Butser Ancient Farm

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Mustard Seeds & Fighting Weeds

Life on the farm isn’t always filled with glamorous roundhouses and gladiator fights! Today, residential archaeologist Ryan Watts and volunteer Jordan have been planting crops in the beds outside the Moel y Gerddi house. In January, we hope to sow a scattering of flax seeds, so when they grow we can make the plants into weavable fibres.As the flax can’t be planted until winter, Ryan and Jordan are putting mustard seeds in to keep the weeds away. The mustard plants will then be used to make green mulch to dig back into the soil for natural fertiliser. They’ve also added cow poo from local herds to increase growth! Both the flax and mustard will be unofficially organic, using just natural silage and soil without adding chemicals – that’s the way we like it!IMG_4995IMG_4988