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Drowning or Frying? more growing challenges
Last August, after the early season drought it felt like the rain never stopped. We battled to get the final crops harvested before the fields became too wet. Fast forward…
What’s been happening on the fields?
It’s been a while since we walked the fields and talked about this season… and of course there is a lot to say! Weather, weeds and watching the signs Obviously…
Transforming our food and farming system – a growing movement…
Every January the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) connects people in the UK and around the globe who want to transform our food and farming system. You can find out…
Thinking ahead … planning for 2026
We know that at this time of the year, you like to sit down with seed catalogues and dream about the perfect year that is ahead of us. I also…
Who would be a farmer?
Another unusual season – it’s now December and time for another catch up with Ian, our grower. Following the driest summer … June, July, August and September, we have probably…
Planning for Christmas – supporting local producers
A selection of local products is now available as you plan for Christmas. Our Christmas Selection marks the beginning of a new enterprise working with a wide range of local…
Summer has ended…
Growing Through a Dry Summer: Adapting, Experimenting and LearningSo, this is October. The fields are starting to slow down, and we’ve had time to look back on what has been…
Autumn Foraging
Foraging workshops are a favourite with our members – and friends. The latest workshop did not disappoint, one members account explains why… As the autumn days draw in, the daylight…
From Caterpillars to Cauliflowers: A Seasonal Update from the Fields
It’s been a year of ups and downs at GO Local Food. As ever, the land, the weather and the wildlife remind us that we’re only one part of the…
We love our fields
As part of the July Members Meeting, we spent some time giving our site some love. Armed with rosettes, we all chose our favourite spot on the Go Local Food…
Wildlife Roving Reporter
Ian, our grower, sometimes becomes a roving reporter on wildlife. The text messages come thick and fast with new observations! Here are seven of the latest observations from The Fields.…
Three wildlife spots by Ian
Recently Ian has been delighted to see different insects (useful pollinators!) on the fields and quickly get a snap with his mobile. Some of the bees with full pollen sacks…
Plenty of wildlife
The site is thriving with life — from the deafening evening bird chorus to the emergence of tadpoles in the ponds. Hedgehogs have been spotted too, though not all make…
Spring came and went
Lots of blue sky and sunshine, no rain and cold nights presented a Spring time challenge…it’s becoming a pattern. Spring Heat & Fast Changes This year’s spring didn’t hang around…
A bouquet of onions
Onion skin very thin, a milder winter coming in; Onion skin very tough, the coming winter’s very rough Onions are a part of the allium family. An allium is described…
What goes on in the tunnels?
Wind from the east is good for neither man nor beast. Nor growing vegetables A cold wind can play havoc during the growing season and over the years many techniques…
Polytunnel know how
Ian’s top tips for Polytunnels It’s good to have a water barrel inside each tunnel. This keeps the water at the same temperature as the plants so there is no…
September on the fields
The last of the warm summer sun, with a hint of Autumn in the air, is the perfect evening to be sitting outside with a glass of wine contemplating the…
The season of plenty
We’ve reached that point in the year where there is lots to harvest – on and off the fields. Our shares are full with cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes, garlic… and there…
Radical Recipes
GO Local Food was one of five ‘radical initiatives’ selected by Wideyed a North-East based photographic arts collective. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” a quote from Michael Pollen,…
What is this?
Veg collectors, volunteers, any visitors to the Fields back in early Spring would have noticed this green machine, with its intriguing foreign language warning. What is it, what does it…
Wise Words
Never trust a July sky! Meaning don’t plan on a dry morning just because the sky is clear this evening, July weather can be that dramatic and often unpredictable. There are…
The trials and tribulations of a grower
You may have noticed a lack of our very own tasty veg… and smaller shares. Usually by the beginning of June things are picking up – not this year and it’s…
A closer look at grass
Ever noticed how many different species of grass there are? Has anybody been doing #nomowmay and #letitbloomjune? There are thousands of different types of grass. Even bamboo (which can be…
A day in the life of a geography student
In one of my final modules for my geography degree, titled “Food and Agriculture in the 21st Century” I was required to undertake an activity that allowed me to think reflexively about…
Members Benefit
… from good company, the chance to subscribe for tasty veg, the feeling that we are doing something in support of our environment, being part of decision making, events, discount…
May’s wildlife update
Ian has been busy spotting wildlife again. What has he seen? First of all a small magpie moth. He said he couldn’t remember seeing it before, but maybe its colours…
Progress at last
Our polytunnels were bursting at the seams, so we resorted to drastic measures: planting cabbage plugs in water! We crossed our fingers, hoping the soil would dry out and warm…
Rain Mud Perseverance
And it’s still raining, though Ian is not panicking… yet… there is definite frustration on the fields! Although modern growing techniques mean we can now grow our food almost all…
Is spring springing?
The spring this year has felt very stop-start; but Ian the grower actually says inside the polytunnels it hasn’t been too bad … by which he means hasn’t been too…
Wildlife to look out for in April
How many of these 3 wildlife spots can you see in April? With Easter round the corner we are all ready for Spring! It has been very stop-start this year,…
Busy propagating – getting ready to plant
“Propagate is a verb that means to reproduce, spread, or transmit something, such as an idea, a plant, or a sound. It can also mean to cause something to multiply…
Ladybirds and other beetles
Ladybirds are beetles! The beetle family is quite big, including stag beetles (the largest in Britain), chafer beetles (brightly coloured), dung beetles (never unemployed), and whirligigs (dizzy!) There are about…
Mr or Mrs Robin
A robin is on a stone and seems to be turning back towards the photographer as if to say something.
