The Croft
- NEW for 2024 -
Saturday sessions once a month
The MAC-CAN Croft is a sustainable and productive permaculture garden space in Whithorn.
Here you can find out a bit more about it and how YOU can get involved!
What's been happening lately?
Here are a few snippets taken from the MAC-CAN Croft group on our social media feed…. and highlights from Croft events.
The majority of entries and photographs are from Gill, who manages The Croft and runs the weekly sessions, with additions from other MAC-CAN Croft volunteers and members who may be named.
For more weekly, regular and up-to-date photos and information you can follow MAC-CAN on Facebook.
You can also check out our events page for any upcoming workshops, open days etc. specifically taking place at The Croft.
18th September 2024
At the Kirkinner Triangle Bee Positive had some help from some of The Crofters removing the raked grass cuttings to be used as mulch in the forest garden at the Croft, and (finally, after all that raking) sowing a meadow mix of seeds, funded by @d&gclimatehub.
21st August 2024
Crofter Glyn lead a workshop on bud grafting, which we did with some of the apple varieties from The Croft as well as some different ones he had brought. New skills learnt for lots of folk and some saplings taken away to new homes, so fingers crossed they work! Lucy
10th July 2024
It was a wellies and waterproofs day on Wednesday- we decided it was perfect for planning. Watch this space: big changes are afoot at the Croft!
12th June 2024
We were very happy to receive a donation of sheep’s fleeces or shoddy for use in the garden at the Croft. We have used it as a mulch on some of the beds and around the trees – to retain moisture and suppress weeds as well as an organic addition to the soil structure as it rots down. It was a fun morning yesterday dealing with all that fluffy loveliness – even though it was tempting to curl up out of the wind to keep warm!
1st May 2024
Busy today, cleaning pond, weeding, planting and sowing. First warm sunny day of the year for us. Spotted a few butterflies and beasties too.
24th April 2024
Things are progressing at the Croft – the Poultry Palace is being transformed with old windows and doors into a Potting Palace. Our first Heugel Bed (‘George’) has been given a topping of compost and planted with small plants and seeds, then covered with old bramble stems to deter the birds from eating the seeds.
13th March 2024
At MAC-CAN Croft this morning, nine very hardy volunteers turned out in the soggy weather to work on hoeing no-dig beds, turning compost, laying paths, creating planting pockets in the forest garden, laying a hedge. Seed sowing and potting bench making also happened. Well done everyone, you’re all superstars!
14th February 2024
A soggy session at the Croft focussed on one area – where we’ve been building and now filling some cold frames (filled with seedlings of pollinator friendly perennials), and also dealing with some apple rootstocks ahead of some apple grafting. It was a misty dreich day but eight hardy volunteers got stuck in lustily!
17th January 2024
Bright sunny day at the Croft coppicing our willow – well done everyone, what a nice way to spend a winter’s day
6th December 2023
More Hugelkultur fun at the MAC-CAN Croft today – we now have two beds
15th November 2023
Today at the Croft we made a start on our Hugel bed, laying seasoned wood down and weaving in old willow rods, topping up with soil. We’ll progress to the other ‘layers’ over the next few weeks. The other photo is from last week when we sowed seeds and took soft fruit cuttings for plants to go in the forest garden.
2nd September 2023
It was a pleasant morning doing ‘jobs’ about the Croft – Jen and Andrew set to sharpening the tools ready for winter, Nicola and Jacqueline sowed wildflower seeds in our wildflower triangle, Chris and Elizabeth with Fiona helped sort our new delivery of Dalefoot wool compost (generously funded by our Wigtown Community Shop grant) and Tilly and I took cuttings from sage and rosemary to bulk up our plant stock in the forest garden. Steve and Lin were busy in the workshop and polytunnel respectively. Good work everyone
16th August 2023
Croft volunteers got an amazing amount done in a short space of time: several blocks moved into place for cold frame construction, apple trees straining under the weight of their harvest propped up with our seasoned willow, five bags of compost harvested from the compost bays, grafted apples given a bit of tlc, and aforementioned compost used to mound plant some more wee apple trees and fruit bushes in the forest garden, oh and blackberries harvested. We earned our break and blether in the sitooterie.
