Free-Range Living

 'Mid-Winter Blues ---- '

 Always a bit of a slog from Xmas to spring, not helped by the fact that everywhere gets pretty messy - the lanes - hardly worth washing the car - and generally around the eco organic micro-holding (small smallholding) here in the UK midlands. Still, action counters the 'blues', so there's now a resolution to do one job most days in the cause of getting the place more shipshape 'and Bristol fashion'. At least the torpors of the semi-hibernation period are now fading at the end of January, mid-winter here in the UK, and it feels good to be 'up and at it' again. Quite a bit of wood has been sawn the past week or two, and this year's seen more digging-in of 'green manure' than usual, mainly weeds and self-set grass, which can be a particularly satisfying task, converting unkempt ground into a pristine growing area visually, as well as fertilising the soil and preparing it for planting, as this ground is of the easy-worked blackish peaty-loam variety.

 More lopping too has had to happen - surprising how much is needed to keep things up together, and this year more than most. Still, 'all grist to the mill', as here the loppings can be burnt to then produce potash fertiliser, (woodash, also a mild alkali, to keep the growing ground 'sweet') to contribute both to shorter-term crop production and too to longer-term soil health. Part of the lopping operation has been to top the Sycamore hedge right by the compost heaps - these smaller 'loppings' now reside on the compost heap made during last year and will come in useful as pea support sticks and being Sycamore, they're then dead and brittle by the end of the growing season, to be then useful as kindling for the stove and fire. All the three compost piles are currently in use, the far one with the pea sticks on top 'making' and for use next year, the middle one to be used on the veg. growing ground literally in the next week or two, and the near one currently being filled.

'Green' purchases ----- '

Seed buying has been another recent micro-holding activity to ward away any 'mid-winter blues', a pleasure in itself sitting in the warm by the woodstove looking through the seed catalogue to select the required items. It's amazing how vegetable seed prices can vary, and how the quantity of seeds within a packet can also differ quite a bit. After brief flirtations with one or two more modern-style seed suppliers, this last year or two it's been back to the older established 'tried and trusted' mail order firm from the east of England with the royal connected name. This firm supplies consistently good seed with regular quantities in a no-fuss style and with quite possily the best value-for-money deal going. Looking at seeds for sale in the local garden centre, for instance, it became evident that on average their cost per packet was approaching £1.50 higher than the mail order firm's price levels.

The £30 order placed with the mail order firm recently would then have been nigh on £70 if the seeds had been bought from the garden centre - quite a differential, and 'grist to the mill' for economic, frugal even, freerange operators. Shortage of veg for shops due to adverse growing conditions down near the Mediterranean has apparently caused a surge in grow-it-at-home seed sales here in the UK. The seed potatoes which last year were a bit of a struggle to find and buy will be purchased this time at an up-coming potato fayre at a local college, where around 120 varieties will be on offer again at reasonable prices. Interesting too, for any grower, to be able to view so much choice in the varieties available -----

A recent lunchtime meal reminded of the advantages of home growing (as well as the satisfactions of home producing). The soup - potato and leek - was made with freshly dug leeks and tasted just the biz for winter fare, along with a home-produced freerange (naturally)  boiled egg , courtesy of the 'wild bunch' gang of hens, who are great mates really, as well as being pesky blighters ---- Then with some cheese and crackers there was celery, turnips and onions all from the home plot, tasty too, along with some home-made pickled red cabbage and pickled beetroot - that's around 80% of the meal home produced - tasty on the pocket too -----

'Reddy --- steady ----'

 One set of people who are unlikely to have felt the financial blues in the new year, are 'top bosses', who here in the UK reportedly earn't the average yearly wage on average in just four days of the New Year, which could seem to some to be a bit of a case of 'indecent haste'----- ? Quite a bit has been made recently of widening wealth differentials, with some, one was a billionaire on TV, arguing that regardless of any 'humanity' angle, such wealth inequality could well act as a destabilising factor in the future -in other words, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea in the longer-run to let everyone have a fair deal, This would likely mean that the top echelon get a bit less, with most then getting a bit more (on the 'money's like manure' principle? - 'in piles it stinks, but spread about it does some good' ---). 

  Commercial practice still often seems to be geared to the 'on the make' business model. The most recent experience of it here at the micro-holding came with seeking quotes for home insurance - out of six different outfits offering home insurance, four of them added interest if the premium was paid monthly. If £ x amount is borrowed and paid back not until after a year, then rent in the form of interest is due, but hard to see, maybe, how  interest is a relevant charge when 'paying as you go' - consuming the product/service month by month and at the same time paying month by month -?  One of the more enlightened firms who weren't 'on the make' and didn't charge interest, also promised to pay any cancellation fees levied by the previous insurer ( maybe such fees could be illegal under the restrictive practices/anti-competition banner - ?) Need perhaps to keep a sharp 'free-range' look-out and go for the firms who are offering good ethical business practice and 'value-for- money', along with good customer respect, care and service - ?

'True blues ---- '

Blue is the colour associated with the party of politician's in power in the UK currently, whose leader has stated it's her aim to make Britain a fairer society, a more socially just place, which would in practice presumably mean a better distribution of wealth. Yet just today on lunchtime TV, there was a report concerning the plans this party had for reducing benefit levels for a class of diasabled people by quite a chunk -  approaching 30%, from a none-too-generous base level to begin with. The minister responsible stated that this was a 'motivating move' - maybe he doesn't quite get what motivation really is (the positive variety) - ? It's perhaps then little wonder public trust in politician's has been reported as being at an all time low. The previous leader of this group of politicians talked about creating 'the Big Society', presumably meaning one of the 'all-inclusive' variety, whereas wealth differentials widened considerably on his watch, with the rich and powerful apparently doing particularly well. Maybe, though, he was misunderstood? All along, the 'Big Society' perhaps mean't one geared to the benefit of 'the big' -those in power? 'The proof of the pudding', and 'actions though speak louder than words' - maybe the politicians need some reminders - ?

'Singing the blues ---'

One of the uses of 'blues' music was presumably to act as a confirmation that not necessarily everything happened for the best, and that 'happy, happy land' living wasn't always possible in real life, the music acting then as 'commiserate salve' - ? Older people of full-ish experience, having faced a gamut of positive and negative life experiences, often then seem to have a degree of built-up and built-in resilience, facing the realities of life square-on and not having to live in any 'happy, happy' state ( maybe that's why they've at times attracted the soubriquet of 'grumpies' - ?) Farmers for instance, facing quite hard conditions, say, in the north of England, often have the reputation of being able to be resilient in the face of reverses and hardships, becoming 'phlegmatic' (example of phlegmatic farmer saying : 'where there's livestock, there's dead stock') These farmers might aver that hardships and reverses can make for strong, resilient , self-reliant people -----

A forthcomong event at the local social club will be a performance by an itinerant American bluesplayer, who travels this country 'freerange' style playing his music a couple of stretches a year, often playing quite small venues. He has appeared here before - once when the audience was pitifully small. To his credit he still gave a 'full-works' show, much to the acclaim of the few who were there. He's agreed to an informal interview, so hopefully a bit more about this 'freeranger supreme' next time ------