John English, Assistant Grower, shares what's happening down at the farm:
"A very gentle transition into autumn – no sign of frost… yet.The winter salads planted in the polytunnel a month ago are already lush: we’re picking a lovely mix of rocket and mustards, and the oriental salad greens Mizuna, Milbuna and Tatsoi, for the boxes.
We’ve started harvesting our leeks. This year’s looks like a great crop with very little damage from voracious leek moth caterpillars.
The final tally on the squash harvest this year was a record 14 tonnes! A big thank-you to our volunteers – we couldn’t have done it without you!
At the end of November we say farewell to our five field trainees. Neill, John, Ahmed, Carl and Anna will have completed their eight-month apprenticeship with us in their first year of the Soil Association’s organic Future Growers scheme.
The UK desperately needs a new generation of smaller-scale farmers supplying local food, and it’s not an easy career to get into. They’ve had on-the-job training and mentoring with us, and quickly became part of the team. We’re sorry to see them go.
It’s been a great example of how the farm’s social remit as a community-owned social enterprise can really transform lives. We’re looking forward to welcoming five new trainees in March!"
