Ma(i)zey Day.

As a small nod to the Mazey Day celebrations in Penzance, we held a themed volunteering session on the farm....

As well as weeding and thinning the four beds of Golden Bantam sweetcorn, we erected bamboo teepees for the runner beans, and wove some willow trellis for the peas.

Sonja weaving willow for the peas to climb up.

Rag-Rugging Workshop.

On Saturday 18th June Bosavern Community Farm hosted a rag-rug making workshop led by Sarah Sejahtera, and attended by a group of regular volunteers and other people involved in the farm. Unfortunately we didn't get any photos of the workshop itself as the day was also spent erecting a chicken fence on another part of the farm (fence nearly all up, but gates need building and the bottom of the wire needs digging in!), but here's some examples of pieces begun on the day.

Thanks to Sarah for running the day.

Events this week.

There are two special events happening on the farm this week. Thursday evening at 6pm sees June's "Wildflower Discovery Walk" head off around the farm, this month focusing on "weeds" of vegetable gardens and farmland. Then on Saturday afternoon from 2 till 4pm, there will be a free "Composting and chicken keeping" workshop, where we get to meet and discuss the chickens, then concoct a batch of hot aerobic compost. Plus our weekly game of rounders in a farm field at 6pm Friday, and that's another busy week down the farm!

Bosavern Community Farm's first two veg-boxes.

As a trial run, today we harvested and packed two veg-boxes for consumption by Deb and Rob (lucky them!), two of the "founders" of Bosavern Community Farm. The idea is to start small and gradually increase the number of boxes available as summer progresses and more crops come into production. The boxes will first be offered to our regular volunteers (limited edition veggies!) before being rolled out to the local population later in the year.

Our first two veg-boxes all ready for collection.

Contents of a veg-box - fresh onions, rainbow chard, radishes, a mixed salad bag, broad beans, and early potatoes.

Max.

Thanks to Max, our latest volunteer from WWOOF, who has spent the past two weeks helping on the farm come rain come shine. He will leave tomorrow to continue his wwoofing tour of the UK, and we wish him all the best on his travels.

Max on a day out to Men-an-tol historic site.

New potatoes.

All that hard work in March is now paying off! For the past four weeks we have been selling delicious organic new potatoes at the farm gate (in the shed which is our shop) at £1.50 per kilo, planted and harvested by hand. At first we were selling Maris Peer potatoes, but now we have moved on to Pentland Javelin.

Earthing up the potatoes back in April, with Genevieve, Sonja and grandchildren.

Harvesting the potatoes last week, with Nigel, Ann and Jean.

Lovely Pentland Javelin early potatoes.

As well as potatoes, today at the gate stall we are selling rainbow chard, eggs, radishes, broad beans, and artist's charcoal.

Elderflower Champagne Recipe.

As made on the farm's "Sunflowers and Sundials" event recently.....

Ingredients.
36 elderflower heads
2 lemons, sliced
6 pints water
1.5 lbs sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method.
1) Pick fragrant creamy flowerheads on a sunny day (some say before midday).
2) Shake any insects off flowerheads. Put flowerheads into a clean bucket with the sliced lemons, pour the water on top, and leave to soak for 24 to 36 hours, stirring occasionally.
3) Strain through muslin and add the sugar and white wine vinegar.
4) Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then pour into clean plastic bottles with screw-top lids (you can use glass bottles, but beware of explosions as this gets very fizzy!).
5) Store in a cool place for 2 weeks. If bottles start to bulge let off a bit of gas and re-screw. Drink within 2 months.
6) Yum!