1st Meeting Minutes of 2025

Minutes of the Lynsted Community Kitchen Garden Meeting

held on Saturday 11th January 2025 at 11:00

 Those Present: Clare S, Linda, Vanessa, Hilary, Neil, Claire W, Janina, Jacqui, John, Clive, Ray, Sue E, Sue S, Alison, Callum, Kelly, Zoe, Jeremy, Lizzie, Amy, Jess, Natalie, Michele CE, Michele M, Michael, Rod, Sue T, Annabel, Carol, Karen, Gavin, Jackie, Chris

Apologies:  Dave, Raquel, Freya, Oskar, Annikki, Christina, Jo, Marta, Robert, Sunita, Caireen, Brad, Sandra, Kash, Aga, Cath, Pauline, Judith, Emma, Langa

Neil welcomed everyone to the 16th Meeting of the LCKG, particularly new members that had joined since November.

1.     There were no matters arising from the minutes of 23rd November 2024.

 2.     Finance.  The balance as at 11.1.2025 was £6,449.49 (this included money for the pond that we have yet to receive the invoices totalling £3,300).  We have paid for some additional compost as ours will not be ready to sow seeds next month.

 3.     Ripple Effect Twinning. Vanessa explained that Garden Twinning is a charity gift that plants “hope for a family in rural Africa”.  We have not been twinned with an specific garden in Africa but our donation of £60 will help a family, offering three years training in sustainable, organic farming.  “Starting with small kitchen gardens, families can grow enough to eat and set up small businesses.”  As well as helping families in Africa we can also get top tips for our own garden from Ripple Effect and we see the twinning as giving something back.

 4.     Seed Saving Beds. Jacqui explained that a previous meeting we were conscious that we were not saving many of our seeds to re-grow.  This is due to the fact that most of our seeds were F1 variety and therefore unable to re-produce.  We have made sure that some of the seeds were have purchased are Heritage or Heirloom varieties.  The seed saving beds are going to be at the end of Beds 3 and 4 (previously x2 Squash beds), next to the Asparagus rows and labelled Bed 3 Row 14 and Bed 4, Row 14.  The beds will be fenced and netted and we will not pick any vegetables from these beds, allowing them to go to seed.  To replace the 2 Squash beds we will build 2 new ‘no dig’ rows alongside the Rhubarb and existing Squash row, in line with the weather station and the compost toilet.  More details will be on the white board.  Alison R asked if we have seeds that we can swap as Abbey Physic Garden normally have a seed swapping event in February, Alison will keep us informed.

5.     Biodiversity Working Party (BWP).  The new pond has been dug and is slowly filling with rain water.  It should be noted that the pond should never be filled with chlorinated tap water.  The BWP currently has 6 members supports LCKG with biodiversity. If anyone who hasn’t joined but would like to please let us know.  A baseline biodiversity survey would need to be achieved in the next few months so we would have a snapshot of how many insects, invertebrate we are encouraging into the pond area over time.  Every member of the KG is encouraged to take part.  We can then repeat the survey to reveal the observed biodiversity trends over time.

6.     Lynsted Community Vineyard (LCV) Proposal.  Neil presented a proposal for 1 hectare of wine growing vines at the far end of the Kitchen Garden field.  The presentation is attached separately to these minutes.  Questions arising from the presentation were:

a)     The Vineyard will run alongside the existing Kitchen Garden but be totally distinct from it. Both the Community Vineyard and Community Kitchen Garden will have their own separate volunteer groups and management. Though of course there may be some overlap if people wish to be volunteers at both the kitchen garden and at the vineyard. The financing of the Vineyard will be organised through a Community Interest Company (CIC) set up by Lynsted Park (the owner of the field).

b)     Janina asked if there will be a Membership Fee for the Vineyard.  Neil explained there will be no Membership fee and the Vineyard will be initially financed via a benefactor loan and a charitable donation to the CIC. 

c)      Volunteers will be giving their time in looking after the vines. Days are to be organised with viticulturalist experts on site who will show and explain to the volunteers what needs to be done.

