Spring finally springs?

At last we have some fantastic weather. After what seems like non-stop rain for the whole of last week we had a fantastic sunny weekend and this week too seems to be going well.

Its been enough to finally get the veggies into action with our long suffering tomatoes turning from green to red after hanging around for a few months waiting for some sun to ripen them up.
We have had our first berry crop this week so some may have berries in the boxes others will get them in the next week or two.

We've been enjoying cooking outside mostly and had the best leg of lamb I have ever tasted last night. B slow cooking it on an open fire, spiked with garlic and some of our berries and then dowsed with all manner of lotions (mushroom ketchup, soy sauce, brown sauce) we ate this with fresh new potatoes boiled in a wok(?) and salad from the garden with a home made mustard.
The lamb was the same as went in the boxes last week and had the benefit of a weeks hanging in the chiller as the rest but then we hung it for a further week to really bring out the flavour, it was fantastic.

The puppies are up and about now, they are wanting our constant attention. First to be let out, then to be let back in, then back out. They just can't seem to decide where is more fun! Attacking laces and trouser legs seems to be the order of the day. We have earmarked half with new owners but still have five to go. Do tell your friends...if they don't go soon B will start hatching plans to keep them all, which will destroy my plans for another terrier.

We also managed to get out and do some much needed leafleting in our local areas, we have been neglecting the new business side of things whilst setting up the farm but now things are coming out of the soil rather than just going in all the time, we can concentrate on getting some more lovely customers. We've added a lot more products to the website in the hope that we can help people find the good organic things they need and make it more convenient to get them. Although adding excellent Italian wines was an expensive idea with us drinking to selling at a 6:1 ratio! Check out the site at http://www.gandsorganics.com/ and register with the site to receive event information, offers, news and other nice stuff that may be handy.

We also had a reminder of how obsessed we've become with the box scheme when last night George climbed into a box and started telling us he wanted to be delivered...so if theres any interest......

The family grows

What a month June has been. We've been run off our feet with the various tasks associated with running a food/agricultural business.

We started the month with a good head of steam getting all the paths and paved areas in, ready for our open day. The open day was a great push to get all the unneccessary jobs done that bring the farm together like painting steel containers green, putting nice bark chippings around the polytunnel and hardening off areas, paving round the cold frames and the 'field kitchen'. Steve and Kate spent an afternoon erecting our marquees for Steves organic wine tasting and only to be left a bit deflated when 20 minutes later we were jumping on there bent, unturned frames trying to hold them down in the forthcoming gails!

We have spent a day going through our first vat inspection which went surprisingly well, don't believe the hype when it comes to the inspectors. We found ours very approachable and helpful.
Add to this a environmental health inspection and over a day spent on the phone trying to sort our new herd and flock marks with variuos councils and government agencies and you get an idea of whats been keeping us away from the blog.

The good news has been flooding in from all directions throughout the month, with the slowest soil in Northumberland gradually starting to wake up..we will be harvesting our strawberries, rhubarb and various berries and currants very shortly albeit in very small quantities this year.

Lettuce and salads are doing well, as are the tomatoes despite the polytunnel being completely under water at one end. We have lost a few plants but nothing major. We have lots of flowers coming on the courgettes, squashes and melons promising a healthy crop. We managed to get all the brussell sprout plugs planted along with our romanesco brocolli.

The bad side of all the growth is that the rabbits are now our constant companions but we will start working our way through these when they are nice and fat!

New additions to the family this month have been Mr. Lovage the foal, who is huge but very friendly and surprisingly easy to handle. Treacle finally gave birth to a litter of ten strong, fat puppies. So we are now looking for homes for five lovely chocolate labs and five sleek black labs of both sexes. Do let us know via the website http://www.gandsorganics.com/ if you would like to come and have a look at them. We'll add some pics as soon as they open there eyes and are settled in.

