Fern Verrow Vegetables

Freezing rain is falling making surfaces rather slippery underfoot. The snow forecasted last night didn’t come, so we are thankful, and hope once the ground has thawed that we will be able to harvest a few vegetables.

We will of course be at the Arch tomorrow with as much as we can bring. The chickens are laying well, so we have quite a few eggs to sell this week. We have plenty of potatoes and squash. Some spring greens and cavalo nero. Again a wonderful selection of citrus, please note that sevilles are coming to an end, as are the bergamot lemons.A fresh batch of bacon and gammon joints also for sale this Saturday. Don’t forget that we are not down in London again until the 3rd march.

February is here, for us the last winter month, and the ground is frozen two inches deep. Beautiful clear sunny days, the morning and evening skies full of pearl like shades of pink and blue. The first real cold spell we have had all winter. Always in two minds about it of course. We love the quality that the frosts bring to our soil. However freezing temperatures can, if too prolonged, damage the plants. Painful memories of last years “big freeze” creeping into our minds. Any picking for this week has had to take place in the afternoon, to allow the warmth of the early afternoon sun to revive the drooping heads of the cold plants briefly before the temperature begins to fall again at about 3pm. How do plants survive the cold I ask myself, whilst I am layered up in thermals, and woolen jumpers, at least three pairs of socks, a thin layer first , thick wool the next and a top coat of looped cotton socks on top, and a pair of neoprene lined boots. Looking rather square and large, with a small head above my wide shoulders and a wooly hat to make myself look more ridiculous!

Yes, how do these cold-blooded plants survive over the winter, standing naked in exposed areas? I am no botanist, but from my observations and experience I see that they are very clever and resourceful. With the lower than usual amount of moisture in the soil, and that the frost is not deeply into the ground, the brain and life source of the plant (its roots) are not frozen or damaged. The heads and leaves of the plants are drooping and hanging low in a state of semi dormancy. I know that these plants have a natural source of lets call it anti freeze, and that they are protecting themselves so that the moisture in the leaves and stems does not freeze and kill off any life in the plant. Often the tips of the leaves and any new growth can get burnt by the cold. So although picking has been tricky and in some cases impossible this week, with the thaw forecasted next week, all should be well and the plants will be perky and upright again.

We are at the Arch on Saturday with a selection of Fern Verrow Winter produce, and two varieties of blood orange, lots of other beautiful citrus too.  We have made a new bergamot lemon and lime marmalade to try, and also some preserved bergamot lemons. Sausages this week also, and Bacon next.

Just to let you know in advance that we will not be at the Arch on Saturday 18th February and Saturday 25th February. We are unable to leave the farm for two weeks, but we shall be back as usual on Saturday 3rd March.

In his unusual and extremely readable autobiography, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections”, the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung describes his encounter with the Native American cheif of the Taos pueblos in New Mexico in 1932.

“I was able to talk with him as I have rarely been able to talk with a European,” Jung recalls. “To be sure, he was caught up in his world just as much as a European is in his, but what a world it was! In talk with a European, one is constantly running up on the sand bars of things long known but never understood; with this Indian, the vessel floated freely on deep alien seas. At the same time, one never knows which is more enjoyable: catching sight of new shores, or discovering new approaches to age old knowledge that has been almost forgotten.”

Chief Ochwiay Biano (which means Mountain Lake) must have sensed a kindred spirit in the Swiss Doctor, because he was devastatingly candid with him, saying:

“See how cruel the whites look, their lips are thin, their noses sharp, their faces furrowed and distorted by folds. Their eyes have a staring expression; they are always seeking something. What are they seeking? The whites always want something. They are always uneasy and restless. We do not know what they want. We do not understand them. We think that they are all mad.”

When Jung asks why he thinks they are all mad, Mountain Lake replies,” They say they think with their heads.”

“Why of course,” says Jung, ” what do you think with?”

“We think here,” replies  Cheif Mountain Lake, indicating his Heart.

After this exchange Jung fell into a deep meditation. The Chief had struck a vulnerable spot. Jung saw image upon image of cruelties wreaked by his forebears:  “the Roman Eagle on the North Sea and the White Nile, the keenly incised features of Julius Ceaser, Scipio Africanus, and Pompey. . . Charlemagne’s most glorious forces conversions of the heathen. . . the pillaging, murdering bands of the Crusading armies. . .the peoples of the Pacific islands decimated by firewater, syphilis and scarlet fever carried in the clothes the missionaries forced on them.”

Chief Mountain Lake had shown Jung the other face of his own civilisation: it was ” the face of a bird of prey seeking with cruel intentness for distant quarry. . .”

What makes this dialogue reported by Jung so relevant, is that it is a living encounter between a representative of the unconscious ” heart-thinking” of the ancients and a modern man of science and pioneer of consciousness who understood that the wisdom of the heart must catch up with our overdeveloped ” thinking heads” if we are to survive. We must marry our thinking with our doing. We have to preserve the gold in the age-old “knowledge of the heart” and keep making it ever more conscious if we are to protect our growing human possibilities from the keen-featured bird-of-prey mentality that circles above. We must develop a new consciousness of the Heart.