Our fields rotate… with crops
Crop rotation is often mentioned (always makes me think of the roundabouts you find in parks!) and is a big part of the planning process. So what’s it all about and…
Signs of Spring!
OK, so the weather is still very grey and cold. But from now onwards we can start looking out for signs of spring! Have you noticed any yet? Maybe make…
A Compost Revolution
Our Peat Free Trial has been picked up by a campaign, Enrich the Earth https://enrichtheearth.co.uk/ “Enrich the Earth is on a mission to convert 1 million tonnes of green and…
Dandelions
Did you know that there are about 250 different species of dandelion? Neither did we! They are instantly recognisable, aren’t they. With their yellow flowers and their “clocks”. But actually…
Climate Change
Are we ready for climate change? What do we need to think about? Let’s stop for a minute and think about climate change and the fields. What sort of changes…
This year!
This peacock butterfly was photographed by Ian, one of our growers, on the fields back in the autumn. Along with the exclamation, “This year!” So, what do we know, or…
Endings and Beginnings – or new year dreaming
Like many growers, 2023 is a year I’m glad to see the back of. Early spring was ok, normal-ish, then turned into a dry May and a blazing June. This…
Weather and Harvests
It’s official, the national newspapers tell us what farmers up and down the country already knew – “Record low UK potato harvest… after an autumn of heavy rain… crops of broccoli…
Grateful for the veg and our bodies
Just wanted to reflect for a moment here a note of thanks for our health and our bodies being able to get the goodness from the veg! Veg is good…
Rain and more rain requires adaptability
November feels like a quiet month, growth has slowed right down and there is a stillness in the air. A contrast to Spring when you can feel the growth and…
The flying reindeer!
Ever wondered what the connection is between Father Christmas and flying reindeer? Why and how do reindeer fly, even? It is thought that it can be traced back to traditional…
Peat update
Jala has given us an update on the growing media experiments. Also, in the past couple of weeks we have found two more resources to add to our posting from…
Christmas Bundling
Each year we offer our members the chance to create their own mix of local produce to help celebrations go with zing! From – the tastiest locally grown Turkey and…
What to look out for in November
Autumn is the season of fungi. Fungi are so useful to us! They are neither plant nor animal, but in a separate category. Without fungi we would literally have wood…
Summer has ended
Ian, one of our horticulturalists, reflects on October on the fields. You’ll soon realise it was written before the latest bout of what feels like continual rain! Summer plants endingOn…
Superior Veg Collection
Thanks to an employee sponsorship scheme run by PDL, an engineering company based in Hexham and part of the Vulcain European Group, we now have a far superior veg collecting…
Spiders!
Apologies to anybody who doesn’t like spiders, you may have to look away now! Ian has been spotting spiders on the field and has sent over some photos for a…
September into October on the fields
Several months of rain and slugs – gave way with some relief to a warm, and slightly drier, September. This means that everything carried on growing and we have been…
Red spider mite, bumblebee, and the weather!
Ian has noticed these leaves looking rather yellow. This is a cucumber plant that is being affected by the red spider mite. He said, how they were so tiny and…
Slug Fest!
Slugs seem so dominant at the moment! Of course it has been a wet summer… when it is warm and wet plants grow. Seeing as the main role of slugs…
July on the fields
Jala has been reflecting on life on the fields this July. The change over from Winter to Summer crops in the tunnels is finally complete! July was a month of…
Another year
Our Annual Meeting has been and gone – it’s a strange feeling looking back to 2022 – 23, it seems so far in the past! We looked at the results…
Plastic Free – all year round
We are at the end of plastic free July – you can join the challenge to reduce single-use plastic waste everyday at home, work, school, and even at your local…
Ian loves photographing insects!
Ian found this moth and told us that when he had been able to see an orange colour on the under wings. This is actually called a Large Yellow Underwing!…
Vegetable Curry
This recipe is very versatile and can be adjusted to the vegetables in season and spices to taste. Great for using ‘gluts’ like the recent spinach and chard! I like…
Peat-free growing media experiments
The members’ meeting 8th July 2023 was a bit breezy and showery – we started under gazebos but by the time Jala started her update on the peat-free growing media…
More insects!
We are being bombarded with more insects! Check out this week’s post! Firstly, this variegated Japanese Spindle bush in the garden had a visitor by a pollinator or two. We…
Tools that make growing easier
Saturday 17 June was indeed a busy day for GO Local Food – our tools demonstration workshop saw Jala and Ian showcasing multiple new implements, such as the wheeled hoe…
Some random insects!
