January 2003

I'm happy to say that our veg box scheme is now fully up and running. Our customers give us good feedback which is always gratifying. It's a difficult time of the year to be able to produce anything much, let alone a reasonable variety of roots and leafy vegetables. But so far, we're doing it. It's odd, you know, because each week we harvest and say to ourselves, "This can't go on. There isn't going to be enough." Yet there is. Just.

Obviously, everything depends on the weather. A week or so back, temperatures in the polytunnel hit -4 Celsius for several nights and everything was frozen solid. Fortunately we were able to harvest before and after the big freeze. Everything looks so miserable when it's frozen. You feel it can never recover... and yet it does (mostly). We cover the more vulnerable tunnel crops with fleece to keep them slightly warmer. The photos you see on this page I took on 20 January 2003. So, as you see, things - like this lettuce - don't look too bad at all.

Anyway now we're back to the usual gales and rain although, on the whole, it hasn't been too bad recently. I've managed to complete a major fencing project which is a relief, especially for my back. And our colleagues at Ty'n Lon have returned from 5 weeks holiday in Tasmania. Also a relief for us because we've had to do all the harvesting and packing for both farms. Mike and Jill's ducks, geese and hens (see left) came here whilst their owners were away so they too have had a holiday and we've had dozens of eggs to sell each week. Even in the middle of winter, the hens are laying around a dozen eggs a day.

We are now well into the planning and preparation stages of the new year's produce. Val has set the seed potatoes out to 'chit' (see left) in various places. We will be growing some very early ones in the tunnel.

We're also in the middle of planting out hundreds of raspberries canes. These canes fruit in the autumn - they are called Autumn Bliss - unlike our existing ones which should give us a summer crop this year.

Below are some other pictures of our produce at the moment.

Best wishes to you all from Bry and Val at Mur Crusto! (20 January 2003)

The brussels sprouts have been great...

... as has the winter purslane.

And here's your future salads, ready to plant.