Local MP Sheryll Murray was pleased to officially open a new room to allow local people, who keep bees, to help get their goods to market. Sheryll also took the time to take a tour of some of the sites as part of the co-operative with manager Simon Pollard.
Firstly Sheryll met with Simon and visited the Harrowbarrow and Metherell community orchard where she learnt about a number of projects such as apple trees, bee hives and even the ‘pig society’ where livestock is reared. Simon then took Sheryll onto a field where community vegetables are grown. Simon explained how many people in the community got involved and that the areas where also used by schools for educational purposes.
Sheryll then went on to their base in Callington to open the Clean Room. The room will enable beekeeping members of the Co-op to extract their honey in a dedicated environment. The room will have a complete complement of equipment including centrifugal extractor, presses, uncapping knives and storage bins. Significantly it will enable the purity of the honey to be assured. Initial training and supervision will be provided for users. The cost of extraction equipment to individuals can run to several hundred pounds - a major financial obstacle if you are starting out and have only one or two hives and no guarantee of success - members will have use of the Co-op's equipment for a small charge.
Following her visit Sheryll said, “This is a fantastic project that really allows local people to get involved with the food they eat and save money at the same time. This takes parts of this fantastic beautiful area back to the way it was years ago when local people produced from themselves. I remember when, as a small child, I would assist my grandfather harvesting his honey in this area. He ran a small bakery on Calstock quay with my grandmother. I remember it as very messy but great fun.
“It was a real pleasure to open this new resource for local bee keepers. I would like to thank the co-operative for inviting me and wish them the very best in their future endeavours which I will watch with interest.”
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Contact: Sheryll Murray MP 01579 344428
Further info: http://tamargrowlocal.org/
Pictured: Sheryll visits the sites and opens the new Clean Room – with Simon Pollard.