Hugh and fearnley the pussy cats have also taken up residence in B's garden store, and love to venture out when the dogs are running around outside. Although Pip, our jack russell has taken to taking them around in his mouth. I'm sure the cats will get there own back when they get a little older with those nasty claws that cats seem so happy to deploy on interested doggies noses.

The county show, more planting and some other excuses..

Sorry we have been away from the blog for over a week, things are starting to get extremely busy for us.
We had a great day at the county show catching up with customers old and new, even getting chance to watch a bit of the show ring happenings. Its a great event for people to get an insight into farming in Northumberland although it seems a divide is growing between the farmers present and 'punters'. The blame does not lie with any party alone, with the organises needing to appeal to a massive market to keep the show financially viable and this means adding attractions that are more suitable to the mass market. So we end up with more people in the crowd outside the waitrose freebie tent than watching the cattle judging??

As usual it was disappointing to see all the franchise style catering vans selling outstandingly overpriced rubbish, most of them coming from outside the county and some even having the nerve to sell meat that wasn't reared in the UK. As is the norm these days the same farmers who complain about the price they get paid were queuing at the stands with the cheapest burgers or shortest ques not the stands advertising local or British and thereby supporting the intensive, substandard farmers that they would otherwise criticise.

On a lighter note things have been moving on with the vegetable activity, we now have 600 pumpkin plugs planted out and a further 400 seeds in the ground. We have 1000 courgette plugs desperate to get out of the tunnel and into the field and with all the watering they get, we want them out too. B's now up to 20 mins at a time in the tunnel watering, which would have me on my knees. We have carried on with the last of the carrots and peas all but finished.

Looking ahead we have ordered our turkey chicks to get ready for Christmas, we will take delivery of them in July. The brussel sprouts we sowed in the tunnel a few weeks ago are being pricked out into plug trays and will hopefully go into the field in the next few weeks. We are trying to clear space in the tunnel so we end up with space for the cabbage plugs we need to get on with and give the tomatoes, peppers and chillis room to grow.

Away from the farm we have been awaiting the exciting news on a planning decision to allow us to get on with the roads and putting our packing shed up, only to find that the council have rejected the plans and want another full planning application and so we must go up to another 8 weeks before work can commence. We rather naively thought that keeping four people employed, developing a locally biased sustainable business that generates thousands of pounds for the local economy and providing a service to local people that otherwise wouldn't be there would help our application but these things seem to have no bearing on the ever important decision makers that seemingly wish to grind this country to halt. We'll keep you posted with whats happening and may try to set up some sort of online petition to show support of our business.

It was a sad day on Friday due to our beloved Landrover being sold. We had a nice drive up to Edinburgh and handed her over to a great guy who seemed really pleased with her. The train journey home was reflective and quiet as we had planned to keep her till she passed away but we just couldn't justify the horrendous mpg any more without the vast amount of pigs and other stock we used to move around we just didn't use her enough. B's not relishing the thought of another van as the family transport, although I've promised seats for everyone in the next one. The boys never complained about sitting on the spare wheel in the back with the three dogs in the little van but I did feel guilty, and could see the horror on B's face.

Speaking of dogs, treacle the black lab is a few weeks of having her first litter of puppies. She has calmed down a lot lately and tends to spend most of her time sleeping, which though not unusual for Labrador's is very unusual for this particularly sprightly doggy.

The pigs are still disappointed with there new living arrangements and not a day goes by when one doesn't have to be ushered back into the pen we have for them. A bigger battery for the electric fence is added to the ever expanding wish list!

The great escape....

After many escape attempts over the past week, we decided to move our 6 sows.

The past few mornings have been made a little busier due to finding the odd pig raking around the farm, looking in the poly tunnel and going in the sheds! They haven't caused any damage but it is rather unsettling to think of the devastation they could have caused.

Despite having food, water and plenty of straw and hay to sleep/chomp on they seem to have decided that the grass is greener. We thought it might be nice to set up the new paddock down by the little beck that supposedly drains our top field so when they piggies get hot and bothered they can get in the cool wet sludge and roll around to cool off and protect themselves from sunburn.

