Organic College Open Day Celebrates 15 years of Growing
Last Sunday June 11th saw a record attendance at the Organic College, Dromcollogher, Co. Limerick.
From early afternoon whole families from around the country came, interested in all aspects of Organic Growing, Farming and Food.
The town which had the first Co-operative Creamery in these Islands also had the vision some fifteen years ago to purchase land for Development of Organic Gardens, Social Housing and a Day Care Centre.
Community Gardens
These Gardens became the start of the Organic College and now include a Vegetable Garden formal Herb Garden, Fruit Area, Poly Tunnel and Tree Nursery.
Tours of the Gardens were led by College teacher Dr. Sinead Neiland, who outlined a variety of Organic Growing techniques from using raised beds, to compost making, fertility building, plant propagation and rotation of vegetable families. Of particular interest was the Community Herb Garden, which contains over sixty different herbs and is laid out to show culinary as well as medicinal herbs.
The College Gardens
Around the main College premises the tours well led by Diploma Students and Graduates of the College. The College premises which became available some three years ago are being adapted for the needs of an Adult Learning Centre. They now feature studentâs recreation rooms, library and a modern Information Technology Room and Craft Rooms.
The grounds of the College featured specimen native trees and the student enterprise acre which included field scale vegetables, a poultry unit, bee hives, heritage potatoes, a tree nursery and orchard.
Of particular interest was the Heritage Apple Tree âAppletown Wonderâ found by college students in 1998 near Feoghanagh. This tree was identified as a rare heritage dessert variety and is now registered as âAppletown Wonderâ called after the townland where it is found.
Stock from the trees is now available commercially for orchard planting through the Irish Seed Savers Association in Scariff, Co. Clare.
Tree planting Ceremony.
The Days events concluded with a tree planting ceremony in memory of the Outstanding Agricultural Journalist and Organic Activist David Storey who died on January last.
Staff, students, friends of David and the College were joined for this Ceremony by Davids wife Karin and his son Aonghus as well as by Master Grower Caít Curran.
A mountain ash tree, raised at the college was planted on the front lawn close to Appletown Wonder.
As the group celebrated the vision, the craft, courage, commitment and fun of a lost friend, three small children watered and firmed in the young tree and the evening sun cast a strong warm shadow.