If I was a duck in the desert, I'd probably think things are great. As it is, watching all this year's hard work being swallowed up by relentless rain and flooding has reduced our farm to a self-pitying bunch of whingers, desperate to put a good face on things and be positive- but a quick walk round a farm with small yellow crops, big weeds and large puddles , rapidly dispels any fantasies. Note the yellow digger in the foreground of the picture- the only piece of farm machinery that has constantly been at work over the last few weeks.
Prior to last Friday, I calculated that 50,000 tons of water had fallen on our farm in the last 2 weeks- a crazy figure! I have now stopped calculating....
Anyhow, I'm just trying to soften you up and make you sorry for us, when I once again apologise for broccoli that goes yellow, repetitive boxes, and more old season potatoes. Please feel free to complain- you are entitled to expect good quality produce, regardless; however, it is definitely not up to our usual standard. Broad beans, spring onions, courgettes, more cabbages and beetroot- we are getting a bit overfamiliar with all these now!
I like to scout supermarkets and check out the competition; last week when Marks&Spencer only had Spanish broccoli I was unbearably smug. This week tales of air -freighted broccoli from USA- Europe hasn't got enough- at extraordinary prices , by packers under fixed-price contracts to the BIG retailers, created a frisson of satisfaction; however, I don't want to be a sour puss!
Three months of non-stop wet weather has washed away nutrients, soil structure, and crops:even the wild marsh samphire, a local delicacy that grows on the dunes up the coast, hasn't cropped.
ALL those jokes about webbed-feet in Lincolnshire may finally come true....
4 comments:
Well it's raining again! I just wondered if we could know what you were planting so we could look forward to what ever is round the corner so to speak. I just feel a bit desparate for green veg other than spinach and would love some beans. This isn't a criticism you do a wonderful job I just wondered what was next!
cherrilyn
Cherrilyn, I know what you mean! We are hoping to have some Romanesco caulis next week- the beautiful green citadel ones- celery is bulking up, there are even some savoy and red cabbages(that sounds a bit wintery even if rather appetising..)
Apart from the very successful broad beans,other types have been a bit of a disaster. We have one late planting of French beans which I am pinning my hopes on- but we need warm, dry weather and after just one week, torrential rain and cold winds have me back in jeans and pullover, shouting at the "man in the sky" to STOP IT- RIGHT NOW! Actually, the sun is shining today, so maybe we should all indulge in a bit of weather rage...
As for current planting, a frenzied 2 weeks spree has caught up the majority of winter crops, but its more of the c- word, I'm afraid. We are still planting lettuce and fennel, have some cute little rocket plants and pak choi waiting to go in, and more salad leaves for succession later on.
So things are getting better, but the recovery of crops from flooding has lost more valuable growing time; the tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are at least providing some seasonal interest! And I admit to resorting to my father-in-law for a feed of runner beans!
Let's demand an Indian Summer-we're worth it!!
Thanks frockie, it's good to know what's going in makes you feel you have more of a connection with what comes in the box.....love the news letters too. Can't wait for the French beans had a few that were grown locally.
What a picture my veg box was today beautiful green cauli, with rich orange squashes and gorgeous red tomatoes....too beauiful to eat. But then I had this problem with the white aubergine didn't want to spoil it by cooking it!...did though in the end. Feel things have cheered up in the veg line just wish the sun would stay
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