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.