Happy New Year!

We would like to say a big THANK YOU! To all our lovely customers for their support through 2011, a difficult year for many with uncertain times ahead. One thing's for sure, we all need to eat and what better way to stay healthy and happy than enjoying our fresh, seasonal and organic produce, delivered to your door every week. Here's to a positive and properous 2012.

You can now join us on Facebook if you wish, though we will continue to update this page as normal.

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Sneaky Rabbits

November 2011

Broad beans were sown early this month and are already 6” high. The field cabbages are all picked, including the January kings. Some were so big they had to be cut in half to fit in a box. Last year we were having freezing temperatures, which threatened to hold many of the winter crops back, but this year it’s quite the opposite. Mind you things are still tough enough outside to tempt the rabbits indoors. Despite the presence of people and dogs the array of tender salad leaves is too much to resist. An inspection of the perimeter for holes and gaps has left us baffled, concluding that there must be a ‘great escape’ style tunnel somewhere. With a little more time on our hands we are having a good tidy up so hopefully the mystery will soon be solved.

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Filling up for Fall

October 2011

As the season draws in we need to ensure our glasshouse is being made good use of. While summer is a time of plenty and it's hours in the day we’re often short on, Winter can be the opposite as growth slows and the field becomes an inhospitable terrain. This October has been exceptionally productive due the sunny, warm and dry conditions. This could however all change overnight so a mountain of sowing and planting is being scaled to ensure that, as tender summer crops expire, hardy and vital new winter salads, greens and herbs are poised to replace them. The protected space under glass enables many surprising crops to overwinter including coriander, lettuces, radishes and rainbow chard (the cold makes it’s colours all the more vivid!). All without any heating, just healthy soil, good timing and a little tlc!

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Blight, then Balmy!

September 2011

With a warm damp start, September brought us blight. This fungus-like disease, often called a ‘water mould’ triggered Ireland’s Great Famine in the mid 1800’s where the already malnourished population had their staple crop wiped out year after year. Luckily we have more options these days, however our tomato plants, also a member of the same solanacae family, were dripping with ripening fruit when we noticed the first signs. They have taken quite a hit but with such a variety of crops here, it’s not the end of the world and we have enjoyed using the green tomatoes for chutney and Mexican salsa verde! Those that survived pulled through quite well with the help of an amazing spell of late sunshine that has boosted our autumn leafy crops into overdrive!

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