Autumn survivors

Frosty mornings in October can be a testing time for growing, but we have had a few surprises. Before the frost our latest veg box was made up of quite a wide selection of goodies.

The aubergenes have naturally come to an end, and the tomatoes will soon follow, but we thought that the frosts would reduce our ability to offer berries - but the strawberries are still stunning, producing perfect fruits and still flowering!

 And the raspberries radiant, large crimson berries, plump and juicy

Another surprise has been the purple mangetout, which continues to flower and produce beautiful purple pods, regardless of the freezing overnight temperatures

 

However talking of radiant the Swiss chard is still a major contender

 

 

Lunch today

My word it was cold outside today - so there is nothing better than a selection of hand picked veg and salad to remind you and bring back memories of the warmer summer months.

From homemade pickled gherkins and chilies to baby plum and black Russian tomatoes, red veined sorrel to red batavia leaves and of course added crunch provided from traditional carrots to the exotic Chinese water melon radish - delicious.

Another summer favourite were the tennis ball sized brandy wine tomatoes - can't wait for next year...

Reuse & recycle

Making compost is going to be a huge part of what we do to provide the material we need for our raised beds and growing vegetables via conventional methods.

This time of year cutting back and removing plants that have grown all they can is a common activity. Trimming back the Swiss chard produces a lot of leaf and this needs a home.

Melv has spent the last couple of days making a new compost heap, complete with drop boards, all from recycled materials, and already it has been put to good use.

All our salad leaves...

and watercress are grown in trays and are sold as living plants which are harvested by the customer as needed.

Once harvested by the customers, the trays are returned as cropped trays, with the compost left in.

 

These used trays we then add to the compost heat, wash the trays and fill again...

 

 

 

 

 

This means that our compost goes full cycle, as we reuse all the growing media we use.

Making sure we are fit for purpose

The demand for our salad leaves over the summer put us in to a spin and we needed to draw on Melv's building skills - yet again to make us fit for purpose! We were desperate for somewhere to put our growing salad leaves out of harms way to enable them to mature. Weather and insects were our main enemies - so we needed to prepare a meshed covered area which provided shade.

The first job was to flatten the ground and lay the foundations - Melv put the stone down and we were ready to go...

The frame goes up...

The roof is on, next the sides to keep the insects and weather off.

Melv makes the racking to hold the trays

Once the ends are filled in - we are there, our salad tunnel is complete

Ready to hold 400 salad trays - we're gearing up!

Beyond all our expectations

Our simple desire to grow fresh salad and vegetables for our local community has been unbelievably well received and has certainly exceeded all our expectations.

Our biggest customer is currently the Sheppey Inn, who has a very creative head chef very keen to use local produce and we are now their sole supplier of salads.

All our salads are growing in seed trays so the user can cut the leaves as they need them, this means that they maintain maximum freshness. For the Sheppey Inn we have made a rack covered with shade netting which provides enough protection from the elements and means they can have fresh salad as they want it.

We also supply them with a range of garnishes and vegetables, such as courgettes and flowers, radish and watercress.

 

 

We have been working on growing unusual stuff and red orach, a kind of spinach was a real hit, both with the pub and the locals!

 

 

 

We also supply the local tearooms, Double Gate with once again salad, but also some of their veg for the Sunday roast. Runner beans were most popular, so the beans on our wall of runners were in demand.

 

 

Another favourite with both establishments is Swiss rainbow chard, the bright coloured stems and fresh green leaves look stunning on the plate and taste delicious.

 

 

We are also providing a selection of vegetables for local people and have a couple of guinea pig households who have a weekly veg box.

 

 

 

As well as aspiring to freshness we aim to reduce food miles and where we can our deliveries are by bicycle...

 

 

Or by wheelbarrow...



 

 

This year we feel as though we have dipped our toe in the water and it has been so important as a learning exercise and my we have learnt so much. It has all happened so much quicker then we anticipated and were ever going to be ready for - but that said although exhausting it has been fantastic and we are loving it...

Where do I start...

The last time I blogged was the end of April, why?

Well it has been a whirlwind summer and I am not too sure where to start!!

The salads:

From frilly baby leaf:

 

To unusual lettuce leaves:

 

 

 

To the exotic looking Khol Rabi, growing in netted shrouded tunnels:

 

 

 

 

Those perfect - purple  bulbs:

The size of Melvyn's hand - a beauty!!

 

 

To the more subtle purple cauli?!!:

Fennel:

Khol rabi and auberbine:

 

 

To the exotic Okra:



Chinese water melon radish:

Red veined sorrel:

 

Courgettes and flowers:

 

Fresno chilli peppers

Jalapeno chilli peppers

 

With the salads came watercress, which proved to be most popular:

 

 

Phew...