Relaxed Farming - our farm in your classroom

Welcome to Relaxed Farming

Planning our polytunnel In January 2010 we decided that we needed somewhere to grow crops out of the rain, wind and varied weather where we live, high up on Bodmin Moor. Our first task was to decide where the polytunnel should go on our smallholding!! It needed to be near to a water supply, next to the compost heap and away from trees in case their branches fell on it or put the polytunnel in the shade. We also wanted easy access for when we needed to pop down and pick salads or vegetables for our meals... The place we decided on was where one of our original outdoor growing areas had been, near to the barn (where we already had a water supply) and at the top of our paddock, so not too far from the house. We measured out a 23m by 6m plot and trimmed a few branches from the trees in the hedge. Our first task was to position all the spikes: these are 75cm long by 2cm diameter tubes of metal with a spike at one end that goes into the ground and an open tube at the other into which the polytunnel frame uprights are placed. The photo below shows David banging the spikes in, he is using a fence post thumper and NOT hitting the spikes directly as this may have damaged them. Instead he has a metal pole standing in the spike and is hitting that instead. We used a piece of bailer twine stretched tight to act as a guide to ensure the spikes are in a straight line: crucial in order for the frame to all fit together without becoming all bent and wobbly!