We will be at 55 Stanworth st on Saturday as usual, with a good selection of our winter vegetables , and a  few ” bought in” from southern Euorope which shines out: blood oranges from Sicily, Seville oranges from Southern Spain, Bergamot lemons from Morocco.  A feast for the eyes and for your tastebuds and general wellbeing in the depths of winter.

Any of the produce that has not be grown at Fern Verrow, is from small producers and is grown biodynamically or organically and we believe grown with the above in mind.

Sorry for the lateness of this weeks post… just to say we are at the Arch as usual with plenty of produce. Purple Sprouting, some brocoli, perfect cauliflower and a good selection of green leaves. Lots of potatoes, squash and roots. Another batch of this years citrus from Italy… sweet, very juicy oranges and bergamot lemons from Morocco. Also this week the first batch of marmalde. A very bright four fruit using pink grapefruit, bergamot lemons , lime and seville. Another that is deep in colour and texture, caramled seville.

Will try and have a more interesting post next week

We are back at the arch this Saturday. We will be bringing a great selection of vegetables, partly thanks to the spring like weather we seem to have had most of this winter so far. The old favourites such as leeks, kale and roots are all abundant and in great condition. Purple sprouting and cauliflowers are showing six weeks early, so these too are for sale this week. What extraordinary weather we are having; if one didn’t know the date and amount of daylight hours, you would think that spring was upon us. Snowdrops, daffodils and tulips all poking their first growth through, usually at least eight weeks apart. Birds are singing as if it were spring. It has just been Harry and Jane since Christmas and we are enjoying getting on with things quietly. Pruning fruit trees and bushes is off to a good start, and general planning for this coming season.

Very happy to say that we are able to bring the first of new season citrus this week, pink grapefruit, oranges… including blood oranges, not quite at vampire stage yet, but sweet and good. Bergamot lemons too make their first appearance and the first of the Seville. Watch out for marmalade in the next few weeks.

See you on Saturday

We hope that everyone had a very nice Christmas. We have decided not to return to the arch this weekend, but we will be back as usual on 14th January.See you then.

We will after all be at the arch tomorrow Christmas eve from 8-12 we still have plenty of vegetables left and even a couple of Christmas birds.

The marathon sprout picking begins… luckily the snow has melted.

We will be at the arch this Thursday 12 noon -6pm and Friday 8.30-3 pm Please note that we will not be selling on 24th.  Everything you need for your Christmas lunch we hope. The best sprouts we have ever produced, hardly need any cooking. Loads of parsnips and carrots, squash and of course potatoes.

We will have a few birds available to those who have not ordered them. Lots of bacon too, both smoked and unsmoked.

We will be taking a short break, and are likely to be returnng to the Arch on Saturday 7th January 2012.

Proper wintery weather has at last arrived, not  much frost yet, but sleety showers and a brisk chilly wind. Areas of the farm are properly muddy and will remain so until the spring. The grass is no longer emerald green, but dark, sage green in colour with yellow hues! So the sheep and cows are munching their way very happily  through the warm sunshine scented hay. Moooving Curly the cow and her calf into the barn today, where they will stay until early spring, when the grass starts to grow again.

Much on offer at the Arch this weekend. Chicken and duck, Christmas hams and bacon on the meat front. Potatoes, cabbages, beetroot and kales. A great selection of squashes with such beautiful colours it hurts your eyes. We have scoured the farm for holly (lots of berries) ivy and mistletoe, so we will look very festive, these will of course be for sale.

 Bought in produce will include some lovely oranges and lemons, walnuts and chestnuts. Many of you will be pleased to hear that we have made a batch of four fruit marmalade, very zingy, a great favourite of ours on toast of course, and a kipper to go with it, sounds horrid I know, but it is delicious, but I do love a kipper!

Please remember that we will be at the arch again next Thursday and Friday. 12-6 on Thursday and 8.30-3 on Friday. We will  not be there on Saturday 24th.  We still have a few geese, turkey and duck available so please let us know if you would like one. We will be returning in the New Year on 7th January.

On Sunday morning  we made our last trip to the abattoir for this year, with three beautiful pigs to provide bacon and gammon for Christmas. The sausages from these pigs will be for sale this Saturday at the Arch. Today we are off to Michaelchurch Court to clear their drive of all the fallen oak leaves from the picturesque avenue of very old oak trees that run up the drive to the house. Such a marker for the year, although quite a workout, we are very grateful to be able to have the leaves as mulch for plants in a couple of years time once composted. A vegetable and chicken broth awaits our return at lunchtime. Manure heaps have been covered for the winter to prevent any leaching of goodness. Todays gales have tested the sheets and all seems well. All compost heaps have been turned and had the biodynamic preparations applied. Good night, and a peaceful winter to all these wonderful earthy, organic life giving components which  contribute so much to our growing. How precious this matter is to us, and how modest it appears, but how powerful it is,  bringing life to our vegetables and our wellbeing.

A reminder that we will be at the Arch on 17th as usual, and we will also be trading on Thursday 22nd from 12-6 and on Friday 23rd 9-3. Weather permitting we hope to have a very good supply of vegetables for your Christmas lunch on both these days. Lots of sprouts, potatoes,red cabbage and squashes. Cranberries, great citrus and nuts too. Also some quince jelly for sale, a great accompaniment to Goose and Duck. If you would like any of our Christmas poultry please place your order soon.