we did get a tiny crop of the plum trees this year but only one apple from 70+ trees was a bad crop even if they had only been planted as three year old trees in the winter.
pleased that mums gone
mums back!
the new pig paddock, loads of space, grass, potatoes and feed should keep them happy over winter
Big daddies in the house (and she's found a potato, and another, and another)After spending most of the day yesterday setting up a new paddock for the pigs it was a bit dissappointing to wake up to noise of Big Daddy snoring outside her previous residence next to her babies. Somehow through the night she has gone through one electric fence, two steel gates and one pig netted stock fence in order to be back with the nine week old piglets that she was so desperate to get away from only hours before. The piglets didn't really notice that she was missing and had been happy to have the extra free space at the feeder for all nine to get in at the same time. We reluctantly let her back in with the youngsters and will have another attempt at weaning her soon.
The other sows and the new boar were all very happy in the new quarters as its a while since they have been in a bigger social group and the fact that we left some of the potatoes in the field for them to dig and munch made the transition a little smoother than usual. They gorged on the tatties so much that I couldn't wake any of them this morning to see how they were settling in.
The shed progress has ceased due to lack of tools and power but will commence as soon as we get some time (and cash) to go generator shopping! Instead we have spent some time making up a small field shelter for the old ewes which we can also use to house lambs overnight before trips to the abattoir hopefully making chasing sheep round the field in heavy rain just a memory. Winnies also getting a similar home built on skids so we can move it round the farm so she can follow the best grass.
Lambs are now all ready and we are looking for some stores that will finish what grass we have before heading into winter.
I collected our 'new' big poly tunnel last week and we're all hugely excited about the possibilities of growing for the boxes right through the year although Beth's developing romantic notions of fig and peach trees the truth will be more like early pots and carrots, spring onions and pak choi, and a good amount of space to give to cucumbers and tomatoes. The tunnel has come from Harry at Cheviot trees as he isn't taking the oldest tunnels when he moves site. I'm pleased to be buying it from a seemingly very patient person as I'm sure a few phone calls will be made during the re assembling stages. It looks like we've just bought a load of bent scaffolding tubes at the moment.
Speaking of veggies I was amazed at the weekend to be awarded quite a few prizes in the vegetable classes of our first village show. It was quite daunting going into the show hall with some fantastic veg laid out on display, some of the entrants obviously take it very seriously rather than just running round on the morning of the show grabbing a few things from the field. This time two years ago we had objections from the village parish council who said we would never be able to grow anything on our land and were not a genuine organic business. Who would have thought that some of those same objectors would have possibly judged our leeks, potatoes, fennel, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, chillies and courgettes to be good enough to get prizes. Some may have even eaten there words as the vegetables were all auctioned off at the end of the day.
Having just ordered garlic, broad beans and onions it will be back to planting shortly. It should put us in good stead for next season and will be the first year we have tried to overwinter any crop. Learning slowly seems to be the way forward, along with the gradual introduction of drainage and another 1200 trees we've just collected from Harry to plant out this week should see us having better years as they roll by.
To celebrate organic fortnight Beth's cooking a three course meal with all the ingredients (exempt the home made ice cream) coming from the farm in the coffee shop this Friday night and we still have a few spaces left if you would like to come and try the best in low carbon, low food miles food do give us a call asap to book places.
The other sows and the new boar were all very happy in the new quarters as its a while since they have been in a bigger social group and the fact that we left some of the potatoes in the field for them to dig and munch made the transition a little smoother than usual. They gorged on the tatties so much that I couldn't wake any of them this morning to see how they were settling in.
The shed progress has ceased due to lack of tools and power but will commence as soon as we get some time (and cash) to go generator shopping! Instead we have spent some time making up a small field shelter for the old ewes which we can also use to house lambs overnight before trips to the abattoir hopefully making chasing sheep round the field in heavy rain just a memory. Winnies also getting a similar home built on skids so we can move it round the farm so she can follow the best grass.
Lambs are now all ready and we are looking for some stores that will finish what grass we have before heading into winter.
I collected our 'new' big poly tunnel last week and we're all hugely excited about the possibilities of growing for the boxes right through the year although Beth's developing romantic notions of fig and peach trees the truth will be more like early pots and carrots, spring onions and pak choi, and a good amount of space to give to cucumbers and tomatoes. The tunnel has come from Harry at Cheviot trees as he isn't taking the oldest tunnels when he moves site. I'm pleased to be buying it from a seemingly very patient person as I'm sure a few phone calls will be made during the re assembling stages. It looks like we've just bought a load of bent scaffolding tubes at the moment.
Speaking of veggies I was amazed at the weekend to be awarded quite a few prizes in the vegetable classes of our first village show. It was quite daunting going into the show hall with some fantastic veg laid out on display, some of the entrants obviously take it very seriously rather than just running round on the morning of the show grabbing a few things from the field. This time two years ago we had objections from the village parish council who said we would never be able to grow anything on our land and were not a genuine organic business. Who would have thought that some of those same objectors would have possibly judged our leeks, potatoes, fennel, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, chillies and courgettes to be good enough to get prizes. Some may have even eaten there words as the vegetables were all auctioned off at the end of the day.
Having just ordered garlic, broad beans and onions it will be back to planting shortly. It should put us in good stead for next season and will be the first year we have tried to overwinter any crop. Learning slowly seems to be the way forward, along with the gradual introduction of drainage and another 1200 trees we've just collected from Harry to plant out this week should see us having better years as they roll by.
To celebrate organic fortnight Beth's cooking a three course meal with all the ingredients (exempt the home made ice cream) coming from the farm in the coffee shop this Friday night and we still have a few spaces left if you would like to come and try the best in low carbon, low food miles food do give us a call asap to book places.
