Help From The Hedgerows!
By Esther Smith
In “days gone by”, actually only the past fifty years or so, traditional rough sleepers were people who travelled the roads, sometimes picking up casual labour on farms for a small wage, being taken pity on by farmers’ wives, but very often sleeping under the hedgerows in the countryside. Some of us who are old enough (!) may have memories of walking in the countryside and coming across a poorly dressed gentleman, or lady, sleeping under a hedgerow. The image of rough sleepers is rather different now, though no doubt there are still people who sleep rough in the countryside.
The hedgerows and trees provided a little shelter in wet weather for these “people of the road” as they were called, and actually a source of some foods for those who really had nothing and no one.
Caring For Life has been in existence for twenty four and a half years now, and seeks to help those who have fallen through the net of any other support, helping them to find safe housing, (something which is in very short supply nowadays), and to settle into a safe lifestyle, staying in their homes and dealing with their many problems.
All this support costs a good deal, despite the fact that CFL has the wonderful support of a growing number of amazing volunteers. CFL’s Supporting People contracts are coming to an end in the next six months, and CFL has sought to be very creative in seeking to raise its own funds in order to sustain its work on into the future and to support those who are so vulnerable and who so much need our help.
One means of raising funds has been the making of various preserves on site here at Crag House Farm, the home of Caring For Life, for selling in our Farm shop and serving with meals in the Granary. Our Steeped in Tradition preserves are all made via traditional methods, i.e. in small batches, in open pans, and, very often, with extremely ancient recipes!
Interestingly enough, our hedgerows, many of which we have planted during the last ten to fifteen years, are once again providing nurture for those who are homeless and at risk. No, we are not having people sleep under hedgerows! But the wild foods available naturally from the hedgerows and trees at Crag House Farm are providing rich pickings, enabling us to make preserves which involve very few food miles, indeed, zero food miles!
In recent months we picked elderflower blossoms to make Elderflower Bubbles, a sparkling drink, and this sold out very quickly at our Open Day and via Granary sales. The creamy white blossoms were all picked here on the farm and produced a delicately scented drink for our customers. The experiment in making Pink Elderflower Bubbles from another variety of elderflowers, a suggestion by Pete in the Granary, was also a great success.
We also made stocks of Elderflower Jelly and Sweet Elderflower Vinegar, all very seasonal produce.
Our woodland areas contain many wild plums trees and the crops are early this year. Joshua, a young volunteer from Israel is currently busy picking the wild plums in order for us to make Wild Plum Jam and also Green Wild Plum Chutney, which we anticipate being a great success. This was again a suggestion by Pete, our Granary chef, who regularly nibbles on herbs, flowers and fruits around the Farm, and who discovered that the wild plums, although early in ripening and still green, were deliciously sweet and ideal for chutney.
As berries ripen, we will be using blackberries, sloes and rose hips from the hedgerows at Crag House Farm to make further jams and jellies.
The seasons change and our produce is mostly extremely seasonal, also using berries and vegetables we grow here on the farm and only buying in what is absolutely necessary. Supporters also donate berries and other fruit to help us raise income.
It is strange that the hedgerows are once again helping those who are homeless, albeit in a very different way. We do thank God for the beauty of creation, for the seasons and the wild harvest, and we thank Him that some of the bounty He has provided is enabling us to continue to care for those who very much need to know the love of Jesus.
