Published at November 27, 2007
in orchards.
Abundance - Grow Sheffield
Abundance is a project to harvest the seasonal glut of local fruit like apples, pear and plums. Each year hundreds of fruit trees go unpicked either because people don’t notice them, may not be physically able to harvest them or there are just too many fruits at one time. Abundance is a team of volunteers who have been helping harvest city fruit and redistributing the surplus to the community on a non-profit basis - to community cafes, nurseries, Surestarts and individuals. Abundance has been distributing free fresh fruit around the streets of central Sheffield and Meadowhall Shopping Centre from the custom designed mobile fruit unit.
Although its late in the season if you have a fruit tree and want help with harvesting please contact us – you will get the first share.
( Probably a bit late now, but worth flagging up for next year )
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Con Traas writes from Dublin:
Just a quick note from the circuit criminal court in Dublin to let you all
know that David Llewellyn has been found not guilty on the charge of evasion of excise duty on cider produced on his farm.
He put up a thorough defence under four hours of cross-examination by the state, and the judge directed the jury to find him not guilty.
An excellent and just verdict for David, and a landmark victory for craft cidermaking in Ireland.
A bit of background to this story can be found on Cider by Rosie
I am presently on trial in the Dublin Circuit Court - the trial started today! - for the “intent to defraud the state of excise duty on cider”. Without going into details, the crux of my defense is that I have been making and selling cider under the understanding that a little-known section of the 1940 cider regulations has exempted me from having a licence and from paying excise duty, by virtue of the fact that I am essentially deriving my living from the land. I see this as a test case for apple growers here, and I am prepared to fight it to the death (or, more realistically, prison!!!).
News story in the Irish Examiner :
A farmer has been acquitted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on charges of evading excise duty on cider he made and sold in farmers’ markets.
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Last Thursday the You and Yours programme on Radio 4 had a discussion
on the small producer’s exemption.
Listen to Rod Marsh from the National Cider Collection in Sussex, Barry
at Borough market and Simon Russell of the NACM.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/items/04/2007_46_thu.shtml
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Recently added to the ukcider wiki Events page , exciting news that the first International Craft Cider Festival organised by the WPCS has now been booked to take place on the dates of 4th - 6th July 2008 at Abergavenny Castle, South Wales. Here’s where I think the venue will be:
photo by Bahi p
A crucial date for the diary for all cider enthusiasts and producers from all over Wales, England, Spain, France and Canada etc.
See you there next summer for the first ever, and at all subsequent International cider festivals as this event grows and grows.
UPDATE:
The First International Cider Festival organised by the Welsh Perry and Cider Society has been cancelled this this year but they hope to put it on in 2009 now.
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Kate O’Farrell of Common Ground told me about their new book, ‘The Apple Source Book Particular uses for diverse apples”
There are lots of recipes but also information and advice on orchards, produce including cider, contacts etc. The Apple Source Book
is available from Amazon at £10.19 and from the Apples and Orchards category page at the ukcider bookshop
The Apple Source Book
by Sue Clifford and Angela King with Philippa Davenport
for Common Ground
Hodder & Stoughton, October 2007 304 pages b&w illustrations
a philosophical and practical guide to
growing apples communally or for yourself
eating them simply or in style
whilst enriching both our culinary and cultural landscapes.
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Common Ground,
Gold Hill House, 21 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8JE UK
+44(0)1747 850820
www.england-in-particular.info - local distinctiveness
www.commonground.org.uk - archive, arts and Apple Day
www.corrugated-iron-club.info - world wide sheds
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