COCA -December Update

The month has been notable for the wet wet wet, creating mud mud mud. The first week was very cold, though no frost on the field at Caerhys, and no snow at all. It stopped the crops in their tracks, but it is so mild here that it is possible to leave crops like parsnips, carrots and beets in the ground all winter rather than lifting and storing.  In the polly tunnels the oriental greens and spinach and chard have carried on growing very slowly, limited mostly by the lack of daylight.

Caz has used this “quiet” time to catch up on tool and equipment repair as well as meeting with other growers for advice and training.

Our harvest days have been beautiful, even if very cold.  And then yesterday we had the final Xmas Harvest when we pick for 2 weeks. Nearly a dozen members turned up to help with the picking and sorting, which was very jolly. Between us we shifted over half a ton of veggies from field to boxes in less than 4 hours!  The tally from COCA itself was impressive : onions, three sorts of carrots (orange, yellow, purple and white), parsnip, beetroot, celeriac, swede, golden turnip, leeks, brussel sprouts, cabbage and salads. That will be quite a Mid-Winter Feast for over 50 households.

Happy and Prosperous and Peaceful 2018 to all.