Cob build finishes

Our cob roundhouse, which was begun in spring last year, has just been finished this week, in time for its inauguration party to be held on the evening of the summer solstice.

Sharka, Kate and Jo putting the finishing touches to the living roof.

The floor laid and woodburner installed to complete the interior.

We'd like to thank all the local, national and international volunteers who attended the four cob building workshops this year and last - and special thanks go to Jo Forsyth for leading the workshops and the build. You have all created something very special.

Summer produce

The first of our summer produce has begun to trickle in to our farm shop, veg boxes and farmer's market stalls - climbing French beans, tomatoes (mostly Sungold), sweet peppers, aubergines ("long purple"), broad beans, globe artichokes, strawberries, and fresh basil.

Plus we have new potatoes, kale, chard, dried chillies, cucumbers (and crystal lemons), courgettes, thubarb, fresh coriander, oregano, fennel, and other fresh herbs.

Helen

Helen, from the USA, here digging new potatoes (on the left, with Mira on the right), left the farm this morning to continue her wwoofing adventures across the UK. Thank you Helen for your help on the farm over the past three weeks, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.

Veg boxes 24th June

Small (£6) veg box - our own new potatoes, the first broad beans of the season, rainbow chard, rhubarb, herb fennel, and organic courgettes from Crowlas.

Standard (£10) veg box - new potatoes, broad beans, courgettes, rhubarb, herb fennel, red Russian kale, chard, fresh coriander, and a head of wet garlic.

New potatoes

On Wednesday 22nd June we dug up the first of this season's new potatoes, Maris Peer, 3 months after planting them. Our own stored potatoes ran out three weeks ago, and since then we've had one week without potatoes, one week with bought-in new potatoes, and now we have our own in veg boxes and for sale in our shop and farmer's market stalls.

Hand digging the first new potatoes.

 And here are some photos of this year's potato plants in Four Acre field, showing the difference in foliage and flowers between the five varieties we have planted.

Maris Peer potato plants.

Picasso potato plants.

Cara potato plants.

Ambo potato plants.

Sarpo Mira blight tolerant potato plants.

Gilles and Sophie

Gilles and Sophie, from the south of Belgium, also left us last Monday, after two weeks volunteering on the farm. Here they are after having picked the first of this season's strawberries. Good luck up in the Lake District, and we hope you enjoy your next farm.

Veg boxes 17th June

Small (£6) veg box - sugar snap peas, red Russian kale, rhubarb, cucumber, organic courgettes from Crowlas, organic new potatoes (Colleen) from Cockwells.

Standard (£10) veg box - red Russian kale, resh basil, chard, "crystal lemon" cucumber, rhubarb, fresh coriander, organic courgettes from Crowals, organic new potatoes and cauliflower from Cockwells.