Welcome to the new-look newsletter. Sorry, but colour printing costs and complexities were so high that we’ve had to bow to the inevitable and simplify everything so that we can just make photocopies. So gone are the little photos – for the time being anyway – but instead, you get more in other ways. (You can see photos though on our website: www.llangybi-organics.co.uk.) And most importantly for our Welsh-speaking customers, you get a Welsh version. We are honoured to have Twm Morys of Llanystumdwy who will translate each newsletter. This is the first of them.
Hasn’t it been a pleasant autumn so far? We’ve had enough rain (unlike much of eastern Britain) to keep the soil moist, and very little serious wind. The cold nights have meant that the tomatoes and courgettes are coming to an end.
Harlech fair: Did you visit the Sustainability Fair in Harlech in early October? We had a stall there and many people both bought our veg and showed interest in what we are doing.
Veg news: It’s all change from summer (like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers) to winter veg. Now you’ll find squash, parsnips, brussels sprouts, leeks, cabbages and such salad veg as we can keep growing through the winter in the polytunnel (oriental veg and salads like lettuce and winter purslane). The important staples like potatoes and onions are all safely stored at Ty’n Lon. The carrots, which are great this year, generally store well in the ground where they grow. However - and please note this - we may not have enough veg to see you all through the winter and spring at present rates of use. If this is so rather than close down for a period, we propose to reduce the value of the bags. Obviously, we’ll let you know in advance how we’re doing.
Recipe: Did you ever see that American film Fried Green Tomatoes? Whether you did or not doesn’t matter but the title reminds me that fried green tomatoes make a very tasty dish. Cut them in half, dip them in seasoned flour and fry them in oil. They are surprisingly good. I mention this because as we clear out the tomatoes over the next week or so, we’ll be putting some green ones in your bags. You can eat them as above, make them into green tomato chutney (delicious) or leave them on a sunny window-ledge to ripen. You can see our previous newsletter recipes (and previous newsletters) on our website.
Bag collection: Please please please remember to:
1. Tick the list in the Swallow House for whatever you collect so we know who’s got what. We have had confusion several times because we haven’t known who’s taken what, be it eggs or veg.
2. Write your name on the envelope you leave your payment in before posting through the front door of the house. Please don’t leave the envelope in the Swallow House – they’re easily mislaid.
3. Let Jill know if you want to place a permanent egg order. Otherwise it’s first come, first served for any eggs left over from regular orders. Sadly, a fox killed a number of hens and ducks last week so eggs may well be in short supply. Also shorter daylength means many birds stop laying.
Organic pork: Contact Jill if you want to order sausages and sausage meat. £2.70 per 400 gram pack.
Your support: Thanks very much for returning punnets and boxes. Please bring more standard-sized supermarket bags for us if you can. We’re always short of these. Very large or small ones are of no use though. Thanks too for your regular compliments about our veg.
Full up!: We cannot take on any more customers but, if you know someone who’s interested, we do have a waiting list. Anyone wanting to join must please let us know and we’ll put them on the list. Thank you for your enthusiasm and loyalty to us at Llangybi Organics. And thank you too for the kind remarks many of you have made about the shippon construction at Mur Crusto. I (Bry) am usually on the roof slating when you arrive (this phase is coming to the end, thank goodness) and it’s always good to know that this slow, difficult work is progressing well.
Val & Bry, Mur Crusto, 01766 819109 Jill & Mike, Ty’n Lon 01766 810915