Tag Archives: environment

Firmly on the side of planet earth đŸŒŽ

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It will be no surprise to our Ulula friends that Ulula is firmly on the side of planet Earth!

For us, our planet is our most precious resource, and to be looked after well our soil needs to be nurtured not poisoned with chemicals – and we have been lucky enough as a family to have always understood this.

We farm biodynamically on Rush Farm where Ulula is based, and we choose brands like Holle and MOGLi because of their enduring commitment to the environment. In recently published trial results, fewer harmful greenhouse gas emmissions were discovered from biodynamic agriculture – 44% compared to 100% with the conventional system!

While it may be true to say that by our very existence we humans are hurting nature and the Earth, we can tread softly, and even where our ‘bit to help’ seems only a little bit, it is still important to strive – and to feel that in our striving we are not alone.

The third ‘State of Nature’ report, released today, is extremely upsetting reading – for us all – both adults and children.

One of the concepts mentioned is called ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ – i.e. each generation accepts the situation in which they live as normal. Once a field has been built on, we forget how it used to look as a field rather than houses. We’ve forgotten or not experienced how our countryside ‘should’ be & tend to think that what we have now is ‘normal’.

Is it time to ask ourselves as adults how our memories of the countryside differ to those of our experiences now? Where is the bird song when we walk through the park? Do you remember when journeys in the car used to be accompanied by the thuds of insects crashing into the windscreen? The age old joke always told – ”what’s the last thing that goes through a bug’s mind when it hits the windscreen?”
. Bad jokes aside, there are far fewer bugs to hit our windscreens nowadays, and as so eloquently put on the Channel4 News last night – “If you pour poison onto the land for 70 years, you’re going to kill everything!”

Our children are aware, children across the world are becoming more aware – they want to make positive changes, and we adults have to be able to hear them and help them to act not just think – by changing our views and the ways we live in our precious world.

Greta Thunberg is an inspiration to our children, and to us as grown-ups too. We used to talk about these issues between ourselves, very rarely finding others who would want to talk on these subjects with us, but thanks to Greta’s courage in the face of her very real fears, this is now an open conversation between family, friends and strangers too.

On the 20th September 2019 there was a Global Climate Strike. Greta Thunberg and the Extinction Rebellion movement coalesced on this day to lead a climate crisis protest. Millions of people marched for urgent action on climate breakdown. There have been many marches before and since – the “Fridays for Future” movement continues to ensure that there is a place and a time for children to take a stand, to not be immobilised by their fears for the future, but to collect their courage and act.

On the 20th, our children’s school agreed to go out on the march together – not just the older students who have used the “Fridays for Future” strikes to demonstrate their positions. This time all students and all teachers took direct action about something that has meaning to them – and discovered through the day a shared intent to do something.

Ulula is a family shop, run by a family, for families. But, as so often in life, we talk from the perspective of the adult, and we talk to other adults. Of course, we ‘should’ because we are adults, and as parents we make the decisions of what to buy and where from. But
 maybe it is time to hear from the children:

Our School’s Global Warming Strike

© Theo Parsons

On 20th September 2019, our school got together to hold a global warming strike in the nearby Mary Stephen’s Park. Other protests also happened on the global warming day. In the afternoon the whole school got together to march down clutching a placard each. When we arrived we sang to Mary Stephen’s Park. Several watchers-by filmed us! After that we scanned the area for litter. Bin bags were filled, and the park got cleaner! We approached the grounds intending to save the planet. Remember, one bottle top could take a turtle’s or any other animal’s life! Once we had spread out across the park, collecting plastic sweet wrappers, yoghurt pots, bottle lids and many other planet ruining items, we returned to the bandstand where we marched round it shouting

‘what do we want?’

‘save our planet!’

‘when do we want it?’

‘NOW!’

We chanted this back to the school hoping the whole town would hear us. My friends are also very passionate to pick up litter and help where we live make a change. Although some people may think we are only kids and won’t make a difference, I saw people videoing us. Just think, that video could get shown to a friend and then more friends. It also might make it onto facebook where lots of people would see it and also make a change.

It felt good to finally get out there and make a dent!

