5th of November

Hello Everyone, 

We say Happy Birthday, Happy Christmas, Happy Valentines but not Happy Bonfire Night…not a good ring to it! But we do celebrate the date…Remember Remember the Fifth of November. 

So, Halloween last weekend and Guy Fawkes this weekend…it is full on Autumn!

The colours of the festivals seem to match the seasonal colours of Autumn. The trees, this week are looking golden and bronzed with reds and oranges and yellows. Just like the fireworks and pumpkins. It is good to end the seasons with the warmth of the colours before the black and white of the coming Winter.

Talking of colours…eating your greens is just fine but red seems to be the colour of the season in your veg boxes. Red onions, red cabbage and red beetroot all give an Autumnal tone to meals.

As the weather has been pretty wet this week, the polytunnels became the destination. The crew, keeping dry inside the tunnels, have been through all of them from one to ten and ensured that beds are clean and tidy. They are all looking pretty lush with the new leaves of the orientals and mustards for the coming weeks, (some of these leaves being redish). The spinach and rocket are slowly filling out in lovely shades of green.  

The leaves falling from the trees are landing around and on the polytunnels. Once the trees are empty we will clean the polytunnels from any leaves, grime and algae from the covering. This will help to maintain the covering for another year and allow more light to enter the tunnels over the coming months when little daylight is available. The leaves of the plants may grow slightly quicker with the increased light.

The garlic still has not been planted into the Pond Field. The ground is ready, the cloves are ready but the weather has been soooo bad that we are waiting another week. Fingers crossed next week will improve and the garlic can be placed into the ground.

Talking to the farmers around Hexhamshire and the consensus is that they can not remember such a wet year. One neighbour has had his house flooded, not because he is near a river but that the water has had no where to go so seeped up into his house. The ditches are full to the brim and overflowing. The water has nowhere to go but down the lane and around the houses. There are many new lakes and ponds around these here parts! Where does all the water come from?

So, on this Bonfire Night, take great care with the fires and the waters.

ps. Hope you like reading my weekly farm update, this update is the 350th I have written! Very proud that I have never missed writing a weekly update for seven years.

Ann👩‍🌾