Butterflies and other insects are making a bee line for a coastal market garden overlooking a quiet cove near Marazion
September 2020: Rabbits are not keen on chard – which is just as well, as it is one of the crops growing in a new market garden in a spectacular setting above Trenow Cove, between Marazion and Perranuthoe. The three-quarter acre plot, where camomile, borage and marigolds flourish alongside carrots, courgettes and French beans, has attracted not just the local bunny population, but also butterflies, bees and slow worms.
“We have all manner of creatures here,” says Mark Charlton, who manages the garden. “The presence of flowers among vegetables is a thing of beauty, and insects love them.” The flowers and herbs have also been chosen for their usefulness to humans: nearly all of them are edible. “I’ve always been interested in the relationship between people and plants, and more broadly, how we can live in a simpler way.”
Mark studied for an MSc in ethnobotany, and gained practical experience through the organisation World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). When he was offered the opportunity to set up a market garden, it was, he says, a dream come true – but also a challenge. “The field had been used for growing cauliflower and potatoes for 25 years, and the soil was dead. I had to use fertiliser before I could plant anything. I now make compost tea – nettle and comfrey — which we feed to the plants. The more you look after the soil, and feed it, the better produce you get.”
The garden is certified as ‘organic in conversion’ by the Soil Association, and Mark uses a ‘no-dig’ system. “Some people say turning the soil is almost as bad as using pesticides, as you’re destroying what you don’t know is there. I just rake the compost into the soil, and then plant.”
The market garden is part of the wider Trenow Fields project, which is taking shape on a 20-acre site rented from the National Trust. Farm manager Philip Kadner explains: “Our main aims are to grow herbs for the wellbeing and cosmetic market, and also grain and pulses –such as lentil and buckwheat – for drying. This first year, it’s all about finding what plants will thrive here.
“This used to be a smallholding for a family who had lived here for many generations. It would have had everything the family needed, including grain crops to make bread. That’s why having a market garden here fits in beautifully. But we need to make it financially possible, in the world we live in now. You can’t barter with the village blacksmith anymore.”
When Mark took on the market garden, the plan was to focus on selling to high-end restaurants. “What we’re doing is considered niche, so it attracts a high price. We can’t afford to supply farm shops. But I came here just before lockdown, and restaurants were closed, and although they have re-opened, they have less capacity than before. I don’t want things rotting in the fields, so we’ve been working with charities which help feed local, low-income families. We can’t just sell to hipster restaurants – we want to feed communities as well as tourists. I now want to find funding – maybe from the National Lottery – so that we can do that.”
Mark’s other plans include experimenting with perennial plants, such as asparagus, strawberries and fruit and nut trees, and erecting a windbreak. “The wind can get realty bad here – but there are other days when it’s quiet, and in the silence, you can only hear the sea, which is so beautiful.”
Produce from Trenow Fields is available from the Helston Food Hub – https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/helston-local-food-hub/shop
Mark is interested in hearing from potential volunteers with horticultural skills – call 07519 175327.