honestly, I could go on for another couple of pages; for more ask me in person, I’m here for another week! What I’m trying to say is that your vegetables and food is grown by loving hands and that it has felt like an honour to be mentored by these people the past five and half months.

I would like to take this moment to thank and send my love to everyone that I have met, or who has met me, this past season. To the inspiring hedges and mesmerizing forest, for now it’s goodbye. Who knows if or when I’ll be redirected to Forest Row.

Lots of love and a big hug!