Succulent snack...

Sunday Sowing duties; rendered most palatable when accompanied by warm from the vine; red and yellow cherry tomatoes. Just coming into crop.

Here sowing Chicory Pallo Rossa; a seed in each cell. My 'special' compost firming block; still preserved by the insistent label.

These bitter but crunchy leaves should be ready by November.
Quite delicious in a mixed salad with sweet tender, red or golden beetroot; and only just hard boiled duck eggs.

Need to source a new flock of Indian Runner ducks, and build them a very lightweight duck house on wheels, so they can be penned briefly in various patches around the veg patch.

In this way, they serve as a SWAT team hoovering up slugs and snails; as well as clearing the eggs of same molluscs.

Thereby breaking the life cycle, and reducing population numbers of those horribly hungry slimey pests.

Duck eggs are one of those comestibles that sharply divide opinion.

Personally I love them, but for some inexplicable reason they give others; the shudders.

There's really no accounting for tastes; and secretly I'm glad that I don't have to fight anyone for em...

That could get awfully messy.

Rescued...

An enviable enough view from the office window. Finally got round to mowing the top of the hill. Lots of seeding grasses, and undisturbed cover, makes a fine scampering ground for any number of small mammals.

This is one of my favourite field tasks of the season...Plenty of effect; to show for relatively little effort. With the addition of a picturesque backdrop.

I'm cutting the herbage down in stages; so as not to obliterate; in one fell swoop; all the floriferous forage for the butterflies and other bugs....

And perhaps; in truth; to prolong the enjoyment of the job?

One small rodent had a lucky escape...Darting for cover just in front of the tractor wheels....Oh no! Will the poor mite get mown into tiny pieces....?

Then just at the last minute a kindly crow darts in and snatches said mouse; from the jaws of disaster....

Hope the little fellow was properly grateful to his rescuer....

I had a large buzzard do exactly the same thing last year; whilst harrowing new ground... Quite dramatic to witness....

Then after the rains of the last few days, the sun and wind had sufficiently crisped the surface of the carrot beds; to allow a session of hoeing....A satisfying conclusion to the days labour.

Coooool feet....

Hard to believe that this was less than a week ago....

Proper crispy hoeing weather here...Weeds shrivelling to rags after being sliced off at soil level...
Muggy; and some evilly hungry horseflies abound...

Generous quantities of  citronella mixed into suncream keeps the worst of them off. To which; is swiftly added a liberal coating of soil from the disturbance.

The heat and dust could almost induce a dip in a freezy lochan right now.

But the lemony smell also puts me in mind of a civilised evening libation.... As a nod to the glorious weather; Ice obligatory.

"Aint nobody here; but us chickens"

But of course; what with it being a longish weekend; earmarked for Beltane celebrations; there are quite a few folk sprinkled about the 'stead; in tents and other accommodations.

Enjoying the verdant May views; and a good blaze after dark...

Whilst comfort testing the many and various laps proffered; Trailer Trash Kitty almost got her whiskers singed. 

Fresh ground for the ladies; to go a clearing....
 Actual proper 'free range'. This is the sort of image often pictured on the outside of a box; that may contain eggs from larger more commercial flocks. Those birds are technically allowed outside; but the convoluted passageways through which they have to make their way; to acheive egress often results in their never quite gaining their freedom.
But better for sure; than being completely caged with no hope of escape..

 There is talk of horticultural help being proffered by the temporary residents too.. Many hands should make light of the work of uprooting the old brassicas to make way for sowings of the maincrop carrots.

Broad view from the nearby heath; the sea is just visible middle horizon. There is something about this very particular vantage point; perhaps due to the land steeply rising so close to the coast; that can give the impression of the briney being higher than the observer....Interesting perspective.

The oaks are a tad late showing their fresh-gold leaves this spring..A very thin wind is holding a lot of herbage back.

It's still frosty in the mornings, a freshly laid egg makes for an eggcellent hand warmer; post the filling, and carrying, of cold metal water containers. Tea flask that should never run dry; to the rear...

At this time of year the hedgerows are starting to fill with joyous; abundant; luxuriant growth... Untamed; as yet; by the hand of man...

One of the problems of writing about gardening, yoga, the countryside, excursions, and what have you; is that one can feel as if one is almost wading thigh high in metaphor and allegory; nay on occasion; at risk of becoming smothered by it....

