Fencing and Sowing

Hello everyone,

Happy half term to all who are about to enjoy the first school holiday of the year. Here on the farm there are no half terms, it’s a holiday everyday!!! 

The fencing around the outside growing area in the Orchard Field is now complete. It looks great. Unfortunately, it makes the fencing around the Pond Field bed look quite sad. No doubt this will be rectified at some point in the future. Great job Graham.

The greenhouses are beginning to fill with trays of seeds sown. The seeding growing medium we use is made from sheep's wool and bracken which comes from Cumbria. In the past we did use coconut seed compost. However, we are always thinking about efficiencies and ways to help the environment. Using the wool eliminates air miles as it comes from just the other side of the Pennines. Also we are using a more local product which is helping to keep a local farming entrepreneur (and the sheep) in business. 

The ‘Sowing Plan’ is bang up to date. This plan provides the dates by which all the seeds are to be sown by. All seeds to be sown by mid March…salad leaves, lettuces, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, celeriac, calabrese, celery, chives, cauliflowers, kohlrabi, spring onions, spinach…are done. Great job Lucy. 

The broad beans sown over Christmas (as seen in photo) will soon be actually planted out into the polytunnels. We are on our way to the next season…Spring. As I have often said, we are so very lucky to be a country with distinctive seasons. I love the fact that each season provides a different temperature, feel and colour to the environment. That each season provides a change in crops and choice of foods. It’s all about the Fresh Local Organic Seasonal Produce we can grow. I would say that we enjoy eating seasonally and that we enjoy moving through from season to season enjoying the various fruit and vegetables we eat from season to season. I have to admit I am looking forward to the vegetables the new season has to offer. 

Our overwintering crops are now showing signs of good, healthy growth. Once the daylight lasts longer and with a touch of extra heat, growth will speed up. One crop which we are watching really carefully is the asparagus. Last week we counted eight asparagus spear tips popping up through the ground. This weekend we have counted fifteen. As the weather warms, just even one degree, the tunnels will warm then more and more spears will be showing all over the asparagus bed. Can’t wait to sample this delicacy. 

The garlic, shallots and onions are all shooting up green growth. These are all great signs. We can see other good indications of the new season…snowdrops are everywhere and daffodils are on the verge of popping. A feeling of freshness and newness.

We are hoping for a new neighbour as we have a new owl house up on the side of the barn. This is curtesy of our very own Ecologist - Pete. Pete is a good family friend who is employed by a company which determines what an industry is allowed to build depending on the Ecology of the area to be built upon…he saves the birds, insects, waterways, animals and fauna. In a few weeks time he is spending some time here on the farm and will ‘ring’ some birds. The grandchildren and Pete’s children will join in and will get up close and personal with Pete showing the birds to the little ones (and the big ones). Looking forward to seeing which birds we share our farm with.

Lots to look forward to, till next week,

Ann👩‍🌾