5th July 2023
7th June 2023
Summer is swinging into action at the MAC-CAN Croft, and we’re getting ready for our Open Day on Sunday 18th June (10-3pm). If you’d like to come and say hello, see what we’re up to, do some clothes swapping, learn how to maintain your gardening hand tools, buy some of our plants, swap some of your own produce, or just eat pizza from our pizza oven, it’s all happening that day!
26th April 2023
Photos from our volunteer day at the MAC-CAN Croft today. Sowing, pricking out seedlings, preparing another no-dig bed, and mulching with grass clippings. Good work team, as usual
2nd March 2023
Good to see Crofters busy in different parts of the Croft today
1st February 2023
These fabulous people worked really hard in the drizzle today to make a usable area to progress the project with another compost bay and areas for cold frames and heeling in beds. Thank you Chris, Elizabeth, Nicola, Dru, Miles, Glyn, Steve, and George. And superstar Lin who made a grand start on this season’s seed sowing in the polytunnel.
Yesterday we made a start on laying the hedge along one side of the forest garden. Hedgelaying is an ancient technique that benefits the hedge by stimulating growth lower down and creating thicker growth nearer the base. This in turn benefits wildlife, providing shelter, habitat and food sources. It means we have another element to our forest garden, as the hedge contains native species of trees such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and field maple, in what is a relatively small space. Thanks to Andrew for leading us and providing the lovely sharp billhooks and other traditional hedgelaying tools.
5th January 2023
15th December 2022
We warmed up well at the Croft yesterday, lots of cutting, sorting and generally moving about to get the blood flowing
27th November 2022
Today we had a fun afternoon at the Croft in Whithorn using our own freshly cut willow to build a dome that will leaf and grow into a shelter for human people as well as bird and insect people.
…and afterwards we sat round to warm up with a cuppa and a blether in the barn.
12th October 2022
Today was about planting, produce and visitors – welcome The Unexpected Garden from Stranraer
18th September 2022
Fabulous afternoon at the Croft, celebrating George and Mary’s 150th birthday, as well as all things food and plants.
A big thank you to everyone who came along and shared the celebration, and especially to the fantastic volunteers for both the Croft and the Crop Swap, for making it all happen so swiftly and smoothly.
I returned with celery, runner beans; rhubarb and gooseberry chutney, rosemary and apple jelly, cucumber , dill and onion pickle. And two lovely, full of chi, Cougemarrets. And two cucumbers. And delicious home made cakes and flapjacks from the Mac Can team in exchange for a small donation. And met up with many friendly like minded locals.
Sue
Good times….special memories made….great buncha folks ….old familiars and plenty of new….here’s to much more of the same and many more years for mary and george…..excellent cake
Jacqui
24th August 2022
Another significant day today as we started planting the No-Dig perennial vegetable bed, with some perennial kale, some mint, some Good King Henry and some sorrel. All planted in our own home-made compost. It’s the start of something that will literally grow over the next year or so.
We were observed by a couple of bees enjoying the dandelions…
20th July 2022
6th July 2022
A short slide show from the Croft’s volunteers day trip to Meikle Larbrax cottage garden, made by MAC-CAN member and Croft volunteer Chris
8th June 2022
Pizza oven number one being constructed ahead of the first Open Day at the Croft!
11th May 2022
6th April 2022
Thank you once again to all the amazing volunteers at the Croft, for all the work and progress made over the last two weeks. It was also good to see Anne and Emily there today, and we achieved a bit more towards making the pond more attractive to wildlife, as well as making use of the willow coppiced earlier this year to make a dead hedge.
3rd March 2022
The Croft's Story
The main aim is not primarily food production but learning, building skills and providing hands on experience of this gentle, slow and long-term approach to working with the land in a low-maintenance, low-impact way.
The food we produce is used by our volunteers, with surplus distributed through the Whithorn Community Fridge just up the road at the South Machars Community Centre.
Get Involved
New helpers are always welcome to lend a hand, share their experience and expertise as well as socialise and learn from each other. There’s always time for a brew and a blether too!