Garden Farming Courses

Establishing a productive garden:
Have you considered a few productive animals in your garden?  Why not keep chickens, bees and pigs; live a self-sufficient lifestyle, feeding your family and friends in a sustainable way.

There is a feeling of worthiness in producing your own food.  We cannot claim that keeping a few hens in your garden or rearing your own pigs is the single answer to all the environmental and economic problems of today, but the more we do with our own land the less we depend on the big corporate suppliers with high carbon footprints.

Importance of Garden Farming:
Many of our Parents and Grandparents lived a more self-sufficient and eco way and many of us can remember Grandad being sent out into the garden to collect eggs (maybe stopping to check his homemade wine on the way!) or Nan swapping homemade preserves with family and friends.

We are learning more and more about the environmental consequences of producing food (both vegetables and meat) in an intensive way whilst still eating too much meat and throwing too much food and packaging away.  Most gardens have space for a few chickens and their eggs are such a wholesome and versatile food.  A little meat; for example a gammon joint (coated in your own honey) can be enjoyed with family as a joint and made to last many meals after that.  When you have produced your own food you are far less likely to treat it in a wasteful way and we strongly believe at Mantel Farm that no matter what diet you follow, the key is to produce what you can or buy local, appreciating the quality of what you eat – then both your health and the planet will benefit.

Join us on our Garden Farming Courses:
Our Garden Farming Courses offer a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and confidence in keeping a few productive animals in your garden for your own produce and for the pleasure they bring. You will learn new skills in a friendly, relaxed environment.  Courses are held in small groups, making use of our indoor and outdoor training areas, in and around our converted poultry barn.