Fern Verrow Vegetables

The potatoes are planted. Carrots and parsnips sown, and the first of the seedlings are in the fields. This has meant much irrigation in the evenings. Rain is forecast for Sunday, so we are hoping to have a good days worth to help the germination of the drilled seeds. Our soil is behaving very well after being hit with such extremes. A very busy week, rushing to get lots of food in the ground and make the most of the dry and warm. The Hawthorn is in flower and Bees are busy swarming. The rain scheduled for the weekend will be just the job for all the seeds and young plants that we have put into the ground.

For sale at Spa Terminus this Saturday,we have lots of Lettuce, Spinach, Radishes. Delicious over-wintering fresh onions and many beautiful flowers; Lupins, Roses, Foxgloves and plenty of fresh herbs.

Thrilled with the warm weather, at last we have beds made ready for sowing and planting. The warmth has brought out the flowers and the leaves on the trees have filled out to what one might expect at this time of year. Panting ewes and lambs can be found in shady corners of the fields reminding us that shearing time approaches. Ginger pigs are keeping cool and avoiding sunburn by wallowing in damper cool patches that are still to dry out.

We had been worried that we would not be able to come to London this week, but we have organised our planting and we will be at Spa Terminus as usual. Wonderful, perfect radish this week, a few of our own stunning lettuce will be ready too. Spinach  from the greenhouse, and an array of lovely herbs. We will also be bringing some lamb from Model Farm. These lambs were born in February and will have only been fed on mothers milk and pasture. This is how spring lamb should truly be, seasonal and only possible if one dosen’t feed concentrates being ready in  late May early June. The meat is soft and milky, we will have leg and shoulder joints and chops.

Thought that I should share a gradening tip, the warm weather has brought out the greenfly, sadly they are fond of a tender rose bud. A tip that I learnt from a past worker was to spray a solution of mild soapy water, yes we all know that trick, but the thing that really makes a good job of it is to immediately rinse with plenty of water. The soap makes the little bugs loosen their grip on the buds, and the rinsing washes them away… brilliant works every time.

Every growing  season tests our skills as growers and human beings. This year is a doozy! We are pushing ourselves and the farm hard to be able to get some plants into the ground. The rain in April was a blessing as it filled the depleted streams that supply us with the essential water needed… however the cool, still wet days of May have meant that we are very behind with planting. Although our heavy, high altitude soil produces very vigorous and exceptional plants, it does take it’s time to settle down and allow us to work it. We firmly believe that to push and take over with machinery is not ultimately in any ones interest. So we watch the weather closely and work gently with our soil, caring and treating it with respect. We have cleared fields of docks and other persistent weeds, lifted the soil to allow it to air and breathe, all we need now is a little warmth, sunshine and no rain for a fortnight.

The rest of Fern Verrow is looking very tidy, a propagating greenhouse full of plants. The Salad greenhouse is very happy with some lovely temperate crops, many of which for sale this weekend. More bacon and Gammon this Saturday. Next week the first of the proper spring lamb from Model Farm, by this I mean lambs that have been born this year, and have only been fed on their mothers milk and grass. Most spring lamb sold these days are winter born lambs, that are fed on concentrates to bring them up to weight in time for Easter, not really seasonal food at all.

The end of this week has still brought a lot of heavy rain. Our land is sodden, and still no seeds or plants are out in the fields. The forecast is for high pressure, a nice drying breeze, sunshine and raising temperatures… hurrah and hurray! Perhaps now our seeds will germinate and we can get on with planting. The upside of all this rain has meant that everywhere is looking very beautiful, with the lush green growth that makes May so special. Plenty of blossom on the fruit trees and bushes, and now with the promised warmth, the fruit can now begin to grow and ripen. We missed the threat of frost earlier this week, thank goodness, as this would have brought us more worries at such a crucial blossom time. You can’t fight or control the weather, which can be so challenging for us farmers, but we are sure that we will be looked after and all will come good. Each season is such a learning curve, and really tests ones skills as a grower. I think the most important thing is to have faith in nature, work with her and learn from her.

Our young chickens and geese are growing very well, and at last are off the heat lamps and out to pasture. Lambs are getting fat on last seasons cabbage patch, actually I think that for once our lambs are looking better than most of our neighbours sheep, having had much food for Mums and lambs.

Calfie and Titch are still thriving, with Calfie showing signs of being quite a good mother afterall. They too are out on the grass, can’t believe that it was just two weeks ago that we had a potential tragedy on our hands.

This week at Spa Terminus we have some lovely spinach. Very good salad bags, herbs and some plants for your gardens. Sausages and pork this week… roasting legs and belly of pork, tenderloin , cubed shoulder and much more besides.

Oh my goodness what alot of rain we have had. Feeling a little bit worried now, a late season is definitely on the cards. Hey hoe, onwards and upwards. The  good news is that we have had a calf. A bit of a drama though with Mum not taking to her offspring. In the pouring rain we brought  Mum and daughter home and  into a nice cosy dry area. Mum was still not at all interested in raising her baby, and Titch as she is called hadn’t a clue where her food had to come from. The first 48 hours are very important for the calf to get a tummy full of colostrum, the essential first milk to help build her immune system. Meanwhile we are harvesting, very stretched and trying not to fuss over them too much. With some good advice from Jon and a two litre baby bottle we managed to get the calf suckling, with Harry taking over as Mum we managed to get some milk into Titch… the morning brought a little calm and a fresh approach. Our strategy was to have the cow standing still so that we could show young Titch how things were done, so we gave Mum a couple of kilos of potatoes, and whilst she munched  we led the calf to the swollen udders and hey presto she suckled well. To cut a long story short a week later Mum and daughter are united.  It takes these moments for us to realise how fragile and harsh life can be, but with a little perseverance  and faith things do turn around. So let’s hope that warmth and sunshine will come soon so that we may get on with planting.

We do however have some crops from the greenhouse, a little soggy, but tasting good.

We have three streams running through Fern Verrow, all of them are flowing very fast, and we can here the roar of water all around us. This is indeed something we have not seen for quite a while. The leaves are coming on the trees and coming on strong, and the apple and quince blossom  are  just about to burst. When the warmth and sun do return, we will be in a sea of fresh green, our favourite time of year. We are of course very grateful for all the rain that is falling from the sky, however it is seriously cramping our style right now. No planting or sowing in the ground has been able to be done, and time is ticking on. We have managed to keep working outside most of the time, so all the little jobs that don’t get done are being done. The tool shed is tidy, and animals are well tended to. What we are hoping for, is a dry week with temperatures rising. The soil needs a good four or five days of warmth and dryness to be able to work it at all. So what this means for farmers and growers is that we are in a state of limbo. Happy that the much needed rain is falling, but desparately needing a break in the wet weather to be able to get on with planting food in the ground, so that crops have enough time in the ground to grow and come to fruition. Meanwhile we do have some crops for sale lovely cauliflowers, spinach, salad bags and excellent herbs. More flowers including some stunning yellow tulips.Gammon and bacon for sale this week.

And weather for the birth of 21 new chicks, in an assortment of colours, due to some very colourful cockerels running with the hens. Three young goslings discovered yesterday evening sheltering under their mothers, aunts, uncles and daddies wings, a nice big caring and protective family group. Our worries begin now on how to help in keeping the little ones alive and well. Today we put a piece of wood across the entrance of their house to allow the adults to have access outside, but a step too high for the young goslings. Food and water is underneath an upside down orange box to allow the young access only, so far so good!

Much rain and large hailstones have been falling with some good spells of warm sunshine, good weather for the  grass to grow, a big relief to our neighbouring sheep farmers. Herefordshire is at its best at this time of year, with spring in full swing and everywhere looking  new and green.

Sausages and chicken for sale at Spa Terminus this week. Some of our own spinach, perhaps a few new season cauliflowers. Salad bags are good and many herbs on great form. More tulips and other foraged foliage. Try our tisane bunches of herbs including mint, sweet cicely, fennel and lemon balm.