The Vegan Organic Network

My Granddad still has one of the best gardens I've ever seen and has passed on an obsession: since I was able to walk I've loved helping plants to grow. It is still perhaps the simplest and greatest of joys. The most inspiring and wise people I've ever met have all shared this passion and this year has been just incredible in terms of this. I've decided to write about each person and associated event/s one by one...




















In keeping with permaculture principles, our very own local hero is Graham Cole. Jamie and I had an instant affinity with Graham when we first met him at our local seed swap three years ago: he was vegan and liked to grow veg organically/permaculturally (is that a word?!). Every year we end up talking to him for longer and longer! This year we visited him and his equally lovely partner Diane at their home, where Graham works as a gardener, growing fruit and veg on a HUGE estate. He does all this vegan organically, which is even more amazing considering he works for a Lord and Lady, who in all likeliness (the Class War in me would say) could be right up their pampered arses about such things.

The Vegan Organic Network are the most important progression for an ethical future - and especially for any vegan who buys an organic vegbox. There's not many options for a combination of the two, despite it being obvious as it's the natural way of things anyway. If crop rotation and permaculture principles of dealing with pest problems are applied instead of chemicals, then why oh why do organic and biodynamic farms use manure and the slaughterhouse remains of animals to achieve fertility??? Veganic growing, by contrast, is the most natural and sustainable way. Most vegans already know that a plant based diet, as well as being more ethical, is far more sustainable in terms of land use. Far too much arable land (as well as food and water!) is used to keep animals for meat production. The same amount of land could be used to feed thousands more people, as well as grow green manure.

We visited Graham and Diane's twice this summer and also went to a talk Graham did on Vegan Organics at a local cafe. At each of these events Graham spent a little bit of time speaking about green manures. Green manures are plants that can be introduced as a part of the crop rotation cycle, to improve the soil's structure and fertility naturally. This is as opposed to churning up the growing beds (either by breaking your own back digging or relying on fuel-driven machinery) and upsetting the delicate life forms which have a symbiotic relationship with the soil, causing poor soil health, nutrient deficiencies and the false need to use animal products or byproducts to correct all of this. Mulching and using composted matter are other ways of achieving fertility. But on a large scale, and with recent food crises in mind, green manures are by far the most efficient.

So this year we've experimented with a small patch of green manure, to save bare soil and consequent erosion, in between sowings. We've also made our own fertiliser to Graham's recipe (just nettles and water - this makes a concentrate which you can then dilute. Warning: this can be extremely stinky!) and used it to help our ailing apple trees, which are in pots (and ailing no more I'm glad to say!) The two strawberry plants we bought from Graham in Spring have now multiplied to twelve, through sustained summer-runner-staking, and finally, we eventually got around to joining the VON!!

Thanks to Graham for all the help and advice, food, book loans, the goji plant (I tried all Spring to grow one from seed with bagel luck!) and for sharing his own garden with us, giving us the chance to see all this theory in action.

Graham Cole is a Trustee for the Vegan Organic Network.
Please visit their website, where you will find more information and the latest news, as well as downloadable pdf files on a range of related topics. There is also an online subscription facility (£16 for the year, concessions and family membership options available). Aside from donating to a worthy cause in need of support, you will also then be invited to various VON community events, as well as the lucky recipient of "Growing Green" magazine four times a year, to which you can contribute to yourself!

Btw: the vegan society also has a good page on vegan organic growing here.