Welcome to the SRT blog No. 21
18th September 2020 – Welcome to our blog post No. 21
Still so much to harvest at all the sites, but there are loads of other things happening as well. Read on to find out more.
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Mike and team are sanding down the new benches ready for varnishing for the Sunnyside Up Café. Only 3 to go and hard work in the sun!
New contracts are starting to arrive and completed this month was a make-over of the sensory garden at Breakspeare School in Abbots Langley. The work was undertaken on and off site by almost the whole team. Turf was lain, borders re-built and planted and benches re-varnished.
We also managed to find work for the large lawn mower.
Harvesting has been going well. We have supplied the veg box with 50-70 carrots each week, bar the last 2, with more being harvested and coming on. We have also supplied lots of beans, turnips, some courgette and cucumber and are currently harvesting potatoes which have been very successful this year, 3 crates have already gone to the veg box and some have been sold in the shop.
We are still growing turnips, carrots, brussel sprouts, leeks, pumpkins, celeriac and beetroots for harvesting this season.
The Vanda orchid has produced a stunning bloom again. Possibly helped with this warm weather we have has as they are heat-loving coming from tropical Asia. In their native habitat, Vanda orchid plants hang from trees in nearly soilless media.
Emily and teams have been busy recycling used shiny, metallic, coffee capsules. Decorating with all sorts of colourful bits & bobs. What will these be made into when finished?
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The shop is the focus of the new buildings at Northchurch at the moment, as the builders completed the final snagging list last month which this means all work with them is officially completed, amazing!
Zoe is in charge of the shop, including building all of the racking and shelves out of reclaimed pallet wood and materials we already have on site and it’s coming along really well. Trainees have been helping in the shop on a casual rota since the beginning of the month; some who had worked in the Hemel shop previously and some totally new to shop work.
Introducing ‘Yenta’, apparently the very contented pig, taking an afternoon snooze in the heat, after lunch.
Make sure you are sitting somewhere quiet then turn the sound right up on your device for this one!
Sadly we got blight in the tomato tunnel so we have been harvesting every single tomato, red or green and they will sell. The green ones to those who want to make their own green tomato chutney. We have over 20 different veg available on the vegbox list currently. There has been a bountiful and colourful squash harvest – on the right – but don’t worry there are still plenty growing ready for Halloween next month.
The rescued hens are growing lots of healthy new feathers now that they are settled and happy in their new space.
Also, on Friday last week, a lady from the cats protection league brought us 5 (soon to be 6) semi feral cats from a large feral cat colony that was on a tip. They are all brothers and sisters. We are hoping that they will either become tame enough to be rehomed, or will stay wild enough to sort out our rat population rather than lie around all day. They will stay inside where there is plenty of space for a while whilst they adjust to all the new sights, smells and sounds.
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And from the Activity Centre this week: Hanna Bryant and Michael Tankard weeding around the butternut squashes in the allotment.
Tim Abbotts, Noreen Shazadee & Luka Grace having just completed our litter pick out and about in Bovingdon, in the sun and well covered up!
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Looking for something to do tomorrow – how about registering to join Social Farms & Gardens, a London based charity who are putting on online events to take part in.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/london-digital-harvest-festival-tickets-115566543643
Enjoy whatever you are up to and maybe get that suntan lotion out again for next week?