Garden Organic and HDRA and HSL

Should I sign up now, cos they need the money, or shall I wait, cos they'll be too busy?!

I renewed mine today :-)

I'm pretty sure they could use the money.

I think that anybody who wants to join and can join should, if nothing else to let the HDRA's new management team know that the proper gardeners out here care about what's going on.

Why what is 'gong on'? Why are they cutting staff?

I haven't heard anything about it...

Just signed J and myself up to Garden Organic and took out two HSL memberships too. Apparently the HSL is now closed for seed orders, but we'll get seeds in December, and a couple of packets as a welcome gift.

I paid my renewal yesterday.

There is an awful lot of unrest on the Members forums over there. I think the main problem is lack of communication by the management.

But thanks to Tony for a little in-site of whats going on.

I think they have shot themselves a bit in the foot with the announcement for the closure of Yalding and then a circular from the Management asking for more funds so quickly after.

For the twenty years or so after I graduated (very mature student) I worked in the higher echelons of the voluntary/charity sector (Home Office, LBGU, Charity Commission) funding and assessing charities. For 6 years I was responsible for the environmental projects across London, one of the best things I've ever done in my life.

I've just had a look at the member's section in HDRA's web site and it's all the current management 'newspeak' being used in charity management. Stakeholders at Yalding have been consulted - yes, everybody except the partners that matter -US, the bloody MEMBERS who pay up every year.

I remember Lawrence Hill very well, I met him a couple of times when he lived/worked in north Essex, before Ryton was bought. He'd be pleased with the progress of the organic ethos I think but horrified at the way it's now going. It seems to me that we've lost the 'ordinary' and bringing in the people they now have at the top - and I've a fair idea how much the new Chief Exec earns and why does the Chairperson need an 'Executive Assistant' or whatever her title is - and the whole thing is getting very RHS now.

I always thought of HDRA as a sort of Chelsea Physic Garden for the organic movement - which of course Chelsea is also - and was a membership organisation that was aimed at its members. I don't see that now unfortunately. And the big problem there seems to be that the management team can't say 'no', they're getting further and further involved in anything that pays them (Garden Organic) well enough, sort of like the approach of managers in the NHS.

Of course I'll stay a member and I'll stay in the HSL - which I'm obviously passionate about - now, threaten to close that down and there will be trouble because I'll start talking to GO about fundraising to buy the whole of HSL and run it as a seperate charity.

I joined the HSL a couple of weeks ago and I also offered my services as a seed guardian for which I recieved the seed guardian list the other day so I will be growing some stuff to collect seeds to send back.

Cheers Chris

Thanks for that insight Tony. Out of interest how do you think the Bio 'movement' is going in France, they always seem more 'alternate' with their lunar stuff and biodynamics?

Oh and thay seem to love 'wappy' theories in their archaeology and stuff - I blame them for the Da Vinci Code!

I've been amazed at the whole movement here. I'm fortunbate in that I live in what a French chum described to me as the heartland of the revolution and that's obvious in the approach to what's grown. There are not many farmer's markets here because they're not needed, people that grow their produce have been able to sell them on the markets since the late 18th century. And recycling and the bio movement are really strong here, the Greens are very influential and the socialists are really red/greens.

Meat is grown for slaughter and is sold without the multi packaging, even in supermarkets, it's much different. People sell their farm reared meat, cheese, veggies in all the local markets, there are fruit farmers who make and sell their own jams and chutneys and it's nothing special, we all do it.

Garden wise, the brico sheds sell all the chemical stuff but many sell the organic material also. Where we live is very rural still and we benefit from that as we can buy straw easily from the farmers co-ops, getting well-rotted isn't a problem and domestic potagers are just everywhere.

And there are a variety of bio-journeaux available easily in the maison de la presse, makes the UK specialist stuff look ordinary and in France, that's just what it is because it's all so easily available and accessible. Every year, two or three of the main gardening mags bring out specials for potagers, pruning fruit trees, growing veggies and fruit on balconies and in very small urban areas.

Recycling here is brilliant, very well organised and very well regulated and in rural areas, we all do it - those that don't soon find out that they're doing it wrong.

Don't get me wrong, this is still a very low wage economy and in some ways, would be regarded as backwards. But it's eco-friendly, easy to access and the basic ingredients can be locally sourced, you may even have the farmer as a neighbour so you can buy your cheeses and meat from them direct. I buy my pork, sausages, pate and bacon from a friend's farm, which has been reared for at least twice as long as commercially raised animals and I get the meat within 36/48 hours of slaughter.

I really feel as tho living here allows/enables J and I to really live 'the good life' without having to drive miles to get our organic food, garden material, bio graines etc etc.

Sorry to bang on about it so much but ............

Thanks Tony, but I asked you to 'bang on'! Just makes me more determined to keep going South. We've got as far as Wiltshire from Derbyshire....but still aways to get to SW France - might only make the Perigord!

I live in the Perigord Noir - there are 4 of the Perigord areas and I'm in the walnut bit!