Joel and Yasmin

Joel and Yasmin returned to the farm for 6 weeks while Andy and Shelley were taking time out, and did a wonderful job both as hosts in the farmhouse and as workers out on the farm. Many many thanks go to them for their second volunteering stay with us, we hope thay have a lovely Christmas, and we look forward to working with them again should the opportunity arise.

Root barrier

Five years ago we planted three lines of willow just beyond Imogen polytunnel to protect all our tunnels from any easterly winds - we farm in a very windy place, but the easterlies are the most destructive and annoying. The willows are all now taller than the tunnel, and do their job well, but have also been sucking water out of Imogen, so that the final three lines of plants really struggle to survive. When I scraped away the top centimetre of compost in those lines it was all a web of willow roots - so our wwoofer Joel, who is a forestry professional, recommended that we dig in a root barrier between the trees and tunnel.

Step 1 - brambles cleared, and nearest line of willow coppiced (whips planted around the chicken field, brash left around the other willow).

Step 2 - 60cm deep trench dug, all roots cut through and sections removed, and 25m of root barrier ready to lay in and backfill.

Many thanks to everyone who helped coppice the willows or dig the trench - Joel, Yasmin, Nick, Rob, Ellen, Sarah, Polly, Matt etc...

Now we will see if the garlic crop planted in Imogen thrives this winter and spring.

Seeds in the farm shop

We have just received a new stock of seed packets from the Seed Cooperative, which are now for sale in the Farm Shop. The seeds are all open-pollinated and organic, and make ideal stocking fillers or Christmas presents.

Rainbow

 

Last week's rainbow over the farm, as seen from our shop doorway.

Woodland weeding every Sunday.

As part of the Penwith Tree Planters group volunteers have been weeding the trees in the community woodland every Sunday afternoon.

New farmhouse guttering

Four years after the old iron guttering fell off the farmhouse front and side, we have managed to save enough money and find the time to arrange a local builder to replace it....and tomorrow he'll be back to fit a waterbutt. Another little thing that makes us happy.

Ellen and Sarah

Ellen and Sarah, two German girls who have been WWOOFing around England, will be leaving tomorrow morning to head back home for Christmas, having helped us on the farm for 12 days. Many thanks to them and we hope they have a lovely Christmas with their families.

Planting new willow whips around the chicken field on Tuesday morning.

Today's veg boxes

Today's 93 veg boxes contained (unless requested otherwise):-

Small £7 box = Carolus potatoes, a Chinese cabbage, purple-top turnips, beetroot, carrots, and a cauliflower.

Standard £11 box = all the above, plus dried lemon verbena for herbal tea, chard, kale, and black winter radishes.

Socially-distanced packing - with Matt, Nick, Nikki, Sarah and Ellen.

Purple-topped turnips picked for boxes.

Dawn over the polytunnels this morning, as we went to finish the picking.

The first 50 of over 90 Chinese cabbages picked from the Sausage.

We're already planning the Christmas boxes on 23rd December - sprouts, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, seasonal herbs.....yum!

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped harvest, pack and deliver veg boxes this week - Chris, Polly, Ellen, Sarah, Nick, Nikki, Matt, Ben, Yasmin, Joel and Ailsa.

Some of the things we'll miss this Christmas...

Yuletide Fair in St. Just sports hall...

Pendeen Silver Band playing carols at the farm...

Christmas Feast for volunteers in the packing shed...

Packing Christmas hampers...

St. Just Christmas market on Festive Friday, along with the walking nativity and Christmas lights turn on...

Christmas tree festival in the Miners' Chapel...

Sharing Christmas dinner with a group of international volunteers...

Festive opening

Our farm shop will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Sunday 27th, and Monday 28th, reopening at 10am on Tuesday 29th December. We will then close again for another three days over the New Year period (1st, 2nd and 3rd January), reopening on Monday 4th at 10am. 

Daily shop times are 10am till 5pm Monday to Saturday, 10am till 2pm Sundays.

We will be offering plenty of seasonal veg, including sprout stalks and parsnips, as well as gifts and stocking fillers (most of them edible!).

Our veg boxes will be delivered on Wednesday 23rd and 30th December, rather than the two Fridays, returning to normal on Friday 8th January.

There will be no Christmas Hampers on offer this year, but anything in our shop is available to add to your veg box, please let us know in good time.

Phoebe

Phoebe, from Dartmoor, came and WWOOFed on the farm for six weeks, leaving last Friday to head home for Christmas. We all miss you Phoebe and hope you'll come back soon! Have a great Christmas!!

Tomorrow's veg boxes

Many thanks to Polly for this lovely new artwork on our Community Noticeboard in the packing shed.

Tomorrow's not-for-profit veg boxes will contain:-

small £7 box = Carolus potatoes, local organic carrots, local organic leeks, mixed fresh herbs, a rocoto chilli, kale leaves, and beetroot.

standard £11 box = Carolus potatoes, local organic carrots, local organic leeks, a rocoto chilli, kale leaves, beetroot, a portion of squash, mixed salad leaves, komatsuna leaves (a.k.a. Chinese spinach), and rainbow chard.

Yasmin bagging mixed fresh herbs in the packing shed.

This week we'd especially like to thank all our volunteers who helped to harvest and pack tomorrow's 97 veg boxes, as it was a really horrible wet and cold day to spend outside picking veg or collecting eggs, so lots of thanks to Yasmin, Joel, Phoebe, Sarah, Ellen, Ben, Ailsa, Caroline, Nick and Matt.