To the point where any observation; or parallel drawn; almost becomes painfully trite; or skin crawlingly obvious.

What am I saying that hasn't already been said; with greater lyricism by others?

 Perhaps; and most likely nothing at all.

Given that there really is 'nothing new under the sun' just various rearrangements of energy and 'stuff' constantly changing; totally unfixed. 

Change; or transformation is the only constant.

. But each individual arrived here at this moment and place having had their own unique individual series of experiences; and influences.

 Each of us should have our own voice; and be allowed to use it.

 For some of us however; gathering the courage to use that voice; but at the same time respecting the opinions of others; is where the hard work is.

 Campfires are always good for drawing out stories. Sat round in the semidarkness all gazing at the same fire but from a slightly different perspective... How did we get here. what's your story? That is the thing of intrigue.

From where did your point of view emanate?... That is one of the fascinations of all sorts of people... To me; at least.

And there's no point pretending; that most of our conflicts; both large and small don't come about as a result of strongly held; yet differing points of view.

 And our sometimes; almost overwhelming; desire to convince someone else of the total veracity of our own.

So perhaps some help from Nietzsche; for a friend who is struggling to be allowed to walk her own path....

  No one can build you the bridge; on which you; and only you must cross the river of life.

  There may be countless trails; and bridges; and demigods who would gladly carry you across; but only at the price of pawning and foregoing yourself. 

  There is one path in the world that none can walk but you. Where does it lead?

  Don't ask; walk!

I fear however; that he may not have been able to help; with a new threat stalking the Shires... According to 'The Grower' Magazine we are now to have our slumbers disrupted by fretting over 'Carrot Motley Dwarf Syndrome'........Eeeek! And yet at the same time; chortle.

You couldn't; and I didn't ; make it up...

Like most of these incipient dread diseases about-which-we-are-supposed-to- worry. I'm hoping that healthy roots will result from lots of love; and compost combined with a liberal sprinkling of hope; and 'It'll probably be OK'.

First warming job for the day; flaming the newly sown leeks.... Then a quick spin bikewards over the hills to do a few deliveries. And most likely compusory / compulsive viewing of the bluebells in the beechwoods....It's not too much of a chore to be making your own fun in the country; in Devonshireland; in May...

So wishing warmest Beltane cavortings;  to y'all too....  ;

Tango with a long tall hoe...

It scarce seems credible, but apparently there are a few folk who peruse this blog in the hope of garnering some gardening advice!

Well; if that be the case; and first taking the precaution of referring your good selves to the context and contacts page by way of disclaimer. Here be some timely advice on the subject of weed control.

The primary tool employed; even on a relatively large scale such as here; is the good old fashioned hoe.

Although the model I favour is a more modern iteration of an old design;
Which cultivates on both the push; and the pull.

Whatever the vintage of implement chosen, the principal is the same.

Tiny; recently germinated seedling weeds should be sliced just below soil level whilst they are still small enough to then be frazzled by the sun or wind in a few hours.....Dry weather favours the wielder of the hoe.

The most timely advice would be to start before you can even see the blighters.

It may be discernable in the picture that the rainbow chard transplants are growing here on the 'offset'

I.e. Like the fives on a dice.

This is an optimal spacing; given that plants develop with a roughly rounded outline when viewed from above. So this configuration makes best use of the available planting space.

And once crops are fully grown they will do a reasonable job of shading out competing weeds.
Keep the hoe moving through the tilth as often as possible; whilst the plants mature to full size.

Accurate plant spacing makes hoeing an enjoyable slantwise job, especially so when the company is congenial.
If Girl Wednesday is busy elsewhere; there's always the dulcet tweets of other birds to enjoy.

And have the handle of whichever tool you might employ; at the correct length.

Many tool handles are designed for those of more traditional stocky yeoman proportions; and will give taller sorts a hard days labour.

You should be able to stand up straight; driving hand right on the end of the shaft to give maximum motive force. Its partner goes further down for accurate guidance.

There is no need to be toiling; bent over; 'nose to the grindstone....It's inefficient and gives for a grumblesome back...

A few years back my optician told me that this sort of work is good for the eyesight, as the need to focus on the far then near is more akin to natural working conditions for the eye, compared with looking at a screen..

