UWB Crest

Centre for Alternative Land Use

 

CALU Newsletter - Spring 2011 (pdf 308kb) Inside this issue: New grants for woodland creation; Price rises predicted for cashmere; New reports on the future of food production published; Polytunnels and planning - Court of Appeal decision; Do you know your notifiable plant pests?; Demand for blueberries continues to rise; Upcoming events

CALU Newsletter - Winter 2010 (pdf 417KB) Inside this issue: Henfaes herb trials; TB in goats, deer, camelids and pigs; Milk from hemp; Orchard workshops; Legionnaires disease from compost; Salmonella and duck eggs; upcoming events.

CALU Newsletter - Autumn 2010 (pdf 373KB)
Inside this issue: Wines from Wales; Autumn workshops; New CALU staff; Do you fancy joining a discussion group; New CALU factsheets; upcoming events.

CALU Newsletter - Summer 2010 (pdf 305KB)
Inside this issue: Herb workshops; Chelsea Flower Show - successes for north Wales; Bee benefits; Asparagus production increases; Electronic recording of pig movements; Red band needle blight; UK wine production doubles; New projects; New assurance scheme for solid biomass; Grafting & budding.

CALU Newsletter - Spring 2010 (pdf 335KB)
Inside this issue: Woodland workshops; Farming Connecting funding increased to 80%; how cold was it for you?; goat herd health workshop; sweet like...birch syrup?; events.

CALU Newsletter - Winter 2009 (pdf 307KB)
Inside this issue: Pesticides - are you legal?; new CALU discussion groups; grants available for countryside skills courses; smallscale slaughter and processing of poultry; new CALU factsheets.

CALU Newsletter - Autumn 2009
Inside this issue: Autumn workshops; Have you signed up for Farming Connect; Visit to Frank P Matthews Nurseries; Defra publishes UK Food Security Review; Short Rotation Forestry trials; CALU success at the Royal Welsh Show; Henfaes Horticulture Masterclass; Elephant garlic; What heatwave?

CALU newsletter - Summer 2009
Inside this issue: Talking turkey; Henfaes Horticulture Masterclass; Pig health workshop; Bread with zero food miles (almost); How hardy is hardy?; Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb

CALU Newsletter - Spring 2009
Inside this issue: CALU events for 2009; Market gardening at the Welsh College of Horticulture; Gooseberries; Bio-char; Suggestions for future CALU events; Do bees protect crops from caterpillars?; Green roofs.

CALU Newsletter - Winter 2008
Inside this issue: Christmas tree production; Pesticide workshops; Medicinal fungi; Adding value for Christmas; New staff at CALU; Events calendar. (PDF, 1MB)

CALU Newsletter - Autumn 2008
Inside this issue: Series of CALU pesticide workshops; CALU potato events; Lavender at Henfaes; Goat skins; Renewable energy event; Events calendar

Download pdf - 497KB

CALU Newsletter - Summer 2008
Inside this issue: Farming Connect - an update; CALU development farms; CALU at shows; Harvest at Henfaes; News in brief; CALU's busy bees; How to get involved; Events

Download pdf -522KB

CALU Newsletter - April 2008
Inside this issue: Planting under way at Henfaes; CALU and Farming Connect - latest news; Want to know where to buy vegetable plugs? Energy use in agriculture & horticulture; New consultation for healthier bees; Bees at Henfaes; A short guide to a long story - Climate Change; Events

Download pdf - 482KB

CALU Newsletter-Spring 2008
Inside this issue: New funding opportunities; Welfare of livestock in transit; Restoring old orchards; Pig production: are things perking up?; Adding value to timber; Be(e) aware; A short guide to a long story - global warming; Events

Download pdf - 947KB

 

CALU Newsletter-Winter 2007
Inside this issue: Food and Farming Awards; Preparing for a changed climate; New Rural Development Plan funding opportunities; Welfare of Livestock in Transit; Field vegetable workshop; Energy Audits - Carbon Budgets; Hemp production to increase in England; Events

Download pdf - 1,037KB

 

CALU Newsletter- Autumn 2007
Inside this issue: What is happening with Farming Connect; CALU at the shows; New livestock in transit regulations; CALU discussion groups; Potato blight and blight resistant potatoes; Beekeeping course; Getting fruity; Events

Download pdf - 146KB

CALU Newletter - Spring 2007
Inside this issue: Who is the "typical" CALU farmer; Henfaes horticultural demonstrations; CALU at the shows; Hands-on herb event; Outstanding orchards event; Improving energy efficiency; Putting woodlands to work; The impacts of horticulture in Wales

Download - pdf 1.8MB

 

CALU NEWS - March 2007

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS ARCHIVE

A series of herb training days have been taking place over the past few weeks and have been very well attended with good feedback from the public. The days were very informative and gave a good overview of the technical side of growing herbs which was then followed by a series of workshops, as well as an open question and answer session. If you would like anymore information regarding herbs please contact here at the CALU office.

