Monday 6 February 2017

Harvest Monday and Eve's Hill Veg Co

I'm rather lacking in my own harvest photos this week, but have been mainly using up stored goodies from the freezer....fruit, leafy greens, green beans.
 
I've also started saving cardboard loo roll tubes for sowing sweetcorn and a few runner beans into, as usual (I also direct-sow runner beans into the ground but like to sow a few at home as back-up). The loo rolls are handy to use for long-rooted seedlings, and seedlings that don't like to be disturbed, as they can be planted straight into the soil, gradually breaking down over time (and they're free!). I've brought a trayful of compost inside from the lean-to for it to warm up a bit before sowing tomato, peppers and aubergine seeds in a week or so....I'll then keep the trays of sown-seeds indoors for quite a while to germinate and grow-on, before moving them into the lean-to later after potting on. If you're going to be growing tomatoes outside, it's probably a bit early to be sowing, but mine stay in the lean-to so get extra protection.
 
My one harvest photo is of a black radish (I hadn't heard of them either). The photo doesn't really show the size of it, but they're pretty big. This is one I sliced the bottom off...aaw. Anyway, although I harvested this, I didn't actually grow it...it's from Eve's Hill Veg Co, a not for profit farm I've recently started volunteering for.

The farm has been going for less than a year, but Hannah, who runs it along with a band of volunteers, has done an amazing job of transforming two acres of former arable field into a thriving veggie plot, focussing on regenerating the soil after years of conventional agricultural use. The owners of the main farm (mainly arable and cattle, as far as I'm aware) are really supportive too, which is brilliant.

It was a bit misty the day I took these photos, but you can see some of the lovely winter salads, some beds prepped for later sowing and heaps of different compost piles in the background. It's a 'no dig' system, so there's no treading on the beds, which would compact the soil (I do this on my allotment too). The idea is to protect the soil and build up nutrients, trying not to leave it bare at any time, for example by sowing green manures and adding other natural soil improvers (such as the municipal compost that local councils produce from green waste recycling). The municipal compost is completely sterile, so is good for topping-off the beds (no weed seeds will germinate) and adding organic matter which improves soil structure for holding onto water etc, with the long term aim to increase the biodiversity of life in the soil, on a microscopic level as well as loverly worms etc.....whilst weeding the beds we have been finding quite a lot of worms, and spotting mycelium forming (mushroom roots) which is very encouraging. Hannah also has a supply of donkey and horse manure, as well as two big heaps of compost generated from the site itself.
The paths are lined with cardboard, then topped with woodchip (that a local tree surgeon provides free I think).
In the polytunnel...really good winter salads (no of course I'm not jealous, ahem).

Yummy. About an acre of the site is in active use at the moment (which is amazing when you think it was still a corner of an arable field this time last year), with another acre around the perimeter that's currently being left as a wildlife corridor, whilst the focus is on regenerating the initial acre. Long term plans include tree / hedge planting too I think. I'm sure there's loads more in store for the farm...building soil, building communities, improving the area for wildlife and of course growing delicious organic food. A second polytunnel is in the process of being put up too (of course, I'm still not jealous, ahem.). I'll try and take some more pics next time, there's loads more to see.

 

Thanks for reading this week. I'm linking in with Harvest Monday, hosted again by Dave at Our Happy Acres. Big thanks to Michelle at From Seed to Table, who hosted throughout January.

 

 

6 comments:

  1. It looks wonderful. Do you use manure from the cattle too? I find it amazing that you can fit so much into your time.

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    1. Hi sue, hmmm I'm not sure about the cattle manure...I'll ask.
      At the moment I'm only working about two days a week so have more time for things like this, hurrah.

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  2. It looks like a very sustainable system they have. And I am envious of all those winter greens!

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    1. Hi Dave, I would love a polytunnel, especially for growing winter greens. It's surprising how warm it gets in there on a cold day - much warmer than my glass lean-to.

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  3. All that salad looks lovely, I'd be really interested to see more of that farm, no dig is what I'm trying in my garden too!

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    1. Hi S-H Susie, you've made a great start on your garden :)
      I'll hopefully get some more photos next time I'm there - I was meant to go up today but have got a stomach bug, booo.

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