What’s been happening on the fields?

Our first year at Matfen was informative.  We were keen to get started so we got to work planting all the brassicas… the pheasants, badgers, rabbits, hares, deer all thought we had planted for them … none of the brassicas did well.  Later we found soil acidity is 5.9 and far too acidic for brassicas.  However we have had a bumper crop of potatoes – getting on for 2+ tonnes (exact weight to be confirmed) + a tonne of onions and our best ever garlic.  Hurrah!  For the first time ever we are still eating our own potatoes.

Currently at Ovington our crops are at a standstill, even in the polytunnels.  Usually at this time of year we get a spring green crop from our harvested winter cabbages, not this year – and Ian is foxed!  It’s mild and light enough but something is preventing growth.  And we are not the only ones.  We tried buying in cabbages as we thought ours too poor to discover exactly the same – small cabbages.

So what can we look forward to – Ian says there are 6 beds of chard planted at different times in order to stagger harvest -though he is positive all 6 beds will be ready at the same time!