'Does local food drive development locally and overseas?'
A one day seminar was held on 13th March 2007 at St Asaph Business Park, Denbighshire, North Wales on this theme. Over 70 people attended the event which looked at if and how, provision of local food can enhance social and economic development.

EVENTS

Farming for Food or Fuel?
As the demand for bioenergy crops increases so does the competition for scarce high quality agricultural land. At the same time increasing energy costs means all farms need to look at energy efficient practices.
On 29th March 2007 during Wrexham Science week, an event will be held at the Welsh College of Horticulture that will bring together a panel of experts from the world of renewable energy along with a range of exhibitors.
For more details please contact us at CALU.

Woodfuel Conference on Tuesday 17th April 2007 at Stonleigh Park, Warwickshire. Click here for further details and to book online.

The Blight resistant potato final report is now available. Visit our projects page to view the report.

Herb and tree sales up
2006 saw a marked increase in the sale of herbs. Figures released by the HTA show a 19% year on year increase. Sales of non-coniferous trees showed an even greater increase-up by 36%. Conifers and fruit trees fared less well, suffering 25% and 13% decrease respectively in their sales values.

Beekeepers in fear of colony collapse
A mystery honeybee disease, known as Colony Collapse Disorder, is destroying thousands of colonies across the northern hemispheres. In the USA beekeepers are reporting heavy losses this season.
Mr Pete Barrar commented on behalf of Conwy Beekeepers, he stressed that a colony collapse was the last thing Europe wanted. In recent years Europe has suffered attacks from the Varroa mite, the small hive beetle, asian giant hornets in France and Tropilaelaps, which is a parasitic mite of honeybees. He also mentioned that the dissapearance of bee colonies in the US was having a serious impact on pollination, particulary those crops serviced by the colonies managed by the migratory beekeepers, which is a multi million dollar business.

The British Potato Council are once again running their 'grow your own potatoes activity with primary schools. The project helps to educate children about where food comes from and the potato's role in a healthy diet. Click here to link to their website for more information.

PPC for pig and poultry farmers
PIg and poultry farmers must apply to the environment agency to operate if their livestock exceeds:
* 750 sows
*2,000 production pigs over 30kg
*40,000 poultry
They issue permits in line with the European-wide Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC), which aims to prevent or reduce pollution. In England and Wales IPPC is carried out through the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations (PPC) 2000. Click here for more information.

Our Orchard Awareness Training day at Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire proved to be so successful that twenty people had to unfortunately had to be turned away. However there were fourty lucky people able to attend. The event was also featured on BBC Radio Wales Country Focus programme. Given the popularity of the event, it is hopeful that there will be another one held in the future.

A new supplier approval scheme has been launched - SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval). The scheme is designed to help local and regional food and drink producers supply their products to national and regional buyers. The scheme represents an alternative to the British Retail Consortium Global Standard. For more information click here to visit the SALSA website.

IN BRIEF
Ireland's energy crops grants extended
Farmers in Southern Ireland can still receive their Single Farm Payment on lands planted with energy crops. The introduction of a new BioEnergy Scheme (BES) was announced on 7th February by Minister Coughlanwhich will provide establishment grants of up to 50% of costs associated with the establishment of willow and miscanthus on the set-aside and non set-aside land.

Spain enlists help of British bug battalion: Spanish vegetable growers are buying billions of british-bred bugs in an effort to rid themselves of pests without using chemical pesticides.(Source:The Grocer)

Seasonal egg boxes to hit Waitrose for Easter: Clarence Court, a premium egg producer, is introducing a limited edition egg box consisting of four eggs: a Cornish goose egg, a Braddock white duck egg, a pheasant egg and quail's eggs. The boxes are retailing for £4.99 and are available from Easter until summer. (Source: The Grocer)

400 reasons why goats are good for business
. CALU's dairy group chairman recently appeared in the Farmers Weekly. The article mentions how succesful Mr Gary Yeomans has been farming a goat herd rather than dairy cows. It is estimated that the demand for goat's milk is increasing by approximately 25% per annum.
NEW TECHNICAL LEAFLETS
New additions to the CALU library of free technical leaflets this month include:
In the woodland section there is one new addition:
Basic Tree Planting

In the horticultural section we have one new addition:
Green Roof Systems
And in the Novel Crops section we have:
Camelina
Crop Protection in Novel Crops

If there is a topic you would like to see a technical leaflet written on, let us know!

Contact us:
If you have a news item you would like to see featured on CALU's News page, please contact us:

e-mail: calu@bangor.ac.uk

CALU exists to transfer technology to any business in Wales that is interested in horticulture, biomass, alternative crops, alternative livestock and/or farm woodlands.