It is time to get up close and personal with a few pollinators! When we say pollinators, you might think of honey bees. There are actually more than 250 species…
Humming-bird hawk-moth
Ian spotted a humming-bird hawk-moth on the fields. So, what are they? Well, they are a moth. They might look like a bird! The caterpillars would be found from June…
Our neighbours in the field – Slugs, Birds, Rabbits and Moles
Growing in an environmentally friendly way means we allow nature to share the land and the produce. The ever-challenging task is to manage it in such a way that there…
Go Local Food – Horticulturist June Update
Ian, one of our two resident horticulturists at Go Local Food, has put together a wonderful summary of all the growing news and happenings at our fields at Ovington. We…
Reducing food miles – increasing networks
Our weekly crop sharing provides for up to 100 members, spread throughout the Tyne Valley and offers up to 50 varieties of vegetables, measuring an incredible 10 tons of crops…
Go Local Food Events – Spring and Summer Roundup
We have seen a Springtime packed full of events including our inaugural Hexham Farmers Market, which typifies so much about Go Local Food in being part of a community focused…
Time saving tools for large gardens or allotments
As a community enterprise we take accessibility very seriously and are always looking for ways to ensure that anyone and everyone can get involved with us. When introducing GO Local…
Go Local Food Springtime Journal
Growers and gardeners have many challenges – at the moment the weather is perhaps our biggest challenge. Maybe you remember this time last year? Hot during the day, dry, and colder…
Sycamore seedlings
Has anybody else noticed the masses of sycamore seedlings this year? Last year was a hot, dry summer – sycamore trees liked this and produced a lot of seeds. This…
Supporting people in later life
Successful ageing … ” includes physical exercise, continual learning, social contact, natural daylight, the need to belong” – GO Local Food offers all of this! And has been selected as…
Climate Change and Us!
The Climate Change Team at Northumberland Council are promoting ways in which local groups and organisations can make a difference and we have become one of their case studies. We…
Winter twigs
It is such fun at the end of winter and the start of spring to see buds on trees! And, to bring a few indoors, put them in water, and…
Peat and going peat free
Here is a bit of information and research about helping our lovely growers, Ian and Jala, find alternatives to the small amount of peat we use in growing seeds. (January…
Another great year – highlights of 2022
As we look back over 2022 we have 12 Christmas highlights to share. An annual celebration of our co-op, our two fields in Ovington and Matfen, and our members. Another busy…
From The Field – Autumn Harvest
14th November 2022 It has been an extremely busy and bountiful Autumn Harvest this year with some real success stories such as our giant cauliflower, some challenges faced such as the slug…
Our Food Friends
Have you heard? Go Local Food is celebrating 10 years of growing a vibrant co-operative, a community owned enterprise and seasonal vegetables. We are very proud to have approximately 100 members from…
New shelves – more local produce – and a bundle for Christmas!
By developing a self sustaining enterprise, GO Local Food ambition is to be part of the local economy. As the co-op has grown it has also developed a range of benefits…
World Earthworm Day!
Happy World Earthworm Day! Yes, Friday 21st October 2022 is a day of celebration for all things earth-wormy! Did you know, Britain has about 16 species of earthworm that are…
Chutney, apples, lanterns and a shed
Our lovely new shed now has a name – Shed Quarters. After several years of a tarpaulin ‘dome’ to shelter under whilst weighing our weekly crop shares, we progressed to a…
Feeling autumnal
How can it be nearly the end of summer already! And yes, already into meteorological autumn! At this time of year there are so many interesting things to spot! Here…
From The Field – Summer Harvesting
The summer harvesting is in full swing this August with a bounty of vegetable varieties being picked at the Ovington beds. There is no denying that we have had a challenging…
Becoming Bee-aware
There are sometimes stories in the news about the threats to British bees and their importance as pollinators… but did you know just how much diversity there is in bee…
Buried treasure
And we’re not talking root vegetables! When I was young, I wanted to be an archaeologist. The discovery of Tutankhamun-level riches appealed to my dreamy personality. My father, presumably sensing…
A decade of growing
Who would have thought back in 2010 when we, as Green Ovingham, sat by the fire in The Bridge End pub (sadly a victim of Storm Desmond flooding and no…
Dawn(ish) on the fields
Our annual walk around the Ovington fields in May was as ever highly informative. Who knew collared doves were such loyal football supporters? It was a beautiful morning and quite…
Busy bees on the comfrey!
It is all work, work, work! Loads of busy bumble bees have been spotted on the comfrey patch that has been flourishing just outside the palace! The bees have two…
Spaces and places for everything
It’s not all fields and straight rows of vegetables Early in the life of the co-op we discovered that we needed lots of different spaces and places to accommodate our…
Yew trees
Not all trees are what they seem! Did you know that some yew trees are male and some are female? Now is the time to look out for the male…
The return of members mornings
Members Morning restored and in good health! What luck we had with the weather – though it rained on and off and been very grey all week – our first…
Winter veg
What’s been happening on the fields? Our first year at Matfen was informative. We were keen to get started so we got to work planting all the brassicas… the pheasants,…
Spines, thorns and prickles
When is a thorn not a thorn? You will know about thorns on roses. How could you not! But did you know that, technically speaking they are not thorns but…
We are looking for a second grower
Self Employed Horticulturalist GO Local Food wants to recruit an experienced grower to join our team. Go Local Food is offering a contract for 16 hours per week during the…
Ferns
Ferns The Victorians loved all things to do with ferns – they were mad for them! There is even a word for this – pteridomania! (Pterido is the latin word…
Elm trees
Lots of elms We all know about how the English Elm (Ulmus procera) has nearly disappeared from the countryside since the 1960s, because of Dutch Elm disease. It is now…
The days are getting longer
2 hours more daylight Anybody who walks (a dog perhaps) first thing or last thing will have noticed longer days. It seems like around 5pm now, or even later, when…
Celebrating 10 Years!
