Well that was a month of two halves! First it was Welsh wet, wet, wet and then it became Arctic dry, dry, dry.
Our Friday harvests have been lovely, out in the bracing air with the beautiful sweep of the sea and cliffs below, but it has been challenging. Caz has been unable to get onto the land with any machinery yet, so the field is still dotted with crop remnants and disintegrating scarecrows. Brussel Sprout plants lean away from the prevailing winds but still carry delicious nutty sprouts and keep on growing despite the weather. They don’t look pretty, but would you after three months standing out all winter? Beetroot, parsnips, swedes, celeriac and carrots have all been gathered fresh from the field …. but leeks have suffered in the wet and have all now been finished
Caz has begun seed sowing in the under-soil heated propagation area, and already a few thousand seedlings are on their way … though it will be a couple of months til many are planted out in the open field. To help with the coming work we have had the first volunteer WOOFers come to the farm , Theo from Belgium and Eric from UK. As I write they are surviving the unexpected Siberian blast that has hit as February gives way to March. And its not just the volunteers in their cosy caravan who suffer, but the salads in the polytunnel, under agricultural fleece, have freezing root zones. The imbalance with the above-ground conditions in the bright midday sun which warms the air means that the plants are suffering from drought … leaves collapse and wilt until the soil thaws again and the roots can function once more. It is touch-and-go as to whether they can survive (the salads, not the WOOFers!)
So Happy St Davids Day to all … roll on Spring!
