Welcome to the SRT blog No. 20

11th September 2020 – Welcome to our blog post No. 20

It’s time to harvest the potato crop at Hemel Food Garden. Grown under mypex to help protect the potatoes from the sun as this turns them green and they are then, inedible. It also saves time as otherwise they would have to be ‘earthed up’ a couple of times.

A big crop of a few varieties, including the red Desiree which is a great all-round main-crop potato. They have a pink-red skin and creamy yellow flesh. They are good roasted, sliced into chips or wedges or used in salads, but can also be used in mash. It was originally bred in the Netherlands in 1962.

The ground is not too wet so everyone stayed relatively clean and not too muddy! The team worked all day and found some fantastically ‘wonky’ veg.

Meet the ‘Nightshade’ family of 4.

If you are growing fruit & veg do send me photos of any funny shaped ones that you have as well please.

Mark has picked his first water-melon.

The new rescued hens at HFG have settled in and are laying well.

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Northchurch have spruced up the fridge and filled it with this weeks harvest in the Farmshop. Keeps the fruit and veg fresh for longer. Do pop in and have a look. Open Monday to Friday 10 until 3pm.

They have added more stock as well now so a few things have moved around and the displays are getting bigger.

This week has also seen all hands in the orchard, as its apple picking time. So many that the wheelbarrows were ‘pushed’ into service to hold them all.

Most of these will be off to the Chiltern Ridge Apple press to make our very own apple juice.

Guess how many bottles they will produce?

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At the Activity Centre Tim, Derek & Rebecca are sorting out the potato harvest. Could the barrow be much bigger?

A magnificent crop and first harvest of the ‘crown prince‘ squash. They have a metallic grey blue skin with contrasting rich deep orange flesh inside and will make some really tasty soups and chutneys I would imagine.

Luka getting physical using a hammer and chisel to break apart old pallets for the bonfire area. Now that IS hard work!

Go Luka!

see you all next week ……..