Having said that; they just don't seem to be printing labels as clearly as they used to....

Elliot Coleman ; a gardening guru hailing from Maine; opined that once we've got the hang of this cultivating technique; it should feel as if we are dancing with our hoe...

And could indeed; quite happily; keep it up all day.

Quite so.

Leek harvest

Late afternoon, Wednesday.

Tired now.

But fettling leeks can be done sitting down.

After the carrots are dug.

Clouds are very fine things.

Eostre Crafting...

Look! I made this myself; out of old pallets!

P'raps I should post a 'how to'  video later?

'Man Friday' on this 'Good Friday' would have been thrilled I'm sure.

If  he had been on hand to enjoy the,

"Once you've got a fire going; it isn't really work anymore", conclusion to the days labours....

However, despite having assured me that he would be reporting for duties on this bank holiday, my usual end of the week help, had to dash off to the aid of an apparently even needier friend..

Another of his favourite aphorisms:

"A real friend will help you move; a true friend will help you move a body...."

It wasn't quite that desperate. in fact this other mate had requested assistance with shifting a boat..... From Antigua.....To Gibraltar. So what was he to do? Hmmn...

My Ma' this time.... "That's the trouble with volunteers... You can't sack 'em...."

The purpose of today's conflagration; alongside practicing some axe - wielding 'butchcraft' was to burn last years haulm* off the metal mesh pea and bean supports. the peas are getting taller every day...

Something that Man Friday likes to take home most weeks; in addition to a supply of veg' ; is a new word. And 'haulm' was one such. That being the residue; stalks etc; left over after cropping; they go up with a beautiful crackle.

So, cheered by the flames, I got over my disappointment fairly swiftly; and reminded myself not to be curmudgeonly about other folks' expeditions.

 I did after all get to spend this Good Friday beavering by myself in the garden; something the usually office bound might be wishing to do all through the working week; every week. 

It could all be looked upon as 'self made luck'  whilst at the same time producing things of benefit to other folk too. So no business being grumpy whatsoever...

 Plus there are a few briefish jaunts outside the valley in the offing.

And besides; bodies can be moved by other means...

Work in progress...

Short delay, on a run out with the trailer to the farm store to collect 600kg bag of sweetening lime for the season. The day the shoplet got blown over...

But don't fret egg seekers, second born son and I employed some time tested 'leverage with wooden poles' techniques to right it.
Could now apprentice him out for 'henge' construction duties...

There was a generous amount of potential firewood strewn upon the road; a 'proper' thrifty type would have gathered  and added it to the load.
Here in his JCB, the 'Parish Lengthsman' (he should really sport a smock; and port a proper  'Devon Shovel' with a title like that)

Detailed to clear the ditches either side of the lane, to aid drainage. This particular back road runs through an area of old 'wet' woodland. A rare and valuable habitat niche. This route can be  hazardous in the Winter even in this relatively balmy county.

Nights of hard frost, and little direct sunlight to thaw it, means the roads can accumulate treacherous patches of rime. So making haste slowly is the best approach here.....

Powering up...

"The great outdoors"... Hmmmn well mostly; and nearly always feels so; when one is outward bound primarily for recreation. 

Yesterdays very cold and wet and windy harvesting day was one of the very few occasions each year when I speculate on the benefits of an office job.

 I am fully aware that I would last about half a day in that environment; the second half of which would be taken up by being voluntarily sectioned; or explaining to a desk sergeant exactly why, I did what I did, to the printer that wouldn't talk to the computer...

However; studies have shown that 'Outdoorsy people are nicerer than indoorsy ones'....!/

http://adventure-journal.com/2016/03/are-outdoorsy-people-nicer-than-indoorsy-people/

 Hmmmn well; at least us not always nice as pie; outdoorsy sorts give everyone else a break from time to time by going away to remote places...

And I couldn't say for sure but I suspect that deskbound folk don't get voluptuous loveliness like this; expertly crafted for their delectation. 

The custard wasn't so big this week, its the leeks that were teensy, gourmet offerings, double the price for half the size might apply in a fancy supermarket. But here you get twice as many.

Quite generous doncha think? Considering the almost Biblically foul weather they were lifted in.   

