Welcome to ‘Rural Voices - Brunch and Brain Food’, our new series of talks served alongside a full English breakfast!

For our inaugural event, we are joined by renowned horticulturalist and author Charles Dowding. Charles has pioneered modern no dig and organic soil management in the UK since the 1980s and is a passionate advocate of the joy of growing your own healthy and delicious food. He is absolutely committed to sharing his research and knowledge and runs popular no-dig growing courses from his own garden near Castle Cary. His ethos is “Grow more, from fewer resources, in less time.”
Charles’ brand new book COMPOST is on sale from 5th September and we are so lucky to be hearing from him on this subject. Including practical guidance and linking composting techniques to his now famous no-dig methods, this will be a fascinating and enriching talk.

“When teaching on courses at Homeacres, I am often struck by how participants’ eyes light up when they approach the compost heaps. There is something about the composting process that touches us in a deep and meaningful way. Invisible qualities of compost bring health and flavour to plants, especially when compost is used in the no dig way, on the surface. This is radically different to the traditional approach of incorporating compost into cultivated soil. No dig increases the ways we can use compost and enables it to bring more food to soil organisms, from which more health to plants. There is much more yet to learn because it's a relatively recent approach, and I believe in ‘myth busting’ so you always learn new things.” Charles Dowding

ABOUT THE ‘RURAL VOICES’ SERIES:
On the first Saturday of the month, you are invited to join us at Horningsham Village Hall where you will be served a delicious cooked breakfast (vegetarian options available) followed by a talk exploring our theme of Rural Creative Communities. We are inviting a range of fascinating speakers including farmers, writers, artists, historians and much more - many of them local - who all share an interest in rural communities and the many varied ways we can find collective strength and resilience.

Please arrive promptly at 9am for breakfast, the talk will begin at 9.45am.

If you need any help with booking please contact cherry@horningshamvillagehall.com