Help us celebrate! In April we will have made it to 10 – that is 10 years since we started growing veg in Ovington. A huge achievement which we must…
Matfen Bat Survey
No bats here! At the beginning of October a bat survey was carried out at Matfen by Shona (Go Local Admin) and her little helper, Alina. The weather forecast was…
Christmas Bundle 2021
Get your order in quick! Our annual Christmas Bundle offer is back! And the good news is it is open to both members and non-members. We have brought local food…
A chutney partnership
New ways to use our beetroot and chillies We are very excited to announce that in 2022 we will be partnering with Northumbrian Pantry. There has been an enormous shift…
Bat Survey 21
Pipistrelle & Noctule The fields at Ovington were surveyed once in late spring and once in early autumn this year, by an enthusiastic team of Abi, Gill, Col and Mandy.…
Land Renewed
An author in our midst! This book explores how the pressures of leaving the EU, recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing global heating present unparalleled opportunities to re-work the…
Apple Press Saturday
Making tasty apple juice It’s that time of year again! and despite the worries of less fruit this year, there seem to be plenty of apples around to press into…
Look what happened to one of our workshares
Cat’s latest challenge Cat moved to Ovington in 2018 and looked around for something to get involved with. Fortunately for us, she found GO Local Food and joined us as…
Umbellifers
Flowers, veg and crop rotation Ian our grower shared this picture as a “perfect example of why Carrots are part of the umbellifer family”. We’ve heard the word ‘umbellifer’ but…
Local honey for the shelves
Bee happy! From this week fresh honey is available for sale in the Palace Honey Shop. It is produced by one of our very own GO Local members and has been collected…
Local Growing on the increase
In good company Every cloud has a silver lining… even Covid and Brexit! Local growing schemes are on the increase and proving to be an important part of our food…
Wooden Spoon Carving Taster Session
Beautiful Creations Back by popular demand, Steve from Northern Wood Monkey was at our field in Ovington on Sunday afternoon to teach another six enthusiastic wood carvers to make their…
Spoon Carving
The first workshop for members 2021 Back by popular demand, Steve from Northern Wood Monkey, will be on the fields running another workshop for members interested in having a go…
Dawn Chorus Walk
Bird song on the fields Our very first member event in over a year was the annual Dawn Chorus Walk, led by Gill Thompson, on 9th May. We heard and…
What happened to Spring?
Snow, hail, sleet… in May We have been wondering what impact the very cold and frosty April, followed by more cold weather at the beginning of May, will have on…
Hard at work
How many onions? Work is well underway at Vicarage Corner, Matfen. Our onion sets arrived late – seems there was a shortage last autumn. Consequently we didn’t get as much…
Dawn Chorus Walk
Bird song on the field Our first member event for 2021 is a guided walk around the fields with Gill Thompson, listening to bird song and identifying the ‘singer’. Last…
Ian’s Compost Tips
Making compost Always make the biggest heap practical. 1m x 1m would be a good start. This gives the chance for the heap to heat up and break down weed…
Ian’s Compost Tips
Making compost Always make the biggest heap practical. 1m x 1m would be a good start. This gives the chance for the heap to heat up and break…
WE MADE 100!
Getting involved in creating something special. Despite the un-predictability of the last year it has been a good year for membership of the co-op. And we have just recruited our…
The No-dig fields are on the move – but not too far…
New no-dig bed locations Over recent months you may have noticed some new furrows following the edge of the no-dig beds. One of the continuous challenges on the Ovington site…
Digging up pants!
Soil health test findings Back in December we were busy burying pants at our Ovington site as part of the International World Soil Health Day 2020 campaign. After at least…
First working party of the year at Matfen
Many hands make light work Now the rain has stopped it is definitely time to get to work on the new Matfen field – and there is plenty to do…
Extreme Veg!
The numbers for 2020 are in and we have grown and harvested a range of strange and wonderful veg (which still tasted delicious!)
Spotting an owl
A first on our fields Very exciting, Ian spotted a Barn Owl on the fields. Maybe it had been hunting – it flew up from the ground, so maybe a…
Christmas Bundle 2020
Our Annual Festive Offer We have run our Christmas Food offer for a few years now, linking up with local food producers to bring their delicious produce together in one…
World Soil Day and we have been burying pants!
How healthy is our soil? The 5th December is annual World Soil Day – an international day to celebrate our soil and raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy…
GO Local Food’s New Year Quiz Saturday 2nd January 2021 7.15pm
Quizzing Fun We had so much fun on our fabulous quiz night in November that we are doing it again! Join us on Saturday 2nd January 2021 for the first…
Mega Production
Loads of veg! We have just updated our production figures and are amazed by the result. We had thought this year we would produce @ 8 tons of veg. Over…
GO Local Food Online Quiz
Friday 27th November 7.15pm A fun, friendly GO Local quiz on Kahoot with a great prize. Play in a team or as an individual, one ticket per team. Ticket Price: Pay…
No no-dig workshops for now….
