First pitch of the year. I went to an organic smallholding in Dorset at the weekend to attend a short course relating to Permaculture- a topic that will feature in future entries as it has a lot to say about food growing, ecology, sustainability and many connected matters. The teacher -who goes by the name of Aranya- is a particularly gifted communicator of the subject and a bunch of interesting people made the journey to participate.
 I've been visiting the area since I was a child and it's a special part of the world for me. Our lovely host Pat has been farming this plot for nearly 20 years, despite the considerable difficulties she has had to overcome.
 Springs bubble up from the chalk hills of the Bride Valley and feed the streams and rivers that run through the village of Litton Cheney to the meadows beyond on their way to the sea.
 Pat has made use of the old channels and sluices and extended them to water the crops; indeed one area of the smallholding is watered by directing the flow and flooding it.