Theo Parsons, Aged 12

; ; ; ; ;

Bees make more than honey; what we can do to protect bees & other pollinators…

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biodynamic-bees

Bees make more than honey – they are key to food production because they pollinate crops. Honeybees, bumblebees, wild bees and insects like butterflies, wasps, and hoverflies are responsible for pollinating at least 35% of the crops we eat, including our favourite fruit and vegetables like apples, pears, onions and carrots, as well as enabling up to 90% of wild plants to thrive. 80% of European wildflowers require insect pollination. Many of them such as foxglove, clovers and vetches rely on bees.

But currently, more and more bees are dying.  There is a 2% decline in insects every year. A world without pollinators would be devastating for food production. Why is this decline happening and how can we help bees and other pollinators to recover?

The trigger for the decline in bees is man

Loss of habitat, urbanisation, intensification of agriculture, insecticides and herbicides, monocultures, parasites, pathogens and climate change all play a part in declining bee and insect pollinator numbers.

Urbanisation means fewer green spaces with bee-friendly plants, which when combined with the intensification of agriculture has led to a loss and fragmentation of valuable habitats for pollinators, such as grasslands, old fields, shrublands, forests, and hedgerows. This is thought to be the major cause of decline in wild pollinator numbers.

Since the 1940’s industrial monocultures have replaced polycultures full of biodiversity. Monoculture farming means that only single varieties of plants are cultivated over large areas, which then all bloom at the same time. This is great for the bees during those flowering times, but during the other months of the year they can struggle to find food.

wild-beeNot all bees are the same. There are over 20,000 known species of bee globally. Around 270 species of bee have been recorded in the UK. Only 1 of these is the famous Honeybee. Wild bees, in contrast to the honeybee and the bumblebee which live in social colonies, are loners and build their nests in tree trunks, snail shells, crevices and holes in the ground. They undertake all work from nest building to brood care themselves. About 30% of the wild bee species find their food only on certain plant species and are in symbiosis with them. This means that plants and wild bees benefit from each other. If these plants are no longer sufficiently available because other plants are more profitable, the bees are unable to feed on their ideal food source and if they then die the plant cannot survive either. As a result, not only the bee dies, but also the plant biodiversity decreases.  Therefore, it is very important that we protect the diversity of plants and thus also the wild bees.

Biodynamic farming uses open-pollinated seed.  This is seed that is renewable, it can be saved by farmers and growers for the next year and used to naturally breed new varieties which helps to ensure diversity

Pesticides are harming bees and other insects, after all that is what they’re designed to do. There has been a rise in pesticide use over recent times, with farming becoming heavily dependent on pesticides. The average field is treated with pesticides 17.4 times a year in the UK.

In Biodynamic agriculture soil preparations containing oak bark are applied to the soil. The tannins contained in it help to repel insects

Parasites like the Varroa mite have been identified as a major cause of bee colony loss. Agro-chemical companies claim that industrial chemical pesticides, including neonicotinoids, play an almost negligible role in bee death. However, studies show that pesticides undermine the immune system of insects, making them more susceptible to disease, parasites and pathogens which in turn significantly weakened honeybees, causing high mortality and high levels of stress. In addition, the use of pesticides contaminates the soil.

In order to fight the mite, only organic acids are used in biodynamic beekeeping

What we can do to protect bees & other pollinators

Bees are a fantastic symbol of nature. That they are in trouble is a sign that our natural environment is not in the good shape it should be. Whilst over 60% of crops such as wheat, millet, rice, potatoes and bananas are wind pollinated or self pollinated, a world without vegetables and fruit would result in diets that would be dull, poorer and less nutritious. Ecological, organic and demeter farming offers a solution for the global pollinators and agriculture crisis. Ecological farming ensures healthy farming and healthy food for today and tomorrow by protecting soil, water and climate and by promoting biodiversity. It does not contaminate the environment with chemical inputs like synthetic chemical pesticides, fertilisers nor genetically engineered organisms. Ecological farming is feasible and already practiced on a large geographic scale within Europe.

MOGLi and Holle advocate organic and organic-plus demeter farming, helping to ensure healthy habitats and food for bees and pollinators, and healthy food for babies, children and adults too.

What we can do as gardeners to help bees

There are things that we can do at home to make our gardens as bee-friendly as possible:

  1. Put away harmful chemical insecticides.
  2. Leave a small area of your garden to go wild or undisturbed in the summer months, so bumblebees can create their nests and other insects are given shelter.
  3. Provide habitat such as a small wood pile in a corner where bugs can nest and feed. Build (or buy) a simple home for solitary bees.
  4. Grow a wide range of plants that flower throughout the year to ensure there are no hunger-gaps. Ivy flowers during the autumn months, a crucial time for bees as they build up their stores for the winter. Spring bulbs will provide an early source of food as will hazel and pussy or goat willow.
  5. Choose bee-friendly plants. Honeybees prefer open, daisy-like flowers such as cosmos, sunflowers and michaelmas daisies, asters etc. Verbena bonariensis is also a favourite. Bees also love herbs such as marjoram, mint, chives, fennel, lavender and thyme and will help pollinate your veg and fruit.

 

mogli.de/ursachen-fuer-das-bienensterben/

sos-bees.org/

friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/why-do-we-need-bees

www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/november/bee-declines-is-banning-pesticides-the-solution.html

www.biodynamic.org.uk/sustainability-corner-bee-positive/

Popsicle Time!

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holle-fruit-popsicles

Here’s a fruity delicious popsicle recipe for you from the Holle Kitchen 💗

Ingredients

Method

Mix the almond paste and greek yoghurt and half fill the popsicle molds. Put pieces of fruit into the molds, add the fruit puree, sprinkle with the junior muesli and freeze for 2 hours.
Simple, delicious and super refreshing for the summer!

Plastic Free Baby Wipes

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plastic-baby-wipes

Did you know that most baby wet wipes, moist toilet tissues, hygiene wipes and cleaning wipes are made with plastic? Wet wipes are super convenient for cleaning mucky, sticky hands, faces and worktops, but how many of us realise that most are not actually made of paper but contain plastic. These plastic resins like polyester or polypropylene will never fully biodegrade and will break into smaller and smaller pieces polluting land, rivers and oceans, and entering wildlife and human food chains.

Short history of wet wipes

Disposable wet wipes were first used in the 1960’s and were detergent saturated tissue paper. The problem with them was that they would fall apart. Manufacturers started incorporating increasingly tougher fibres and structure in the blend and their usefulness and commercial value multiplied. The wet-wipe boom grew in the 1990s when Kimberly-Clark, makers of Huggies nappies and Procter & Gamble who make Pampers, began pushing baby wipes as the new must-have parental convenience.

Eco-friendly wet wipes?

There are wipes available that are made from more natural alternatives and contain no plastic. Natracare’s baby wipes are made from organic cotton cloth, as are the wipes natracare-baby-wipes-with-organic-cottonfrom brand Organyc. Kit and Kin offer sustainable and biodegradable 100% plant-based wipes. None of these eco-friendly wipes however are flushable and should always be disposed of in the bin.

Why shouldn’t we flush wet wipes?

Even when a wet wipe package claims its contents are flushable, biodegradable or compostable, they won’t degrade quickly enough to avoid being a menace down our drains and in our waterways. Wet wipes, moist toilet tissue and hygiene wipes labelled as flushable can still block pipes and increase pollution in our seas and beaches. According to a study conducted last year by Water UK, wet wipes made up an astounding 93% of the material causing blockages in our sewers. The 2017 Great British Clean weekend found an average of 27 wet wipes for every 100 metres of coastline.

Only three things should ever be flushed down the toilet – pee, poo and paper!

Make your own wet wipes

A cheap, easy and eco-friendly alternative to disposable wipes and a gentler option for baby’s precious, delicate skin is to use a muslin, flannel or cotton wool. By just using water you know exactly what is being applied to your little one’s skin. For a newborn or small baby, water and pure cotton wool is all you really need. The dirty cloths can be washed each evening on a hot wash, ready to be used the next day.

When our children were babies we made our own wet wipes, daily if going out and about, by placing a number of organic cotton wool pads in a leakproof container and pouring over warm water and a few drops of organic baby oil (the oil helps to stop the cotton wool dragging and leaves tiny bottoms soft and moisturised). The pads needed to be wet but not too soggy. The container fitted neatlyown-nappy-wipes in the nappy bag, perfect for changing time.