Alternative growing and compost production We love our compost, soil and vegetables AND we love to talk about them! But with the all the Covid restrictions we are being denied…
Christmas Bundle 2020
Treats for the festive season We’ve been working hard behind the scenes, liaising with local food producers to bring you this year’s Christmas Bundle offer, it’s getting bigger by the…
Tunnel expansion
A new acquisition We have acquired a new poly tunnel – well the frame of a tunnel. Meadowell Connected advertised the tunnel, free to a good home. The tunnel is…
Suddenly it’s the end of summer
Farewell to summer volunteers For the last 6 months we have benefitted from additional volunteers of all ages. But now schools and universities are back in action we have had…
Suddenly it’s the end of summer
Farewell to summer volunteers For the last 6 months we have benefitted from additional volunteers of all ages. But now schools and universities are back in action we have had…
Palatial Development
More space for our crop shares To manage lockdown we introduced packing to the weekly harvesting and weighing tasks. In this way members would not be sharing space to weigh…
Some Like it Hot project is a year old!
Summary of year 1 We are a year into our trial and there has been a lot of change on the no-dig beds and the compost bays. Year 1 of…
Some Like it Hot Workshop – Saturday 19th September, 10.30am
Conservation agriculture, alternative growing methods and compost making A year into our no-till no-dig pilot project and we are learning a lot and want to share our experiences. If you…
Steamy Compost
Our compost really is hot! Last week the compost was turned and this time we were there to witness it. Judging when to turn is based on many variables –…
Spoon Carving Workshop
Spoon Carving Success We held our first post-lockdown event on Saturday afternoon in the glorious sunshine on the GO Local Food field. Steve from Northern Wood Monkey took the participants…
Touring the fields
The Operations Group at work At the last Members Meeting – back in February – we decided to change ‘All Hands’ Saturdays to – Monthly Members Meetings on the first…
‘This month on the Field’ – Growing in June
A new water storage system and feng shui in the polytunnels June has been another busy month on the field for our growers, workshares and volunteers. So much so, the…
Spoon Carving Taster Session
Make your own hand carved spoon Saturday 18th July 1pm-3.30pm Go Local Food Field Ovington Adults £25 Come along and learn safe knife skills in the fresh air at the…
Wildlife on the fields 2018
Insects to birds of prey Whilst recording the birds we were reminded that we had recorded a conversation with Ian on the fields some time ago. We wanted to know…
‘This month on the Field’ – Growing in May
The sunniest calendar month on record A suggestion from our annual members survey was to update members with growing activities on the field. Consequently, we started a ‘This week on…
‘This month on the Field’ – Growing in May
The sunniest calendar month on record A suggestion from our annual members survey was to update members with growing activities on the field. Consequently, we started a ‘This week on…
Birds on the fields
Not the Dawn Chorus Last year was our first Dawn Chorus with Gill. It was so good, we spotted or listened to 27 different birds and were very much looking…
The story of a bumper lettuce crop
Everyone for lettuce! Each year Ian our Grower devises a cropping plan. This year he did so with Cat and Jill, so that we begin to learn more about how…
First of the season
Ballroom lettuces No not a new variety! These lovely lettuces may have been ‘Brian’ and looked as though they were dancing. If the weather is kind we are going to…
GOing Plastic Free
Zero plastic waste Every few months we organise a SUMA order for our members. We’ve now added to each order items that will help us be more ‘plastic free’ –…
Plenty of robins, patiently waiting…
You are never alone for long on the fields Whilst digging, planting or even sitting eating your sandwiches, there is usually a robin for company. A very protective mother was…
Alternative Growing, compost making, no-dig, no-till.. it’s all veg to me!
What a workshop we had! Sunday 1st March saw an enthusiastic group of allotment holders, home gardeners and members come together at the Go Local fields to learn about conservation…
No-Dig Workshop New Date!
A date for your diary? We were hoping to welcome keen compost makers and alternative agriculture enthusiasts to the fields on Saturday 6th June for our next No-Dig workshop. However,…
Growing Gang Update
We would love to continue with our Growing Gang, as we have worked hard and achieved so much over the last few years. We still believe that it is vital…
Growing Gang’s New Season!
Come and join us! Come and join us for the first Growing Gang of the year, on Saturday 24th February, 10.30am-12 noon on our field in Ovington. It’s the start…
Compost Workshop
Sunday 1st March 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm GO Local Fields, The Nursery, Ovington A chance to find out more about making and using compost and what’s involved in no-dig…
Marmalade Workshop
Saturday 22nd February Wylam Institute 10am – 2pm Learn the basics and experiment with new flavours. Take home at least 3 jars of marmalade. All ingredients and refreshments included. Members…
Beetle Drive
Saturday 29th February, 6pm – 9pm Old School Ovingham Join us for a family games night of the classic BEETLE DRIVE. Expect an evening filled with lots of dice rolling,…
Christmas Wreath Making
Old School, Ovingham on Friday evening 13th December, 7.30pm-11pm Price includes the materials to make your very own door wreath and there will be mulled wine and mince pies (non-alcoholic…
Christmas Preserves Workshop
With Bridget from Kilbryde Preserves at Wylam Institute, Sunday 17th November, 10am-2pm Bridget will guide you through making some Christmas themed preserves, which you get to take home. Last year…
Winter update
The Growing Gang is taking a winter break as it is too cold and muddy to run any sessions on our plot. We are busy planning for next year…
Christmas Bundle 2019
Place your orders by 4th December. Following the success of the last 2 years, this is your chance to buy local products and make your Christmas shopping hassle-free. We have…
Summer BBQ
Saturday 31st August, 3pm-7pm Adults £6.50, Children £3.50 The band is booked and the sun has been scheduled. Join us for our Summer BBQ on the field with Go Local…
Summer BBQ 31 August!
