It’s time to… relocate to a new site at Treraven Farm

Camel CSA is moving to a new veg growing site near Wadebridge.  But not right away!

We’ve secured a new permanent base on the Treraven Farm nature reserve owned by the Gaia Trust when our lease at Benbole Farm, St Kew Highway, ends in two years’ time. The move will be gradual as we start to relocate our polytunnels, equipment store, solar panels and packing shed and continue growing crops on two sites simultaneously until 2020.

Where is our new site?

It’s right next to the car park at Treraven overlooking Wadebridge and the Camel estuary. You can also access it easily on foot via the public footpath from the Camel Trail at Guineaport on the edge of town.

Our new field at Treraven backs on to Gaia Trust’s ancient woodland and  community forest and is situated directly above the trust’s saltwater meadows on the tidal floodplain. The site is larger so we’ll be able to expand our growing area, create a wildflower meadow and plant an orchard. We’ll be able to deliver joint social and educational opportunities along with the Gaia Trust, which shares a similar ethos.

How are we paying for the move?

We’re incredibly grateful to the three organisations that have contributed so far towards our £15,000 relocation costs: Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) St Breock Wind Farm Community Fund – £3,349; WREN Middle Treworder Solar Farm Community Fund – £2,000; Cornwall Community Foundation – £1,329.34; Comic Relief – £2,658.66.

We’re about to submit a planning application for the two freight containers we want to convert into secure equipment and packing sheds. We intend to landscape them with sustainable green roofs and wildlife habitat walls so they blend in harmoniously with their surroundings at Treraven.

What can you do?

There’ll be numerous opportunities on special volunteer work days over the coming months to help dismantle, move and reinstate the polytunnels, convert sheds, plant Cornish hedging, install rabbit-proof fencing, prepare new no-dig vegetable beds and spread compost. If you feel you have a particular skill you could contribute just for a few hours we’d love to hear from you.

We’ll continue to post updates here and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have any specific queries you can email us at info@camel-csa.org.uk or call/text us on 01208 420014 and we’ll get back to you straight away

It’s time to… tie up the broad bean plants

The heady scent of broad beans fills the polytunnel as grower Bridget and volunteer Vicky ensure the early broad bean crop is tied in securely.

It’s time to… get healthy in the New Year with a weekly veg box from Camel CSA

Happy New Year! Hope you veg lovers enjoyed a good break.

Is it your resolution to eat a more healthy diet now you’re back at work? Why not arrange a weekly veg box trial from us? You collect or we deliver on Fridays.

Are you aiming to get more fit in 2018? We offer outdoor volunteering opportunities for all ages.

It’s time to… harvest our Halloween pumpkins

What a relief! Our growers and volunteers managed to harvest the Halloween pumpkins in the calm between the Atlantic storms. Big thanks to Bridget, Charlotte, Helen, Mark M, Mark N, Stepper and Toby.

It’s time to… make gallons of apple juice to share

Ever tasted fresh hand-pressed apple juice? We made plenty to sample and take home on our Apple Day.  Thanks to everyone who got together at our community event on the annual CSA Network UK Open Day.

It’s time to… pick veg and pack the weekly boxes

Our veg box picking and packing team work incredibly hard every Friday morning to get the harvest in.

It’s time to… plant out squashes and pumpkins

We got hundreds of squash and pumpkin plants into the ground at our volunteer work morning on Sunday. Many thanks to Bob, Charlotte, Helen, Kathi, Mark M and our lead grower Mark Norman.

It’s time to… protect our newly-sown seeds from mice

Old tricks… Our growers hang seed trays in mid-air to deter the long-tailed fieldmouse.

It’s time to… repair the storm-damaged polytunnels

Storm Imogen damaged two of our polytunnels, which have large tears in the covers. Polytunnel doors were forced open by the sheer strength of the wind. It looks bad, but could have been a great deal worse.

It’s time to… harvest the Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins