Notes of Forest Garden meeting 26th Jan 2011 at Oakford Road.
 
Present: Alastair, Josef, Jessie, Deborah
 
Alastair reported that the Permaculture Association said our project might qualify as a Land Learning Centre. He's going to apply.
 
Points from last meeting:
JT and JDC have completed the business plan as far as they can without the masterplan and costings etc.
 
Regulations/permissions: planning permission not required if camping for up to 28 days. After that we would have to apply for change of use (which I don’t think we would get at this stage).
 
Pasture to orchard/garden needs no planning permission.
 
Field trips: to visit Wowo camping near Uckfield Thursday 3rd Feb.        Visit Mark’s orchards Wed 9thFeb. and Mark to come to Quad?               Visit to Devon to see Martin Crawford’s Forest Garden. Date?
 
Correction: need for 20% - 30% nitrogen fixing plants over FG area.
 
 
Plans. Josef brought up his doubts about the scale of the maps supplied by Tom. It’s turned out that what Tom thought was 1:1250 was in fact 1:2500. So the maps we have are twice the scale (1:200 and 1:400)
 
High pressure gas pipe line across the field. Not in such an awkward position as we thought. It enters the field (from the east side) 15 m from the gate and follows a line almost parallel to the north boundary. It is 0.8 m deep, ploughing would not be a problem nor would the weight of normal cars. I have been given and leaflet showing advised planting distances.
 
Our next meeting – trip to Wowo camp 3rd Feb. If we have the opportunity we can discuss:
Plant guilds
Rough layout of the various elements of the scheme
Our programme/targets for the next year
 
Useful books:
Gaia’s Garden. Toby Hemenway
Edible Forest Gardens (2 vols). Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmseier