Jobs for Autumn

Hello Everyone,

Bob and I hope you are very well.

What a very busy week, harvesting, packing and delivering boxes we had last week. Thank you for your continued support. 

We have had glorious weather over the last few days. Fresh mornings with blue sky and lots of sunshine, then warming slightly as the day went on, till it turned colder and darker at around 4.30pm. Walking around the farm on these days it was very still and quiet with the birds in the hedges making the only noise, chatting and moving from place to place as I disturbed them while walking. As long as I am dressed in warm and dry gear, these days are fab! A pleasure to be outside.

Here on the farm, we are looking pretty much ‘put to bed’ for the Winter. The tunnels are tidy and full of our winter/over wintering produce. Outside beds are now prepped and ready for either a winter sleep and rest (asparagus and one of the three herb beds are now cut back and mulched) or filled with produce for now (e.g. cabbages, kales, broccoli, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes and roots) or covered to be ready for new planting in the Spring. Just a few more beds to attend to.

As the weather has been pretty good the Crew have been able to plant out the Hexhamshire Organics Garlic…we have been waiting for a dry few days! This year we have decided to plant through the black tarpaulin, which we cover the beds with. We are hoping that the ground will stay warm and any unwanted growth will be reduced by blocking the light with the tarpaulin. The garlic has been dropped into the holes, which have been created with a small blow torch, along the length of the covered bed, or should I say beds…3 large beds have been filled with garlic cloves. Should be another bumper crop next year.

The soft fruit areas will be tackled next! All the berries need to be attended to in some way. The rhubarb has been cut back and mulched, next will be the strawberries. Any runners from the strawberries will be secured in the beds. The gooseberries and blueberries will be mulched. The caned fruit will all be cut back and tied onto the wires.  Sounds easy when writing the tasks, however, this will all be tedious and slow work. But, soooo worth it for the fruit next summer.

All the leaves have now dropped from the trees around the Green Field, which is where the polytunnels are. So, this is the time of the year when we like to clean the outside of the tunnels and so creating the opportunity for more light to enter the tunnels. More light will help the crops grow. The only problem is…we like to do it when it is raining! We use old sheets and a cloth mop to wash down the covers with Mother Natures tap of water. So, as much as the glorious weather is gratefully appreciated, when the rain does arrive in the coming days, the big tunnel clean will commence.

These are just a few of the many tasks which need to be completed during this time of the year. The list of jobs will never be totally finished, whose list ever is finished? Each and every week there are ticks on the list. Each week more tasks get added to the list! Ah well, better crack on and add more ticks.

Have a good week,

Ann👩🏻‍🌾