Is that the face of Mrs Beeton we see; pictured in the blueberries?

Now this would have been the place to spend a soggy drear Wednesday...

Tucked up in the toasty glasshouse...

Yikes! The benches in the greenhouse are already full, and its only just March... There is just never enough space. 

Here the seed germination; and plantlet growth is hastened by custom made heating mats on the benches.

 They're a bit like electric blankets; but set into a heavy duty foil sheet. 

This is overlaid with thick polythene, then capillary fabric to provide water to the modules from underneath. Which is finally topped off with thin perforated polythene; which impedes the growth of algae and moss thereupon; but allows water through

A temperature probe into a bag of moist compost nested between the trays regulates the heat via the adjustable gauge. 

Second sowing of peas in the foreground nearly ready to go out... First sowing already happily growing away in the polytunnel.... Must go out 'a mollusc hunting with headtorch and scissors....Slugs love fresh pea shoots... Don't worry, I'm not going to post a picture of that nocturnal activity, even with googly eyes...

 And fascinating slug factoid #16 (look away now if you're squeamish)  by the morning the resulting carnage is cleared up ....The surviving slugs eat their deceased breatheren...Eeeww!

There's a bit of a campaign going on at the moment to persuade people to switch to Greener Electricity suppliers.

It would be great; of course; to have some solar panels here to harvest more of the sunshine, and if one has some spare dosh sloshing about in the bank it's definitely worth doing; but that might have to wait.

But the next best thing, after you've been frugal with the current, is buying from someone like this...

http://www.goodenergy.co.uk/?gclid=COmagpOxpcsCFYTGGwodGk8G4g

We've been using their 100% renewable supplies for nigh on 20 years now...

Good customer service; and its a fairly pain free of 'doing the right thing'.
Makes me feel slightly better about indulging in deep hot baths too....

And in case you were wondering..... These peoples' Electricity seems to work pretty much as well as anyone elses'  ; even if it does leave the kitchen with a faint whiff of cumin...*

* And OK; yes you do; sometimes; have to pick little bits of hessian fluff out of the sockets; but its barely any trouble; really...

Bees Knees Must be Freezy...

Medlar in hibernation.


A rare frosty morning here this Winter, picturesque, but can present challenges.
Not just for our friendly pollinators who have been out very early this season foraging in amongst the dandelions and snow drops.

Bee numbers do drop dratically, but quite naturally during the winter, so that the nucleus of the colony has a better chance of survival through the lean months. The hives here are left undisturbed, as the consumable honey they produce is of secondary consideration compared to the value of pollination services to vegetable and fruit gardening they provide.

Some beekeepers harvest honey and then replace it with sugar syrup or fondant to feed the colony.
 Of course I can't speak for the workers in this case but one would suspect, that given the chance they'd rather hang onto their original product....

In a good year there is a honey surplus; that can be freely extracted without any peril to the bees.
But it could be argued that there hasn't really been a good  year for bees for quite some time now. They and many other less lauded pollinators are under pressure from many negative influences, mainly around degraded habitat. pesticides, and  diseases introduced from overseas.

The plan was to move the old flock of chickens this morning. But even after cosseting and charging the humungous (din) tractor battery indoors overnight; the Ford still didn't want to play. 

There was talk of lighting a fire under the engine block; which is an old school remedy which has been known to work. 

But there have also been times (not here thankfully) when the results would have produced fascinatingly incendiary pictures....

 But i'm afraid there is only so far I'm prepared to go for dramatic effect.

So it was a case of waiting for the midday sun to work it's warming charms. and then a rather unconventional, but pleasingly sucessful movement of the old flock in a momentarily 'ultra free range' style.

That is; take down their fence; let them wander about the farmyard and garden like something out of 'My Big book of the Farm" , and meanwhile move their house without them in it; re erect their fence; then collect them back in with a few handfuls of irresistible mixed corn...Pretty smooth operation all in all.

It only works when all the tastiest crops on the plot are already covered against the cold. I wouldn't like to see them hens marauding in an uncovered bed of lettuce. 

Sophisticated ladies; investigating the last of the Spanish Radish...

