Opinion - Page 98 - Wicked Leeks

Food, Farming, Fairness.

Opinion

Guy's news: the worst is behind us

The rain has abated, the ground has dried up well and it’s time to gather in and make the most of what has survived the deluge. No one will starve, indeed the carrots and parsnips are doing pretty well, but we will have only half the projected yields of potatoes.

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: our 25th anniversary

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: roundup – maybe not so safe after all

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: the joy of tunnels

For years we agonised over whether the benefits of tunnels (earliness, quality and cropping reliability) justified the eyesore. Last year we took the plunge and covered three acres of our best land with polytunnels, doubling our area of protected cropping. Despite the lack of sunshine, these three acres have been the most prosperous on the farm this year, providing good harvests of winter salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and peppers.

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: who owns those potatoes & does it matter?

Last time I met Keith Abel, Riverford’s arch rival, he told me over a pork pie: “The problem with you, Guy, is that you’re so boring”. He looked pretty pleased with life and I wondered if he was right.

Opinion

Guy's news: stuck in the ground but full of hope

Seventy acres of potatoes are still in the ground, patiently waiting for dry weather a month after harvest is usually finished. Although this year’s harvest has been woefully slow, we are making better progress. The onions are in store and dry. Swedes and parsnips are looking good. If we can get them out of the ground, we are reasonably well covered for roots. With yields down and leeks, cabbage and cauliflower running late, the boxes are hungry for greenery. Kale has never tasted so good.

Opinion

Guy's news: keep Britain buzzing

Pesticides have made farmers’ lives easier and have helped produce cheap food but their long history suggests they are seldom as ‘safe’ as initially claimed. Their incredible potency is normally achieved by disrupting cellular processes that are often shared well beyond their target species. Only a tiny proportion of pesticide reaches the target and only the most foolhardy chemical enthusiast would be surprised when they produce unintended consequences in the wider environment.