Opinion - Page 99 - Wicked Leeks

Food, Farming, Fairness.

Opinion

Guy's news: getting floral in the mud

On and on it goes; the river is spilling out of its banks, springs are rising from unexpected places and once again the ground is sodden. We enjoyed a brief respite in the middle of November and managed to harvest some carrots. Conditions were borderline and they came out of the ground well caked – it will take a lot of work to get them clean enough to sell or store. A certain amount of soil helps the carrots to store, too much wet soil can deprive the roots of the oxygen they need to stay alive. Even a dormant root needs to breathe while sleeping the winter away.

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: surfing & cauliflowers

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: planning, prices, promises and prizes

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: digging & sowing

It’s bright, dry and frosty and we are busy digging parsnips for Christmas, lifting carrots, sowing broad beans and picking sprouts. The weather is due to break again at the weekend but I am hoping that by the time you read this, the last of the carrots will be in store; hurrah.

News from the farm

Opinion

Guy's news: An incredible species

As I write, the sun is out, the pressure is building and there is a faint hope of some settled weather. Already the days are starting to draw out and there is a sense of renewal. I can almost hear the earthworms gasp as some air gets back into the soil. Surely this will be a better year. One confused primrose in bloom is enough to fill me with optimism. The run up to Christmas is always insanely busy and overwhelmingly focused on survival. No-one wants to talk to me or listen to my latest idea so I am obliged to stand back, watch and marvel; we really are good at what we do.

Opinion

Guy's news: La terre est engorgée

This is coming from France where the soil is ‘full to the throat’ and has been since June – it has almost been as wet as in Devon. In response we have our brand new, two acre, large football pitch sized tunnel which is already planted with 40,000 lettuces plus chard, spinach and pak choi. All should be in your boxes in March, two months ahead of the UK season, helping to fill our ‘hungry gap’ and to give you relief from parsnips and swedes. After less than a week the roots are reaching out into the soil and the leaves are putting on new growth.

Opinion

Guy's news: Tomatoes – apologies, explanations & excuses

About five years ago we took the decision not to sell crops grown under heated glass. Burning fossil fuels to maintain a temperature of 20°C inside a single glazed greenhouse in the depths of winter is environmental insanity. According to our work with Exeter University, even after accounting for transport, it is ten to twenty times less damaging to import peppers and tomatoes from Spain, where heat is not required.