This is a particularly bold (for bold read cheeky) member of the new flock. She has a curiously turned down tail. Not certain whether this is the cause; or as a consequence; of; previous misdemeanors ....
She was lucky to only get her leg ringed today; such was her beakiness; the little plastic anklets will help to identify who belongs to which flock once the new birds reach mature size. If you put an escapee back in with the wrong bunch it will be bullied mercilessly.

cheering and cosy solution to the needing nimble but not frozen fingers for work problem.
Who says workwear has to be all sludge green and muddy browns? At least not initially.

Sculptural tyres and silage sheet keeping the compost pile dry and preventing the weeds getting on top of things.... She does take photos of the oddest things...

Self Sufficiency....That used to be an aspiration of many people a few years back..

But of course there's really no such thing in physical terms.

Yes we can provide for a lot of our own material needs.
And if we're lucky enough to have access to a patch of land, and a bit of energy and know how, we can grow a lot of food for ourselves.

But in and of itself; trying to do and make everything for oneself is far too energy and time consuming and denies the fact that some people are better placed to produce certain essentials than others.

Having said that, many of us do have an urge to grow some of our own dinner at least...
My hail fellow, well re-met friend from Oxford contacted me the other day.

She has just got her hands on an allotment - Much excitement - And what should she do first...?

Well this is what I advise most people in that situation...First; calm down a bit; hold the seed packet; better still put the seed packet in a cool dry place..

And get thee to the nearest farmers suppliers to purchase for yourself the biggest toughest sheet of black plastic you can....The same size as the area you intend to cultivate if possible. Its commonly sold as silage sheeting...

Then mow down; within reason; maybe leave the fruit bushes if you must; whatever is on the plot.

Cover the whole lot with the plastic. First having accumulated many suitable objects with with which to weigh it down....Lots of old tyres, bricks, or bags of soil. Bear in mind that the wind will try everywitch way to lift it; so there needs to be as much stuff in the centre as around the edges.

If gustyness causes struggles during laying; you may wish to co opt a friend to fly a kite nearby. In my experience that pretty much guarantees an immediate  cessation of even the most persistent breeze.

Then; over the subsequent weeks peel back a manageable amount, and extract the vegetation you don't want with a fork.
 Or double dig; if you can carry off a waistcoat, tweed cap, and stout leather boots...
Then recover with the plastic, to stop any fresh weeds growing, and to keep it all dry and workable. So when its finally the right time to sow or plant you've got something resembling the soil "As seen on T.V."

What and when to sow might have to be another post... planning to write my way out of a job?.....Unlikely.

A number of years back there was a brief spike of interest in 'growing your own', well over and above the many who do it as a matter of regular habit.

I love nosing at the allotments that seem to grace so many town edge railway lines; that and getting a glimpse of the generally more unselfconscious  back gardens.
The most interesting stuff is usually kept out of general view.....

So, as a result of this green fingered resurgence, several customers phoned to inform that they wouldn't be needing any of our produce from now, on as they were going to be feeding themselves and their families from their own plots....

Well the outcome was, in the main, as you will doubtless already have predicted....
But thankfully; no one actually died of scurvy.....
And those experimenters were quite cheerfully welcomed back to the fold after a few months of vegetable dalliance elsewhere...

The people who do; or at least have tried growing; a bit of their own veg' are usually the most appreciative of having it done for them...

Very Civilised

This is how admin' should be done...

"Lovely day for it."

But of course, I couldn't leave it at that, could I?....A real live engine driver to chat to? 

In fact the whole nonchalant 'man at ease with his paperwork' shot is an artifice.....As if he wouldn't have spotted me? 

So the Bure Heritage line pay many thousands in ground rent to the council. The money should be ring fenced for essential maintenance,  but of course....

And then there's the whole banked line that needs raising up by 4"; and new sleepers to go in. Clearing of the trees lineside, so the paying punters can see the views. There was a prodigous crop of light loving primroses; after coppicing was carried out the previous Winter, the local farmer had never seen the like. 

We commiserated re' the shoddy quality of modern fence posts...It's more the wire holding up the posts than vice versa as it should be....He couldn't show me the engine badges as one of the volunteers was restoring them at home. and so on and so forth ...

I promised to return for a ride one day; but there was a bus to catch from rather, excessively marina'd Wroxham. Very healthy Swan population residing by the King's Head there....Could feed a good few folks if essential supplies are ever cut off by rising waters....I'm sure Queenie would understand...

