Just a few more flowers

Ox-eye daisies (sown by us in the pollinator garden).

Black nightshade.

Cowslips (planted by us in the pollinator garden).

Pineapple weed and dandelion.

The herb and flower garden behind the Mothership polytunnel.

Silverweed and herb robert.

Scarlet pimpernel, buttercup, groundsel, and common field speedwell.

Harvesting garlic

This winter we took a gamble and planted a lot of garlic (two and a half beds) in a polytunnel. That gamble has paid off, and on Saturday we harvested the best crop of garlic we've ever had, about 400 bulbs of good size. They are just finishing drying in the tunnel now, and will be in this week's not-for-profit veg boxes, as well as our farm shop (and will be used by two local restaurants too). We now know how to grow garlic! And what a wonderful crop to have during the annual hungry gap...

Garlic ready for harvest.

Lotte, Pauline, and Jono harvesting the garlic.

About 400 bulbs of garlic laid to dry in the tunnel.

Rebecca

Rebecca, from New England, volunteered on the community farm for two weeks before continuing her European travels last Saturday - many thanks and bon voyage!

Restoring a hay-meadow

In 2013 we  made a mistake and ploughed up our best hay-meadow to grow crops in. After four years of crops we pulled out of the field and left it fallow. Last year an attempt was made to cut the grass as fodder, but the field was too bumpy and ridged from the cropping to allow machinery to carry out the job. So this spring we have given the field a shallow rotovation, and rolled it three times to make it as level as possible. Now we are leaving it to regenerate from it's natural seedbank of grasses and wildflowers, and with some prudent cutting and maintenance we hope it will be back to it's best next year.

Four Acres waiting for a drop of rain.

More flowers

California poppy (planted by us to attract pollinators).

Columbines (planted by us).

Bird's-foot trefoil (wild).

Charlock (wild).

Comfrey (planted by the previous farmers, as a fertiliser).

Common field speedwell.

Corn marigold (sown by us).

Cowslip (planted by us).

Hemlock water dropwort.

Ox-eye daisy (planted by us).

Poached egg plant (sown by us).

Sage.

Shepherd's purse (wild).

Shungiku (edible chrysanthemum, escaped from our salad beds into the hedgerow).

Silverweed (wild).

Thyme (planted by us).

Soft brome in one of the meadows.

Yorkshire fog in one of the meadows.

Sweed rocket (an edible flower planted by us).

Stoat

Not as nice a wildlife photo, this. We found this dead female stoat in the market garden, possibly killed by a fox - see marks on the neck - less than one week after it was seen bounding along one of our field hedgerows.

Kestrel

And this is a kestrel (I think?) seen hovering over the farm whilst we were sowing and liming those swedes.

Aline

This is Aline, from France, adding pelleted limestone to lines of newly-sown swedes in one of the farm's two large-scale crop fields. Many thanks from us all to Aline for helping so much during her recent stay on the farm, organised through WWOOF UK.

Community woodland day

Our Community Woodland, planted in the furthest field several years ago, is in need of some aftercare TLC, so we are holding another woodland day on Wednesday 29th May, 10am till 3pm. Everyone is welcome to come and join in, whatever their experience and ability - you can even drop in for just an hour or two rather than stay for the full 5 hours.
Trees are a vital resource in the battle against enhanced climate change, so please come and help us create a community woodland here in St. Just.

More flowers

Cat's-ear.

Common sorrel.

Cut-leaved cranesbill.

Foxgloves.

French marigolds (tagetes) planted amongst our tomatoes in a polytunnel.

Hogweed.

Corn-salad (lamb's lettuce).

Phacellia sown in our cattle-trough garden on the farmyard.

French breakfast radish flowering in a polytunnel.

Rocket flowers (delicious!).

Tayberry flowers in the fruit-cage.

Tomato flowers in a polytunnel.

Today's veg boxes

Today's small veg box (£6) - rhubarb, cauliflower, potatoes, mixed herbs OR sugar-snap peas, and red Russian kale.

Today's standard veg boxes (£10) - cauliflower, potatoes, mixed herbs, sugar-snap OR mange-tout peas, swede, red Russian kale, chard, and a cucumber.

Pendeen Women's Institute centenary celebrations.

On bank holiday Monday the community farm helped Pendeen W.I. celebrate its centenary by being one of several stalls on the school field in Pendeen for the afternoon.

Congratulations to Pendeen W.I. and many thanks to Andy, Ailsa and Sonja for organising and running out stall on the day.