d)     Volunteers time will be ‘repaid’ with wine.  Though there will be no wine until the vines are 4/5 years old. It is anticipated that volunteer wine will account for approx. 1/3rd of the wine produced. Although data and details are still being finalised.

e)     John S asked who was going to market/sell the remaining 2/3rds of the wine. Neil said the CIC will take responsibility for selling the wine, although the volunteers would be encouraged to sell the wine to their friends and family, with proceeds returning to the CIC.  After vineyard costs have been accounted for, any CIC profits would be channelled into local community projects, with the LCKG being the primary beneficiary. The specifics of wider sales channels is TBC, as we need to learn more about the grapes we will produce.

f)      Neil emphasised that a CIC has to have a ‘community mission’ and as such any profits it generates must be distributed to community projects – primarily LCKG. The Vineyard would be the CIC’s main ‘enterprise’, but that there could be scope, for the CIC to sell other things such as the LCKG honey – only if the LCKG wished for this.  The CIC provides a way for funds to be ploughed back into the community garden/community projects. (At present the LCKG cannot strictly sell things as it is merely a Constituted Group - does not file with HMRC.)  

g)     Chris P asked how ‘Community’ is defined.  Vanessa said that, for now, the main criteria has been a catchment definition, in that you have to reside within a 6 mile radius.

h)     Jess asked if there were any plans for the grapes that weren’t used, the answer was no, but Jess obviously has some compost ideas!

i)       Rod asked if the vines could be planted via the ‘No Dig’ method.  This has been researched into but conclusion is that the soil does need some preparation and the approach will be slightly different to ‘no dig’. The vines will be planted via an auger so not ‘No Dig’ but low tech, with minimal soil disturbance.  Soil prep can be done between now and hopefully May when (if all goes to plan) the vines, or at least some of them, will be planted. 

j)       Rod also asked if the Vineyard might be detrimental to the wider biodiversity at the garden.  It was agreed that this was unknown but was an important consideration and one that had been given serious thought.  Hence, an organic, low tech approach to the vineyard had been chosen.  The importance of getting a biodiversity baseline test was raised again (see above).  The field is currently grass, but not well established, as prior to LCKG using it, the field was managed for pheasant rearing and maize was grown. The largely unmanaged hedgerows and woodland that surround the community field will remain as they are.

k)     Jess asked would there be a separate entrance to the Vineyard.  In the short term the answer is ‘no’ but if grants were achieved by the CIC to enable this, then there are a couple of options that could be considered off Tickham Lane.

l)       Clare S asked what is the life expectancy of the vines?  In truth they will probably out live most of us!

m)    Chris P asked if they are to be staked.  Neil explained that there will be stakes, trellis and rabbit guards to protect the vines.

n)     Clive expressed his thanks on behalf of the members to Neil and Vanessa for giving us the opportunity to be involved in all the KG projects and the Vineyard.

For those members not at the meeting and but who would like to sign up to be a volunteer for the Lynsted Community Vineyard please do so before Saturday 25th January 2025.  After that date, the LCV volunteer sign up will be open to the wider community.  Neil thinks that we would need up to 30 Volunteers.  As the voluntary work is more structured than the Kitchen Garden i.e. there will be set days throughout the year (between 6-12 days in the year) it was agreed that only one family member should apply to be a volunteer (doesn’t stop others helping if they wish).  But because the volunteer’s help is repaid in wine it makes sense to keep this to one official volunteer per couple. Because experts are attending on set days to ‘educate’ the volunteers, the level of commitment and consistency needs to be high.  Vineyard volunteers can of course ‘buddy up’/share this with someone, if holidays/family events prevent them from attending one of the set days.

7.     Any other business. 

a)     Alison spoke about the hedgehogs that are hibernating in her garden at the moment and would the LCKG be happy for them to re-locate to the LCKG once out of hibernation.  She also asked for low water troughs to be available for the hedgehogs. More hedgehog houses would be needed if anyone has good woodwork skills.

b)     John asked if there would be any finance available for the Bees this year.  It was agreed that John  would speak after the meeting to the treasurers to see what level of funding can be made available and to see how much money had been made through donations for the honey.

The meeting ended at 12 noon.

The next meeting will be after the Open Day on Sunday 6th April 2025