Early june update

Hello,

Usual veggie reminder, and also to let you know that we have some coriander, spring greens, derby day cabbages, salad leaves, lettuce, fresh garlic, spinach and bean tops available from us and Penpont this week.

We have updated the website to include latest pictures of our adventures in pony drawn hoeing techniques. The food miles comparison data is also now on there.

Weather seems to have taken a slight downturn – we had about 5” of rain up here over the weekend, making it very difficult to get out and do anything in the fields. We have sown some green manure (clover and vetch) but need it to dry up a bit before we can roll/harrow it in. The low temperatures and light levels have also slowed down the growth on some of our plants considerably, but hopefully the weather will improve again.

Updated produce list is also attached – but keep checking the e-mails for new things coming on locally!

All the best
Theresa, Ian, Alan and Jasmine says Hi to all Wwoofers

Me trying out a Saddle Chariot

Good morning

Rhubarb, rocket, salad and chives all available from us/Penpont this week – other than that, please use last week’s list.

We have had a busy week. Lots more planting has been done in the tunnels and gardens – beans, peas, salad crops, spinach, rocket, and beetroot has all be planted out, kale has been potted on, and many of our little native trees have been transplanted from their pots. Both fields are now ready for seed sowing – ploughing, rotavating and bed cultivation has all been done. Seeds will be going in in the next couple of days – carrots, parsnips, swede, beetroot, turnip, perpetual spinach, chard and beans.

Not only that, but we also got the opportunity to try out a Saddle Chariot – see picture below. Great fun – and means we may be able to seriously consider using a pony to work on the land and in the garden, as it can have all sorts of implements attached to it – and comes with a wonderful, quick release safety feature which avoids the dangers of a lose, frightened pony with a heap of metal attached to it. Have a look at our new page on our website for more pictures, and the practical uses of the saddle chariot. http://www.beaconsveggieboxes.co.uk/Saddle%20Chariot.htm

Easter 09

Hello everyone

Hope you all had a lovely Easter, and enjoyed the glorious sunshine that we had. We have had a wwoofer with us, and we have managed to get lots of sowing and bed preparation done, catch up with the weeding and had a generally good tidy up – very productive. This week I am away for part of my university course – so boxes will be handled by Alan and Ian!!

Availability veggie-wise is pretty much the same as last week – but I think the purple sprouting is at an end.

All the best
Theresa

Winter Wonderland

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas – we certainly did, with lots of walking, a bit of gardening, a fair bit of painting and decorating in the house and far too much eating (and the odd glass of wine, of course)! We are loving this weather – the scenery up here has been absolutely amazing, especially when we had the few days of frost frozen on everything – it’s been like living in a huge Christmas card! Only down side has been that all the water has frozen in the barns, so we are carrying an awful lot of water out every day for the animals – but I’d rather that than mud, wind and rain.

We’ve attached an updated produce list – not much changes at this time of year, but I can at least start the New Year looking efficient, even though we all know it won’t last very long! We have Marmalade Oranges available from this week, but unfortunately the frost has well and truly seen off our salad at the moment, so only lettuce available.

All the best
Theresa

New Products Update (slightly delayed)

Following unprecedented anticipated international demand for its products following recent celebrity endorsements. Here and here

Theresa has had to start a strict first come-first served policy on all orders for the new Welsh Wonder Weed.. Currently Alans field in Llangynider holds large supplies of the WWW, but determined action by WWoffers and hosts is seeing stocks diminish and if anticipated Supermarket orders materialise we fear local supplies might be affected.




Photo showing WWoffers and woofer clearing Brasicas to allow increased production of the WWW.


We are hopeful that Castle Street Restaurant and Bridge Café will be running WWW promotions over the upcoming weekend.

In addition to the exciting information above we can also supply from our own fields

Cucumbers
Broccoli
New Potatoes
Fresh Garlic
Lettuces
Spinach
Red Russian Kale
Mange tout
Broad beans
Green beans
Fresh Basil
Fresh Turnips

Regards

Ian and Theresa

Ps,

Celebrity Chefs and Interested customers looking for the next new food fashion need look no further than Couch Grass….contact BVB for wholesale opportunities

Good morning everyone
usual veggie order reminder - but just to confirm our Christmas delivery arrangements if anyone missed (or has mislaid) our note ....

This week deliveries will be going out on Friday and Saturday; St Mary's bakery and the offices and businesses that we deliver to in Brecon and Builth will all be delivered to on Friday afternoon - if you normally get a home delivery on Wednesday afternoon you will receive your box on Friday afternoon also, but it might be slightly later than normal as we will deliver to Builth first to catch the offices, and then do the home deliveries afterwards.

If you normally get a box on Wednesday evening, this week it will be delivered on Friday evening, and any boxes delivered on Thursday will be delivered on Saturday. Don't worry if you are out Christmas shopping, we will find somewhere safe to leave it.
Please note that the deadline for orders this week is Wednesday evening, but we would very much appreciate it if you could get your order by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

IF YOU WISH TO ORDER BREAD WE MUST RECEIVE YOUR ORDER BY TUESDAY AM AT THE LATEST TO GIVE CAROLINE CHANCE TO BAKE IT.

The next veggie box deliveries will be w/c Monday 7th Jan, with orders being delivered on the 9th and 10th (Wednesday and Thursday) as normal. We'll send our usual e-mail out to remind everyone.

We've attached a December produce list incase anyone hasn't received an updated list in their boxes.

Hope this makes sense - if anyone has any queries, or problems with the delivery times please let us know.

Best wishes - and Merry Christmas!
Theresa

Brief October update

Brief update, we have updated ourproduce list for October, we will also put printed copies out in the boxes for those that would like them this week.

There are quite a few new things on including savoy cabbages, red onions, pumpkins and UK Bramley cooking apples. Alan has made some delicious green bean chutney from the last of the bean harvest, and we have decided to stick with lemon cake for another month, as it is by far the most popular!

We hope that you have been enjoying the peppers and aubergines which have been coming from Alan at Pwll Court in the last month or so, and also last week’s broccoli, which was all mine! We are finding that the produce list doesn’t accurately reflect where things are coming from, as our stuff comes and goes so quickly, so the e-mail is turning out to be a really important way of communicating what is in season locally, and what is coming from our farms.

This week I have Chinese leaves available apx 1.50 per head depending on size – excellent for stir-frying – I haven’t put them on the list because they won’t be available for the whole month, but if you would like some just let us know.

Best wishes
Theresa