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The latest issue of Home Farmer...
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Hot off the press, the July Home Farmer is hot as the chillies in Elizabeth McCorquodale's fiery food article. With spices, plums, unusual veg, propagating softwood cuttings and all our regular 'on the plot' and 'under plastic' features, plus poultry housing, red mite, preventing bees from swarming, an alternative take on First World War food, fabulous features on bread and ice cream, and cooking up your own 'Bounty' bars in the kitchen. Special projects this month include reupholstering a chair and a new series called simply 'Fixing stuff', featuring common things such as repairing a vacuum cleaner, hanging a door and darning and sewing on patches. And it's all ready to go, so we hope you enjoy it and try out many of our ideas.
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Win a pair of Dr. Martens work boots...
I recently got a pair of Dr. Martens Forge ST boots, a new range for the garden, the factory and the workshed, and they come with lashings of style. They're comfortable (they were devised to help their inventor cope with a broken foot), and undeniably strong - sheets of leather triple-sewn together to cocoon a home farmer's feet. We have joined up with Dr. Martens to offer a pair of Forge ST boots for a lucky male reader, and a pair of similar Izzy ST boots for a lucky female. Just tell us which range of Dr. Martens footwear the Forge ST boots belong to - the answer can be found at www.drmartens.com. Email your answers to ruth@homefarmer.co.uk no later than the 5th of June with the heading 'Dr. Martens Competition'. Forge ST boots come in sizes 6-13 and Izzy ST in sizes 3-9, but tell us your chosen size (and colour) when we let you know you have won. Good luck everyone!
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Win James Wong's book, Homegrown Revolution...
In Homegrown Revolution, James Wong reveals lesser-known but often familiar fruit and veg, much of which is far more suited to growing in the UK than their often better known counterparts. Tomatoes are a classic example, being more suited to Mexico than Manchester, or take the kiwi fruit - there is a smaller version, considerably sweeter with no furry outer section, so you can eat it whole. It is even hardy down to -25 degrees Celsius too. There are many such gems in the book, and most are available from Suttons at www.suttons.co.uk, so they won't be hard to find. We have five copies of Homegrown Revolution to give away; to enter simply email ruth@homefarmer.co.uk no later than the 5th of June with the heading 'James Wong Competition' together with your details, and get your very own Homegrown Revolution started!
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The Home Farmer resource...
www.homefarmer.co.uk is becoming quite an extensive and wide-reaching resource for anyone seeking solutions to familiar problems, step-by-step 'how-to' instructions, recipes, news snippets, information and videos, and it's still growing and growing all the time as we add lots more new features and items of topical interest. Here is just a brief cross-section of some of the things you will find at www.homefarmer.co.uk.
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'Best before' dates to disappear...
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Discussions to end the use of ‘Best before’ labels on foods such as hard cheese, pasta, rice, jams, pickles and coffee are underway as part of a European Commission plan to reduce the 100 million tons of food thrown out each year across the Continent. Most foods are required to show such information, but the Commission is considering amending the rules with regard to foods that can be stored for a considerable period. About 15 per cent of all food waste is believed to be caused by such information on food packaging, and the Commission believes people should make an informed decision as to whether a product is safe to eat. The ‘Best before’ date has always been more a quality gauge than a safety warning, but there is confusion between ‘Best before’ and ‘Use by’ dates. Even vinegar, both a foodstuff and a renowned preservative, was only recently exempted from these rules. As yet the British government does not support the proposal, arguing that the link between waste and such labels requires more research.
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GMO Myths and Truths...
A new report compiled by some of the UK's top genetic engineers has poured scorn on the belief that genetically mofified crops can ever hope to feed the world, and raises concerns about safety too. To read more click here.
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Smallholders Show, Ardingly, 2014...
The Smallholders’ Show takes place at the South of England Showground at Ardingly in West Sussex on 5th and 6th July 2014. Home Farmer will be at the event, which has always been a great mix of family entertainment and smallholder essentials, with talks and demonstrations, advice from local smallholder groups, a wide range of smallholder and gardening accessories, local food, music and a full programme of entertainment. To learn more visit www.smallholdershows.co.uk, or telephone Alison on 07714 102381. We look forward to seeing you there.
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