They call this time of year 'the hungary gap', when winter crops are coming to an end and summer crops are not ready to harvest. However, we do have some delicious vegetables available. This week we have been harvesting Spring onions, purple sprouting broccoli, spinach, chard, lettuces, parsley, spring cabbages, radishes and mixed salad leaves. With many seedlings planted out recently, we are sure to have an abundance of produce coming up too. i think there'll be enough broad beans to feed all of Newcastle Emlyn . We now have three flocks of hens, who are laying eggs with great enthusiasm. No need to go hungry!

As well as the salad and eggs, we now have courgettes, spring onions, fresh garlic, radishes, broad beans and kale, and a selection of herbs including basil, dill, and chervil.
The tomatoes are coming on too...

Find our produce at the Carrot cruncher, Riverside health, Riverside cafe, Pachamama bistro and Cartws cafe

We now have free range hens that are organically fed producing class A eggs for sale.
Having gone through the process of getting a producer number and egg packing number, and the correct stamps and labels, we can now sell our eggs to cafes and shops. So far you can sample our eggs at the Riverside Cafe in Newcastle Emlyn, and at Cartws Cafe by Penbryn beach. Other shops that will be selling our eggs in boxes are The Carrot Cruncher in Newcastle Emlyn and  Riverside Health in Adpar, Newcastle Emlyn. I also sell the eggs from my mobile egg shop ( the back of my car) that I open up wherever possible, for example at the school pick up, or on a visit to the beach; its totally random at the moment. 

if you would like me to deliver eggs or salad to you, please let me know. Use our comments box on this website.

Today i delivered our first order of Salad to The Carrot Cruncher. Plenty more to come over the next few weeks, months and years. We have made a humble start. All delicious and healthy, chemical free food.

February...

20.02
The seedlings were watered this evening for the first time since sowing nineteen days ago. In that time there has been a lot of wind and rain and not much sun… One tray fell from the bench during the worst storm!

15.02
Allowed the sheep some yard to stand on should they need it. Hard standing will be good for their feet. I also moved their hay feeder into the grassy area by the propagation polytunnel. It's better that they stand on drier ground as much as possible. The geese share whatever the sheep have nowadays - the grass feeders run together. A few lower branches of the apple trees had been nibbled so there was no option. Soon when the weeds start to appear among the raspberries and garlic I'll put them to work within a poultry net.

It's been a nice day. It didn't rain and this afternoon it was still and quiet. There was even some Spring-like sunshine - hope that there will be happy warm and drier days ahead. These past few months have been a trial. Setting up in so much wind and rain is stressful. Everything is more difficult.

12.02
The rain and wind has been stressful these past few months with more to come. We can't stop the weather from doing whatever its going to do. Just now as the wind was blowing with alarming force I saw out the window roof tin on a barn lifting up. A few more like that and I'll be clearing up a mess. These are testing times for everyone. We don't know what the future is bringing but on stormy days like this it looks bleak! We hope this season of storms passes and there is warmth and sunshine ahead. 

28.01
Yesterday saw the beginning of planting orchard 2 which will number 75 trees. The bedrock is closer than expected in places. A soil depth less than 40cm puts a question over the suitability for planting. Today after a few hours of banging stakes and digging holes in the rain I stopped work with second thoughts. The trees would do better elsewhere... Higher up the field the soil gets deeper - the bedrock is deeper down. Three rows of 25 trees are planned following the hedge that runs up and down the hill north to south. The apple trees will be shaded during the afternoon by several tall Ash and Cherry trees. The Ash however can be pollarded although the Cherries can only be cut back. This will have the effect of bringing in the afternoon sunlight for fruit set and ripening. Planting Hazel, Rowan and Elder down either side of the existing wall and trees will fill in the gaps so creating a more effective wind shelter for the apple trees.

The birds in hen house number 1 have done a great job fertilising the area over which the house is positioned and the immediate surroundings. Tomorrow morning before the birds are let out the house will be pulled into the permaculture field.

