Farming, Brexit and Coronavirus

Over recent years, there has been a growing resentment about the subsidies farmers receive. But why do farmers get subsidies anyway?

Farm subsidies started with good intentions

There was an urgent need to ensure people had food after the second world war. Rural communities were struggling not only after losing…

Having the right tool for the job you need to do makes the job easier and means you are less likely to injure yourself.

Choose tools that suit your build, strength and energy levels.

For advice on gardening tools for gardeners with various disabilities, visit Thrive’s Carry on Gardening website.

Safety first

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I love free range chickens!

But over the past couple of years I have lost so many to foxes I have been reluctantly coming to the conclusion that it isn’t possible to let chickens roam free around here, and I’ve been mulling over the pros and cons of different types…

Dry stone walls are a significant part of the landscape in many parts of the world. They are built in places where there are plenty of stones nearby, and where trees don’t thrive well enough to create hedges or to provide materials for fencing. Unlike stone for building houses, the…

Permanence in an ever-changing world

At the moment, I’m in the middle of moving some apple trees. Surprised? Shocked perhaps? Well yes, it’s not ideal — but a lot has changed since I planted them, so my plans, or my “permaculture design”, has had to change too.

Luckily, they have…

Where do I start?

Don’t panic — it’s ok! I’m going to give you a quick overview of how to start.

Let’s imagine that we’ve just met outside the local community centre. There’s a bit of ground here that’s usually a bit muddy and has litter on it.

But today…

Is rewilding a way of off-setting normal life?

Rewilding has become a bit of a buzzword recently. It seems to have caught people’s imaginations. However, it might surprise you to learn that, in many rural areas, rewilding can be quite controversial. In this article, I hope to explore why rewilding…

Many of permaculture’s ideas come from observing forests, and from observing Indigenous and traditional communities living and working in forests, so community woodlands are an ideal place to apply some of this thinking, both to woodland design and management and also to how we relate with each other. …