Sustainability Sunday - Seed Gathering Season 

As the temperature drops & the winds start to pick up we’re starting to see those long summer days turning into autumn & the glorious changing colours that come with it…the farm really does look epic at this time of year! The hedgerows have a large amount of fruit & seed, much to our delight! We’ve been busy harvesting sloe berries around the farm & have been asking our fans to do the same! On Sunday 30^th September, between 11am & 5pm, we want our fans to come to Falls Farm for our annual Sloe Swap (and get the chance to take a look around the distillery!). All you need to do is bring your frozen sloe berry harvest to the farm on the day & we’ll give you some of our fruity Harrington Sloe Gin in return! Find out more information here.

As well as collecting fruits, now is also the time for collecting seeds: whether you’re trying to increase the plants in your garden or helping nature by planting wildflower seeds in the countryside, why not have a look at what plants are providing lots of seed at this time of year? Annual plants (plants that die each year but set seeds and grow again next year) will be setting seed. If you arm yourself with a brown paper bag, you can collect the seeds now and store them ready for sowing next spring!

Wildflowers like field poppy, cornflower, foxgloves & cowslips are great at supplying a large amount of seed. We’ve been planting our own wildflower seeds around the farm as they provide forage for Honeybees, Bumble Bees & Solitary Bees. Did you know we have lost 97% of our flower rich meadows in the last 100 years? To help stop this, every bottle of our Warner's Honeybee Gin comes with a packet of wildflower seeds for our fans to plant and help our epic little pollinators…the plants look beautiful in your garden too! Check out our handy video here for an easy guide to planting your seeds.

Did you know that storing seeds in dark, dry conditions & scattering them in the spring can also help our native plants? This reduces the likelihood of them rotting, being eaten or suffering from frost damage. Seeds can be gathered from trees and shrubs in the form of nuts fruit and berries, so why not have a go at growing a horse chestnut from a conker or oak from acorn? It’s a great thing to get the whole family involved in & watch it grow over the years! Check out more about Seed Gathering Season here.

If you plan to gather some fruits or seeds, remember Gin Fans that you should:

• Always have the landowners permission when foraging
• Wash your hands after foraging
• Never eat anything that you have not 100% identified
• Wash wild foods well
• Don’t pick more than you need; nuts, berries & seeds are important for birds & mammals that hibernate over the winter
• Enjoy being out in the countryside with friends & family & connecting with nature 

 Let us know how you get on & share your pictures with us 😊