Over the next few decades food producers in the UK will have to face a number of important challenges brought on by population increase, changing dietary mores and expectations, peak-oil production, and climate change. Alongside investment in hi-tech solutions, we are already seeing a return to traditional growing and marketing methods less reliant on oil-dependent machinery and chemical fertilizers, bringing with them the added bonus of reducing food miles and re-engaging communities with the growing and consumption of local, fresh and seasonal produce. For future growers, having access to, and understanding, the successes and failures of past horticulturalists will be crucial.
I am currently developing a research programme to explore traditional horticultural practices in the UK as they developed from c. 1850 and across the twentieth century. To this end, I am very keen to learn about any recent or on-going research currently being undertaken by local historians across the country touching upon this question. I am particularly interested in private and small-scale commercial food production. Have you, for instance, been working on gardening diaries and journals which chronicle horticultural activities covering the production of edible food stuffs (vegetables, herbs, fruit etc.)? Have you been working on the archives of market gardening enterprises and/or allotment societies and/or the accounts of head gardeners on large estates? Have you recorded the oral testimony of horticulturalists? If so, I would be delighted to learn more. I would also be interested in any expressions of interest to attend, or to contribute papers/posters to, a conference on 'Local Histories of Horticulture' planned for autumn 2014 at the University of Leicester.
I am particularly interested in the nine facets of the food production cycle enumerated at the end of this email.
Richard
Dr Richard Jones
Centre for English Local History
5 Salisbury Road
LEICESTER
LE1 7QR
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0116 252 2764
http://leicester.academia.edu/RichardJones
'The Home of English Local History': visit www.le.ac.uk/elh/
http://centreforenglishlocalhistory.blogspot.com/
1. How can past practices inform future processes leading to the more efficient creation, storage, and enhancement of humus, including the use of manures and fertilizers?
2. How have horticulturalists used rotations and fallowing to enhance productivity and offer variety in both the range and timing of crops produced from limited acreages?
3. What value have horticulturalists placed on the preservation and use of a wide range of seed varieties, and what impact have seed varieties had on the productivity of small-scale and market gardens?
4. What solutions have horticulturalists found to the issues of plant propagation and transplanting in the past, and how adaptable have these provided for growers working at a variety of scales?
5. What planting techniques have been developed by horticulturalists, how have issues of pest-control and disease been addressed, and what roles have companion planting and the use of pollinator-friendly plants had in developing sustainable growing systems?
6. How have horticulturalists traditionally tackled the challenge of seasonality, in particular glut and dearth, and what role has sequential planting, and the use of different varieties and multi-use spaces played in this task?
7. How have horticulturalists traditionally managed water supplies, and what role has the preparation of soils, choice of crop, and water-saving devices played in the development of water-efficient growing techniques?
8. What lessons can be learnt from traditional horticulture regarding the post-harvest storage of produce and the reduction of waste?
9. How might traditional horticultural practices help to re-establish sustainable field-to-table pathways in the future?
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