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