Propagation Station

 

Our Propagation Station polytunnel has been neglected all winter, being used mainly as a dumping ground and storage unit. But over the past two weeks we have tidied it out, organised it, repaired the door-frame, got rid of sacks of junk, got the hot-bed up and running (and Milla has sown aubergines, jalapenos, and globe artichokes in it), created two sowing and potting-on stations, and hung all the watering-cans from the ridge-pole. It is now fit and ready for the new season!

We have also sown three trays of mange-tout, always the first thing we sow at the start of January, and they are starting to sprout already.

Ben

 

Ben, who is the furthest right on this photo, helped us out as a volunteer on the farm for several months (please see our earlier post about the first time he left!), and has now moved on to a full-time paid role on a local flower-picking farm. Ben has been a great asset to us this winter, looking after our chickens over Christmas and New Year, and taking on our big veg box delivery round on several Fridays. Because of this we threw him a special tea-party on his last Thursday with us, which is when we got this photo. Many thanks Ben! We wish you all the best in your new job, and hope to see you soon.

Indoor v. outdoor garlic

We usually plant 5kg of garlic to overwinter in our polytunnels, which is ready to harvest in June or July, but this winter we have also planted the same amount outside in a sheltered bed of the market garden, to see how it does there in comparison. So far there's not much to tell between the two...

Outdoor garlic.

Indoor garlic.

Today's veg boxes

 

A wheelbarrow stacked high with Chinese cabbages.

Today's veg boxes are out on the roads in our two vans being delivered all over Penwith. Delivery to your door is £1.50, or you can collect for no delivery charge from our community hubs - here at Bosavern Community Farm outside St. Just, at the Fermentary in Newlyn, St. John's church in St. Ives, or the Redwing Gallery off Bread Street in Penzance.

Small veg box (£7.70) - potatoes, rainbow chard, spring greens, dried lemon verbena for herbal teas, a cauliflower from Cargease Organics, and beetroot from Trenow Organic Market Garden.

Standard veg box (£12) - potatoes, rainbow chard, dried lemon verbena for teas, watercress, mixed salad leaves, a Chinese cabbage, a cauliflower from Cargease Organics, and beetroot from Trenow Organic Market Garden.

Please email vegbox.bcf@bcents.org.uk or phone us on 01736 788454 to join our veg box scheme, or order one box to test.

Recent photos from the farm

Harvesting sprout stalks in the market garden - sprouts are not just for Christmas!

Sunset over Home Field.

Jos and Ben harvesting watercress in Imogen polytunnel as part of "picking and packing Thursday".

Rainbow over the farmyard - we love the skies at this time of year.

Milla packing watercress for veg boxes in the packing shed.

Chris loading one of our vans for his Friday veg box delivery round.

Ben and Ross out by the polytunnels.

Probably the best romanesco broccoli we've ever grown!

Picking and packing Thursday

We have just finished picking and packing our veg boxes for tomorrow's delivery (we will finish the salad tomorrow morning, and add the milk, yoghurt and bread, but all the rest is in) and this week's 75 boxes are all checked and packed away. Many thanks to our small but dedicated team of local volunteers for getting through it all!!