Summer BBQ 31 August All Welcome! The band is booked and the sun has been scheduled. Join us for the BBQ on the last Saturday of the holidays before school…
Going Plastic Free?
Going Plastic Free? Plastic free July is almost over but of course there is much more we could and need to do. And it’s not always easy… You need to…
Growing Gang in Summer
July’s Meeting This month Growing Gang will be meeting on Saturday 27th July and will be refurbishing our bug hotel (bring any old cardboard that you have) and completing our…
June’s Cropshare
Week ending 23rd June This week’s cropshare will include potatoes, green onions, broad beans, lettuce, cucumbers and radish
Hotel refurbishment
Upgrading the bug hotel Our next session on Saturday 29th June will be spent creating a more comfy home for the bugs. We can also look at who has taken up residence!…
Willow Workshop
Our Basket Making workshop has been rescheduled! Ruth Thompson from Sylvan Skills has reorganised her GO Local Food Basket Making workshop for Saturday 13th July, 10am – 3.30pm at the Go…
An invite to our celebrations!
We’d like to invite you to a special day on our fields. SATURDAY 1st JUNE, will be a celebration of our newest ventures – showing off our fantastic compost bays and newest…
Scarecrow Building
Our next Growing Gang meeting will be on Saturday May 25th, the same day that GO Local’s Annual Scarecrow Competition is being held on the fields. No further excuse needed…
Scarecrow Competition 2019
Saturday May 25th Over the past 5 years we have had the most stunning entries to our Scarecrow Competition and we are sure that with your help 2019 won’t disappoint…
The Growing Gang in Spring
Saturday 27th April This month the Growing Gang will continue to build the coldframe from recycled plastic bottles that was started in March – it’s shaping up nicely. We will…
Dawn Chorus Event
Saturday 11th May, 5.30am-7.30am Join Gill for an early morning wildlife walk and talk at the GO Local fields. Spot the birds and find out about the wildlife on our…
Growers Question Time 2019
Tuesday 21st May GO Local’s Annual Growers Question Time – don’t miss your opportunity to quiz our experts on flowers, veg, trees, fruit, pests and all growing conundrums. Of course,…
Hanging Basket Workshop
Saturday 18th May Join Maxine from Halls of Heddon, at their Ovington Nursery, for a Gardening Workshop to create your own hanging basket. The workshop will run between 2pm –…
Growing Gang 2019
Growing Gang starts again in March After our Winter break, Growing Gang will be back and raring to go on Saturday March 30th at our usual time (10.30am – 12…
Food Bingo
Eyes down, look in! Our Food Bingo event is back – play bingo, win food prizes! Monday 25th February, 7.15pm at Ovington Social Club. Tickets are £6.50 for adults, £3.50 for children…
Marmalade Making Workshop
Sunday 3rd February, 10am – 2pm Join us for a Marmalade workshop at Wylam Institute. It’s the perfect workshop for the marmalade lover in your family. There are a limited…
Willow Workshop 2019
Make a basket in a day. Saturday 2nd February, Reading Room, Ovingham, 10 am – 3.30 pm Weave your own willow basket in a day, with Ruth Thompson of Sylvan…
Preserves Programme for 2019
Coming soon to a kitchen near you! Following the success of this year’s preserves workshops we are excited to be planning a whole programme for 2019 with Kilbryde Preserves. More…
Growing Gang’s Winter Break
But, we’ll be back in the Spring! Earlier this year the Growing Gang planted sunflower seeds and look what happened! We had big yellow sunflowers that attracted lots of insects.…
No-Dig Trial Update
Hot and cold compost What’s the difference between hot and cold compost and why does it make a difference? Over the past 5 years at Go Local Food we have…
Wildlife friendly growing
Hedgehogs on the field A small hedgehog has been seen on the Go Local Field this week. Ian the grower is worried that he/she is a little on the small…
No Dig Trial
A new development for Go Local Food With help from a Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland – LEAF grant, GO Local Food is going to be testing new…
Christmas Bundle 2018
Order by 7th December Last Year’s Christmas bundles of local festive food and drink were a huge success – this year your bundle could include all or some of the…
Apple Press and Open Day
Saturday 27th October 10.30am – 2pm You are invited to join us on our fields for our Apple Press Open Day. Everyone welcome and if you have any spare apples…
Spooky Growing Gang
Join us for our Halloween Growing Gang Saturday October 27th, 10.30am – 12 noon. Bring your own pumpkin or buy one at the field and see what spooky carvings can…
Halloween with Go Local Food
Harvest Supper and Quiz Night Monday 29th October, 7pm – 10pm at the White Swan in Ovingham. It’s our annual Halloween Harvest Supper and Quiz Night, complete with our now…
Growing Gang in September
Autumn Activities September’s Growing Gang takes place next Saturday, 29th at 10.30am. Come and join us on the field as we think about recycling and find out if we have…
Wildlife Problems
More rabbits…. Should you find our Go Local Food grower on his hands and knees inspecting field fences and rabbit proof fencing – he hasn’t lost the plot. It’s just…
Sept share
Crop share for the week ending 22nd September 2018 Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers. fennel, courgette, chard, cabbage, lettuce
Chutney Workshop
Sunday 9th Sept, 10am – 2pm Come and join us as we run our first ever Chutney Workshop, hosted by Bridget Speight, Kilbryde Preserves. Learn how to turn fresh veg into…
2018 Summer BBQ
Saturday 1st September Come along to our Summer BBQ, 3pm-7pm, on the field. Cash bar and live music from Jazzanova. Non-members welcome. Tickets £6 Adults and Children £3. Ticket Types…
No Growing Gang in August…
…but Growing Gang will be back in September As August’s Growing Gang falls on the bank holiday weekend, most of our volunteer members who run the sessions will be away. …
July’s Growing Gang
What’s the Gang up to this month? Saturday 28th July, 10:30am-12 noon. This month we share our Growing Gang morning with an Open Day on the field which means that…
Crop share for the week ending 14th July 2018
Ian says this week we’ll have… Potatoes, broad beans, onions, cucumber, calabrese, chard, mange tout, French beans
Growing Gang in June
Saturday 30th June The sun has been shining and the weeds have been growing, so we need our gang to come and help tidy their plot! We will be seeing…
Willow Obelisk Workshop
Saturday 26th May Create a willow structure for your climbing plants with Ruth Thompson, Sylvan Skills. Come prepared with secateurs and picnic lunch, we’ll provide all materials along with the…
May’s Activities
Our plans for this month Our next Growing Gang session is on Saturday 26th May at 10.30am. Plenty to keep us occupied this month! The sun has been shining on…
New residents on the field
Spring is on it’s way A blackbird has decided that our crop collection area is the place to have their nest this year – and even better to use the…
Do you want to build a scarecrow?
