We are firmly in autumn now, with the arrival of the first frosts. The team is here before the sun on harvest mornings to gather in the weekly shares for our CSA members and the market stall.

We are in the final moments of being able to share the fruits of summer (farewell tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers). All these plants have slowed down their production in the last few weeks as they get tired out – they’re done for the year.

Eating Seasonally

Supermarkets offer a constant supply of out-of-season produce, making it easy to forget the rhythm of the year. This has meant a lot of people missing out on the pleasures and benefits of eating foods when they are at their best and most nutritious. It has led to unsustainable farming, transport and packing methods. It also buffers us all from the reality of nature’s short, bountiful gluts.

We’re really grateful to our CSA members and market stall visitors who commit to eating the beautiful food we can share from the land, which comes in waves through the seasons. We work really hard to plan, grow and share a balanced, varied mix. But, when you eat local, seasonal food, you do get a lot of one thing at once. Even we were all sighing a bit over the amount of courgettes and cucumbers. Then suddenly, they’re all done. In no time, we’re feeling nostalgic for them, and soon we’ll be looking forward to next summer when we can enjoy the creamy sweetness of a courgette or refreshing crunch of a cucumber again.

When you know how brief their moment is, it makes it easier to find the joy in having an abundance!

We were really excited to get an ECCAN Greenlight Seedgrant to build a new food and seed processing space at the farm. In time, this will allow us to turn wonky veg and seasonal gluts into nutritious ferments and pickles that can last all year.

Winter Wheat Sowing Success

This month, we were really glad to be able to get the winter wheat sown, after last year’s struggles – click here to read about this year’s wheat sowing success.

Autumn Crops

With the departure of the last fruits of summer, we are welcoming more of the autumn crops. Hello Brussels sprouts, spicy salads and crisp carrots, and pumpkins ripening in the field. It’s a changing of the guards – from the veg, to the disappearance of the swallows for another year, to the geese now flying overhead.

The farm Market Stall continues until Thursday 23 October (final stall of the year). Our CSA members will get a few more shares, before we’re all out for this year. As we develop, we plan to extend our season longer and longer, until we have food to share all year round.