All these considerate thoughts were contradicted when we went down to check them after the first night in the new place to find that 2 of them had returned to the old paddock crossing electric fence, over the beck and under the old pig netting and barb wire in the process. We moved them back only to find the next morning the 2 had become 4!

We have pushed them all back in the paddock once again and hope the wanderlust dies down sometime soon...

The shopping channel

South charlton pre school, where the boys used to go. Were having a fund raising cookery gadget demo, and I was only to glad to attend.

After quite a productive planting day I rushed to school to pick up the boys. Dashed home made wheat and gluten free chocolate chip cookies and a quickie tea of pasta. Through the boys in the bath and chucked on some clean jeans.
Left the boys in front of a dvd with the baby sitter. (We don't do television normally)
Well with a little make up and some smelly I looked and more to the point, smelt better than usual.

On getting into the landrover I noticed fat tummy was with me and no amount of persuasion would ensure it stayed at home. Then hag hands thought they should also be invited, well if hag hands were going gardeners nails were coming too.
So off we set, fat tummy, hag hands, gardeners nails and me, looking absolutely fabulous darling.

The cookery demo was rather more like the shopping channel, but with no remote.
Some fantastic gadgets that the demonstrator simply couldn't live without, but you would need a kitchen the size of the local swimming pool to display them all to your friends, then cupboards space similar to the tower of London to condemn them to when they go out of favour.
But I have to say, all in all a very enjoyable night out. Thank you little acorns pre school committee.

Sunday steaks

Had another great hot and dry day yesterday. Managed to drive upto the farm steading area for the first time since back in September!

Spent some time arguing with B over bedding plant locations around the shed and summerhouse/kitchen, B's love of people means she would be quite happy having our own 'personal garden' right next to the commercial side of the business leaving me nowhere to hide on open days. I disagreed on locations and took to the summerhouse roof with hammer and nails to make some noise, B took to the firepit and made us a lovely steak and salad lunch. Obviously I agreed she was correct about the locations and got stuck in to the steak.(served on makeshift tin foil plates)

Taking shape

We have had some back breaking days on the farm this week, but really feel we have turned the corner. Lots of jobs to be ticked off the to do list.
Polytunnel sheeted, tomatoes planted amongst other things. Really gearing up to have you all over for the open day on the 15th of June. The summer house, which will be our commercial kitchen, is coming on with only the roof to go on before we can get inside with the shiny stainlees steel stuff. If any of you would like to camp on the Saturday night before the open day please let us know numbers. Facilities are very limited, but that could add to the fun!
Every meal this week has been cooked and eaten out side, great, very limited washing up and tidying up. I think it has also improved our diet. No sticky puddings and loads of salad and raw veggies along with the meat dishes. In fact we have eaten so much meat this week we are both craving a veggie curry for supper. Hot and tasty, a great way of using up the left over vegetables. Like cauli, fennel, red onions, carrots, leeks and potatoes.
The school pick up has held some scary moments these last few weeks, with me appearing “fresh” from the veggie garden. But Tuesday was the funniest day by far. I am normally running late. But Tuesday I appeared at school, much to the heads amusement , on time. Well what I thought was on time, I had forgotten the children were signed up to the schools gardening club 3 till 4 on Tuesday. ( you would have thought they got their fill of gardening.)
“ Oh great mummy, you can help. “ shouted Billy before I could make my escape. “ She’s organic” announced George my youngest, to the rest of the group of 4 to 9 year olds . Who all nodded their heads, staring at me, with rather a knowing look.
“Your 5” I wanted to shout , “you shouldn’t care if “I’m organic”“, but “have you brought me a present! “
Actually we all had rather a nice time gardening together in their raised beds. It will be lovely for all the children to grow and use their own produce.
Perhaps it is the right time for even our round faced babes to understand about organics and even a little about self sufficiency . Look out school I may need to do a take on compost toilets!