More Seeding

Hello Everyone,

Bob, myself and our Crew hope you are all very well and happily looking forward to all the significant dates ahead.

The easing of lockdown rules has started with schools reopening, the next date will be in two weeks time with the rule of 6 or two households being able to meet. Hoping that this is the huge step forward we have been waiting for and it is successful. The weekend of the 27th/28th is also very significant as it is the start of British Summer Time. Hoorays all round!

Without stating the blinking obvious, the significance of British Summer Time, to us at HexOrg, is huge. We will have longer days, lighter days, warmer days (fingers crossed) and more growing time during each of these days. We have sown thousands of seeds already, this year – 24,000 so far, with many more thousands to go, thanks Lucy. But, it is by this time in the calendar when we really need the vast majority of our Summer crops sown, propagated and nearly ready for planting out. The rest of the Summer months, we are ‘topping up’ on our seed numbers, ensuring a continuous supply of our Fresh Local Organic vegetables. Picture above is of Greenhouse Two showing just some of the trays of seeds sown so far.

Since the start of the pandemic, the number of customers we now supply has increased dramatically. I would like to think that our approach to growing and supplying organic produce is a huge factor to this growing (pardon the pun!) trend. However, it would seem we are both not alone. The Soil Association have recently produced a report – ‘The Organic Market Report’. They have looked into these current trends and how consumers, you our lovely customers, are buying more and more organic products as a whole. It would seem that the lockdown has seen a huge increase, generally, in home delivery and that the organic market has played its part in this growing trend.

So more people are buying organic. More people are buying on line. More people are buying organic and online with one in four organic products purchased online. This can only be good for the organic producers, that will be us, with a huge benefit for society, that will be you. I would like to think that we are all eating a much healthier diet which is based on seasonal produce which comes from just down the road. Fresh Local Organic.

As a result of this increasing trend in online organic buying, we have had to increase the amount we sow, plant and harvest. The ‘Sowing Schedule’ has not altered in design from last year but has much bigger numbers compared to last year. The ‘Crop Plan’ has altered…..we have bigger numbers of seedlings requiring a much larger growing area which Graham has been working on over the last few weeks (more on this next week).

The ‘Harvesting’ starts earlier in the week due to the increase in lovely customers who want our produce. So, ‘Timing is Key’ (one of Bob’s favourite phrases) to everything we try to achieve. The change to BST really is very significant to us.

Hoping to hear from you before midday Tuesday with your orders for next week.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Journal.

Keep Staying Safe,
Ann👩‍🌾