05.01
"The aim of permaculture is to produce a system that is ecologically sound and economically profitable…" (bill mollison)

The first few days of the year go rushing by as though there was no tomorow! Beds in the yard have been cleared, manured and mulched with black plastic. Over the next few months the sheeting may be rolled back on raining days to keep the biological work active. When the time is right quickly establishing cover crops can be sown direct before the weeds. Nettles and weeds that do compete with the green manure can be pulled and laid back onto the bed. Being so close to the kichen it makes sense to plant herbs in these beds.

18.11
An old article online read:
Prices up after wettest summer in a century ruined crops

• Increase in prices means people aren't buying fresh produce needed for a healthy diet. Droughts in US and Russia have hit grains pushing up price of animal feed. Fruit and vegetable prices have soared by 50 per cent plus in the past year after the wettest summer in a century devastated crops. A snapshot survey of fresh produce costs reveals some startling increases and supermarkets are warning of more to come. Grain prices are also surging because harvests both in the UK and abroad have been hit which will put up the cost of bread and pasta.

The shift towards small scale local food production being emphasised again.. The way we grow our food isn't working. Soil is being degraded and food is not being produced! Growing crops without damaging the soil is possible if the soil isn't turned and smashed to fine particles destroying much of the biota. A good tilth perhaps but at what cost? No-dig growing methods are so intriguing I am compelled to join with those who have already seen the future. As a species perhaps our priorities have gone astray? Less than 1% of people in the UK work on the land. Bringing good healthy food back to earth is basically a good idea! Disconnection from the Earth is a major cause of ill health. Connected we have a much better life…

23.10
….Early this morning while it was dark and still raining I arranged the Basic Slag delivery for today. The rain was forecast to stop and most of the day would be sunny. Already I feel the ground may be a little soft in places and it would have been better to have done this job several weeks ago. Not knowing what lies ahead, today is a window that can't be missed. Basic Slag will address the problem of acidic soil.

The ram will be in with the ewes within a couple of days. Three ewe-lambs look behind the others and they will be kept aside for special attention. Either they'll pick up and can go in later or they can rejoin the flock once the tup comes out.

Two polytunnels are close to being ready for sheeting! Another is ready for ground tubes. Soon we'll be looking for the best day possible at this time of year. A warm windless day is ideal...

The end of June and a walk around the fields finds them teaming with life. Butterflies hoverflies and bees are busy in the Buttercup patches. Spiders jump away from exploring finger tips on the damp earth. Ladybirds and other beetles can be found roaming about in clumps of flowering nettles. Then suddenly I see a large aerobatic flyer darting about over the gently swaying purple grasses: the Golden-ringed Dragonfly! (Photos of this impressive insect can be found on the British Dragonfly Society website…)

This past week I've been cutting or pulling Docks. Thankfully there aren't too many. These deep rooted weeds bring up nutrients from beneath the topsoil and are a source of magnesium. I like to see a few but they must be cut before they set seed in the fields. Thistles too are topped several times during the summer again to prevent them spreading their seed.

Small clover plants indicate some success with the over-seeding done in March although patience is needed to see the full effects.

·      Exciting and tasty salad?
·      Blueberries and Raspberries?
·      Apple juice?
·      Chicken and Duck Eggs?
·      Cut flowers?
·      Lamb and Goat meat?
·      Craft and Farming workshops?

We look forward to hearing from you...

It's been a great day at the Food Festival in Newcastle Emlyn. We were pleased to see many varied local producers and their tasty produce! As well as a good turn out from the public. Thanks to all those who took and read one of our leaflets, welcome to our website. 

Here are some links to a few of the local producers we liked today...

Wild Boar Burgers from Harmony Herd
Organic Cheese from Caws Cenarth
Organic Milk Drinks from Daioni
Goats Cheese from Cothi Valley Goats
Coffee from Cafe Tuk Tuk
Welsh Honey from Elin Lawri James - elin.honey@hotmail.co.uk

Plus a few more but we forgot to get their details. Thanks for all the possitive encouragement.