Annual Scarecrow Competition 2018 – Saturday 26th May Last year’s scarecrows (the Hungry Caterpillar, Gruffalo, Gangsta Granny, Stick Man and all the other wonderful scarecrows) have worn themselves out! We…
Growers Question Time 2018
Challenge our expert panel Tuesday 22nd May – Ovington Social Club. 7pm – 9pm. A great evening of questions and entertainment. Our experts for the evening will be Ian Todd…
Come and sow a meadow!
Saturday 28th April This month we are hoping that Spring will have sprung and the ground will have warmed up so that we can sow a meadow in the Growing Gang area…
March’s Growing Gang
Worm houses and planting peas… February was cold! We made birdseed cake and planted our onion sets. At the end of March (24th) we’ll be ready to plant potatoes, peas…
Snow Bees
Go Local in the Snow Our bees on the field have coped well with last week’s wintry weather. Not too many flowers for them though…
Food Bingo
Cancelled We’re sorry, but this event has had to be cancelled. Monday 12th February, 6pm – 8pm. A great night at Ovington Social Club – Bingo, but maybe not as…
Willow Workshop
Make a Willow Basket Saturday 24th February, 9.30am – 4.30 pm Last year we made a willow screen and sculpture for our field. This year we have a chance to…
Buying and eating local food
Ten reasons … “There are many good reasons to choose local foods – here are our top 10, based mainly on the views of the 1300 shoppers that we spoke to from 12 different towns.…
Food Waste
A Growing Awareness Go Local Food doesn’t believe in food waste – we know that beetroot tops can be used as spinach, that radish leaves can be eaten raw or…
Part of a growing community
We are not alone! Go Local Food is a community supported agriculture growing scheme and part of a wider network of similar projects. To quote from the CSA network website:…
New equipment for Go Local!
Automation comes to the fields Last Thursday there was the first test of Go Local Food’s new potato lifter. It was a success – at least for the larger potatoes…
Harvest Supper and Halloween Quiz
Book your tickets now! Monday 30th October, 7pm at the White Swan, Ovingham. It’s that time of year again, we are now heading to our late autumn event – the…
The Growing Gang in Autumn
The next Growing Gang will be Saturday September 30th 10am – 12 noon This Saturday morning we will be harvesting our remaining crops and making sure our bug hotel is ready for…
Apple Press and Chilli Fest
Sunday 24th September, 1-4pm Will you have a glut of early apples? Why not come and make some fresh juice, which can be drunk and/or frozen? Has the chilli plant…
Summer BBQ
A Sizzling Summer BBQ This year’s Summer BBQ will be held on Saturday 2nd Sept, 4-8pm on the Go Local fields. Non-members are very welcome and everyone will be catered…
Feed Workshops
Creative Workshops with Queens Hall, Hexham At Go Local Food, Ovington on Friday 21st 2.30 – 4.30 pm and Saturday 22nd July 10.30 am – 12.30 pm From Saturday 8th…
July’s Growing Gang
What is planned for the Growing Gang this month? Our next event is Saturday 15th July 10am-12noon where we will be having a very special ‘SUPERTATO’ themed Storytelling and Supertato making workshop, harvesting our own potatoes followed…
Come and help us celebrate!
It’s our 5th Birthday! It’s Official! Go Local Food have been producing crops for 5 years and we think that’s a good reason for celebration. Come along on Saturday 15th…
Crop Share for week ending 9th July 2016
All from the Go Local Food fields this week we have: Potatoes, turnips, broad beans, green leaf, French beans, cucumber, strawberries.