When at home the simple solution was to fill a little pot with warm water and a couple of drops of organic baby oil. Cotton wool pads were dipped in the water and squeezed out as needed (and disposed of in the bin and not down the toilet). We found this to be an easy, much cheaper and more environmentally friendly option then using wet wipes for every nappy change!

We can all do our bit. Wet wipes are a convenience hard to give up, but we can at least make sure we only use the genuinely biodegradable/compostable ones – and absolutely never flush them.

Shop Ulula Baby Wipes

plastic-free-baby-wipes

friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/wet-wipes-keeping-them-out-our-seas-and-sewers

www.wetwipesturnnasty.com/

www.onegreenplanet.org/news/wet-wipes-made-plastic-uk-wants-banned/

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/nappies/

www.thenappylady.co.uk/

Ulula Down on the Farm

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Week beginning 6th May 2019

A calf managed to stray through a gap in the fence this week, and then not remember how to get back
 the moos to it’s mother resulted in the mother cow jumping over the
 not quite the moon, but indeed the gate! A herd really only stay within the boundaries of a field because they choose to, and if they did feel the need to break out, they are more than capable – even our short legged Herefords. Thankfully they don’t feel the need to break out too frequently!!

The weather hasn’t been altogether kind for the long bank holiday weekend – a cold wind meant the children based themselves in the little orchard tree’s, climbing and leaping down – and lambing is all but completed. With only a handful of ewe’s still left in the barn, the rest are now in the field – perhaps wishing they were back in the barn during these cold nights of late!

Back to school has been successfully accomplished after the easter holidays, (spelt bites help ease the pain a lot!) Plus, with only two weeks until half term (thanks to the late easter we suppose), we think we can make it 😉 xx

 

Ulula Down on the Farm

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First there was easter, and then May arrives in fine style!

The glorious sunshine and warmth over the Easter weekend meant that the Easter bunny clearly had to be very careful where the eggs for the hunt were placed – thankfully the shady areas of the garden ensured that most of the chocolate hadn’t melted before it was found!!

As for lambing, the ewes had been finding it all a bit warm, but the lambs have enjoyed their first encounter with the outside world – warmth and sunshine were such lovely weather to arrive to!

 

We knew that the lovely weather was only for a few days, but how wonderful it was, and with school starting again before we knew it, the Ulula team split up so that we could take the children away for a few days while the rest of the team stayed home to pack your parcels 🙂

We found ourselves at Stonehenge – what a wonderful place to visit – and the photo doesn’t share the wind burn we all suffered!!

As well as a trip on the bus, the wonderful views, and seeing Stonehenge for themselves, there was also a great place where the children could interact – including the opportunity to try and pull one of the Sarsen Stones!

Then to the beach… and Storm Hannah, before the sun finally reached us x

Ulula Down on the Farm

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Week beginning 4th March 2019

What a very exciting weekend!!! Not only did Storm Freya try very hard, unsuccessfully thankfully, to blow us all to Kansas City, but Ulula enjoyed a wonderful birthday sandwich weekend too! The youngest of the Farm’s sheepdogs turned 4 on Saturday, we celebrated on Sunday for Ulula’s birthday, and then on Monday it is eldest brother who has a birthday
 It used to be a quiet birthday month for us, but not anymore!!

If I am being completely honest, we were quite glad of the storm winds on Sunday afternoon, as a walk against them helped us recover from the large amounts of birthday cake eaten 😉 What made us a little less jolly was seeing all the early blossom, which last week felt it was safe to bloom, being blown about like confetti – a reminder if we needed one to live in the moment, and so we enjoyed the scent from the plum blossom while the children danced under the falling petals. Beautiful.

Our soil is a heavy clay, which means that if the cows were outside on the fields during the winter the grass would quickly be churned up and turned to mud. The cows are normally let out of the barn around the end of March which is always a wonderful sight. For the younger calves, it will be their first experience of grass under their hooves and blue sky directly above them.

25.2.19

The Cow – Roy Wilkinson
Heavily, wearily, moves the cow
In the peaceful country scene,
Sleepily nodding towards the ground
As she grazes the pastures green.

Her big, bulky mass of a body
Flops on the earth and she seems,
Chewing and chewing and chewing
Lost in her own world of dreams.