Tree Hugging

Well it's been a while. I've been away learning about plants. Amazing things plants. Tress are the big fascination so far. My favourite being the Beech tree - followed closely by the oak. The college is an interesting place, relaxed, friendly, earthy. Good bunch of people who have lots of differing reasons for learning.

This week I was on a work placement at Irish Seed Savers Assoc. Amazing place - people doing great things with seeds, in the sordid battle against Monsanto. They grow bio-dynamically which I have to say requires me to make too big a leap of faith. I've never been one for astrology and I have big reservations about Rudolph Steiner, however I enjoyed having a go at some of the magic and in the photo above you can see me filling a cow's horn with cow poop - part of a ritual I didn't really understand.

Testing one's entrenched beliefs is obviously very useful so I have enjoyed listening to Steiner's ideas whilst sitting on my iron clad fence. This weeks sees me return to Wicklow to farm organically without Steiners brand of horticulture, but perhaps with an equal measure of magic.