The Next Growing Gang Event
Come along and join the fun! We are super excited with our bug hotel that we made on our last activity Saturday! The children worked with Liz and our fabulous…
Growing Gang Activities
Build a Bug Hotel We need all sorts of creepy crawlies to help grow our veg, so we want to build some attractive hotels for them on our fields. The…
Growers Workshops
Grow your confidence! Growers Workshops, May 17th, June 21st and July 19th, 9.30 am – 1.00 pm Any gardener knows that there is always something more to learn no matter…
Innovation comes to Go Local Food!
All wrapped up Last season we had a machine (devised by Mr Rusby and therefore christened the ‘Rusby Wrapper’) to help us lay biodegradable cornstarch on the Go Local Fields. …
Growers Question Time
Come and quiz our expert panel Tuesday 23rd May, 7 – 9.30pm. Ovington Social Club Have you got a question about your garden, allotment, greenhouse, polytunnel, plants, veg, flowers? Challenge…
Our Scarecrow Day
The sun shone on our Scarecrows! For the first time in 4 years grey skies and cold winds were replaced by blue sky and sunshine to welcome a new crop…
Spring is on the way!
Tweeting on the fields Spring sounds abound as the birds look for nesting sites around the Go Local Food fields. There have never been so many blackbirds in the area…
Scarecrow Competition
Come along and join the fun! Every year we hold a scarecrow competition linked to World Book Day. We have had some amazing entries in the past and are hoping…
Scarecrow Saturday!
Only 2 days to go…. Sun is forecast for Saturday so we’re all set for a fantastic morning on the Go Local Food fields. The theme for the competition is…
Willow Woman on the field!
Second Willow Workshop Our second willow workshop with Ruth Thompson of Sylvan Skills was held last week. The group worked hard to make our Willow Woman for the fields. She…
We’ve been published!
Unlikely Heroes In 2015 Walter the photographer visited Go Local Food as part of his project called “Feeding Body and Soul – A Year-Long Photographic Exploration of An Agrarian Renaissance. His…
Christmas Crop Share
The last share of 2016 – and a very happy christmas! Potatoes, onions, leeks, Brussels sprouts, kale, swede, cabbage, baby parsnips, garlic This will be the last crop share of 2016…
Construction projects
Creating a meeting space There are plans afoot for a ‘cabin’ that will give shelter for work shares and volunteers and allow us to be a bit more social. Grower…
Willow Working
Willow Workshops – new dates Last time we advertised the workshops the weather turned really cold so they were cancelled! But we have an update for you. There are two…
Robins on patrol
Robins… and pigeons The robins are very active around the Go Local Food fields supervising all the work that is going on. Someone or something has been attacking the kale…
There will be onions
Go Local Food has eventually sourced winter onion sets to plant out. Down to Earth in Hexham came up trumps and managed to order a large net which is enough…
Harvest Supper and Halloween Quiz
A great night out… It’s time to buy your ticket for the Harvest Supper – who’s going to come out tops in the Quiz this year…?
Working with nature
Red spiders, caterpillars, rabbits… The red spiders have won the battle with the Go Local Food cucumbers and it looks as if it has been the last week for these in…
Apple Press – Open Day
Sunday 25th September, 11 am – 3 pm We’ve been through the broad bean and cucumber gluts and we are approaching the apple glut. No we do not have a…
Awards for All
Grant success Some of you may have noticed in a recent Hexham Courant article, that the Go Local Food application to Awards for All, a lottery grant, was successful. This grant will help…
Sparrowhawk on patrol
Sparrow Hawk on patrol A sparrowhawk was spotted working the Go Local Food fields last week. Thought to be hunting swallows! The fat pigeons have been watching the fields with…
Visitors from South Tyne Sustainability
Touring the polytunnels Last Saturday (July 2nd), we had a group of visitors from South Tyne Sustainability, based in Haltwhistle. They come to find out more about what we do…
Week ending 18th June crop share
All from the Go Local Food fields New potatoes, pickling onions, lettuce, radish, broad beans and spring greens. Don’t forget that there are herbs that you can pick to go…
Return of the ladybird – hopefully
The first ladybird caterpillar larva was spotted in the poly tunnel that will host the peppers last week. Go Local Food likes ladybirds as they control aphids – they are…
A head start outside
Harrow the first field Ian managed to harrow the first field on Wednesday to get a head start outside for when the weather improves. There will have to be a…
Wholesome Food Association
Yes we know that we produce wholesome food at Good Local Food Ltd so it was obviously sensible to join the Wholesome Food Association where other like minded people gather.…
The wild life this weekend
The blackbird fledglings that hatched last week are still with us despite the wintry weather. And the parents are foraging flat out to keep them fed. Another pair of blackbirds…
Much ado indoors and outdoors on the fields
Is it dry enough to put the parsnips in? After some discussion on the patch designated for parsnips and use of a rake, Sean and Ian decided to get on…
The stall at the Hexham Spring Fair
Go Local Food had a stall at the Hexham Spring Fair to remind everyone that we are still in operation and that new members are welcome. A sort of advertising…
Your favourite recipes wanted!
Parsnip ice cream? There’s a box in the dome that is asking people to put copies of their favorite recipes in it for others to share and take away. Seems…
Dawn Chorus
Tweeting on the field! Our Dawn Chorus event in May was a new event for us and as with anything new we were not quite sure how successful it would be. …
Christmas Preserves Workshop
Saturday 10th November We know it’s not Christmas quite yet, but some things are worth planning ahead for. Join Bridget from Kilbryde Preserves for our Christmas Preserves Workshop at Wylam…