Peppers.

This year we trialled a few new varieties of sweet pepper, all of which we will be growing again next year, along with our trusted old friend the "long red marconi" (none of which have yet turned red this year). All the new peppers we trialled can be found on the real seed catalogue website at www.realseeds.co.uk.

"Amy" Hungarian wax white pepper, the second variety to ripen this year.

"Lipstick" red pepper, now turning red.

"Orange bell" peppers, now turning orange.

"Semaroh" long thin peppers, the first to ripen this year.

"Long red marconi" peppers, still green!

Botallack Country Fair.

Sunday 7th September saw the National Trust's country fair at Botallack Count-House come round again, and as usual we had a stall there selling fresh produce. This year's theme was bees, so it was a good day to sell the honey collected from the Cornish black bees recently introduced to the farm.

Honey and honey-comb from our bees.

Our stall at the country fair.

Red onions, white onions, carrots, radishes, globe artichokes, black winter radishes.

Pick 'n' mix tomatoes.

As well as fresh veg from ourselves and Ballowal Farm, the country fair offered craft stalls, bee-themed activities, pond-dipping, steam engines, tin smelting, vintage tractors and cars, clog dancing, lobster pot making, refreshments, a raffle, charity stalls, green woodworking, metal forging, jams and chutneys etc...

Storing beetroot.

This year we have enjoyed our best ever crop of beetroot, some of which weigh one kilo but are still deliciously tender. We have grown three varieties, a standard red beetroot called Bolivar globe, a yellow beetroot called Golden Detroit, and a pink-and-white striped beetroot called Chioggia. Today we picked half a tonne of the standard beetroot and stored them for winter in a sand-box in one of the outbuildings. This took 900kg of sand at a cost of £30.

200kg of beetroot fresh from the field.

The first layer of beetroot lain on a layer of sand.

Sarah and Sophie adding sand between the layers of beetroot.

Both boxes filled and covered with a rodent-proof frost-proof lid.

Farm Shop.

Our farm shop has been looking amazing this year, thanks to our volunteers and the good growing season, and here are some photos to prove it.

The first globe artichokes we've ever grown!

The shop is open from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive, from 11am to 6pm. Here are some sample prices:-
freshly dug potatoes (three varieties) = £1 per kg
courgettes (various kinds) = £1 per kg
carrots in bunches = £2 per kg
mixed salad bags = £1.50
beetroot (red, striped or golden) = £1 per kg (or £1.25 for golden)
onions (red or standard) = £1.50 per kg
French beans (green or purple) = £5 per kg
aubergines = £2.50 per kg
peppers (various kinds) = £3.50 per kg
radishes = 50p per bunch
rainbow chard = 80p per 200g bag
free-range eggs = £1.50 per half dozen
(All fresh produce is from the farm).

Yann.

Thanks to Yann, from France, for volunteering for one week on the farm, and we hope you are enjoying your new farm in Ireland.

Harvesting onions.

Unlike last year, September's weather is being kind, and we hope it will be possible to dry our onion harvest naturally in the field (last year we had to use a gas burner). We have grown two thirds of an acre of onions, half of them red ("red baron") and half white/brown ("sturon"). Although they did struggle with weeds the year has been a good one and we have the best onions we've ever grown. Yesterday we finished pulling them out of the ground, and they are now lying in rows on freshly-rotavated soil to dry in the sunshine and dry breezes (we hope).

Laying the first line of sturon out to dry.

Freshly picked sturon drying in the sun.

Sarah and Sophie having pulled out all the sturon.

Fingers crossed they dry and store well (no rain forecast for another week!). Many thanks also to Alice, Nikki and Pete for helping pull out all the red baron last Thursday.

Benoit

Ben, from France, left the farm yesterday after 2 weeks volunteering with us, to return to France and study for a masters degree in sustainable building. Thanks for all your help on the farm and in the house, and good luck with your studies.

Ben picking French beans in the polytunnel.