From the miniscule; comes forth much...

Seed sowing is of necessity a forward looking, optimistic activity, and it is a source of wonder the edible and decorative glories which can sprout forth from a tiny speck of matter....

However, despite being active in two fields in which this sort of language often crops up; I don't really have much patience with talk of 'Mystical Mother Earth Miracles' and 'cosmic life forces' when referring to real stuff that actually happens. 

Personally, it frustrates that folks can't be content with the utter awesomeness (!) of what we can already see and experience and know (almost) for sure on this fine planet of ours; and that they feel the need to go chasing after faeries; making magic potions; and invoking 'higher powers'. 

 Talk of such stuff can also put off a lot of people, who might otherwise take an active interest in matters ecological.

 Whether that would be the mind, body, breath 'ecology' of yoga, or out in the wider world.

I know each to their own ; but if we are to be taken seriously I think we might need to temper some of the more flowery quasi spiritual language that makes many peoples toenails feel just a tad too tight.....

 I'm more than willing to accept that there may be many many things, the nature of of which, as of yet  we know nothing.

 But perhaps our diminutive, vulnerable, human brains couldn't really cope if the true nature of everything were to be revealed.

  Magical thinking of any flavour is probably just a way of coping with, or grasping the enormity of, it all...And a way of quelling the fears brought on by our individual insignificance within this universe. 

Creation tales, allegory, mythical fantasies, and heroic stories, are it would seem, nigh on essential for a healthy psyche, they help us comprehend our place in this world. 

 But taken too far, and too literally, they can distract from proper engagement with what's actually here right now; right in front of us; and that which needs to be dealt with in a timely fashion.....

In this particular case sowing spinach beet, so that in a few months time there is something to go betwixt the sourdough and the poached eggs? .

The best substrate (proper name for sowing compost), for getting seeds off to a happy start is peat. 

But as all good environmentalists know, extracting peat, from the bogs wherein it is formed, is a 'bad thing' in terms of habitat loss, erosion, and carbon release...

So here, is a partial answer; this substrate is made from the run off, dredged from moorland reservoirs.

 A good growing medium, created by turning a liability into an asset. But, despite it being made from a waste product, it actually costs more than the standard garden centre offering. Due, one supposes, to the usual economies of scale, marketing of a niche product etc etc.

Tea on hand of course; nothing much happens round here without tea. 

And the special piece of wood in the back ground? It's just the right shape and size for firming the tops of the modules after sowing...

Top tip...If you don't want your handy chunk of two by four tossed on a fire, or incorporated into a building project, try writing 'Special' on it. It's kept this timber safe for at least three seasons so far.....

Imbued with self protective properties, by the magic of 'Sharpie'...

Feeling personally at risk of being cast asunder; or misused? I'm not entirely certain a T shirt with the same appellation is really going to help...

And then again there is the bigger picture to consider.... 

Soon to be departing (More trains....More thrills!) to the Oxford Real Farming Conference. Fairly confident there will be a plethora of top tips (and types) there. Must peruse (and get with) the programme.

But first some preparation for leaving all of this for a few days........ There's also an onward journey to the Eastern Flatlands to undertake before returning (Even more trains! Larks!)

 From what I recall; they have very big skies to admire out that way.

Fresh Pastures.

Fret not; small farming has not been totally abandoned in favour of other outdoor pursuits.

Here Girl Monday #1 makes herself very popular with the girls; newly liberated onto fresh ground, and always glad of some corn to scratch for.

It has to be healthier for the birds to get new forage; and be displaced from their own detritus every few weeks.

It took us less than an hour to move the hens and their house this morning; including taking down then re erecting their netting fences.

Leaving more time for the never ending; self perpetuating job of salad weeding. Natures way of keeping us out of mischief...

Despite having plenty of her own self generated fun to hand; GM has been helping me for the majority of monday mornings for the last twelve years. Not least; by engaging in the kind of conversation that makes three hours fly by.

Soon I will show you what she does with some of her time when she's not busy with horticultural hi jinks here.

Suspense aplenty....

Fresh air; and rainbows....

That's what the ladies live on...

Up til now

Then today I heard a pleasing thing... 

It was several years back, I remember a radio programme about a chap proposing to farm maggots; on slaughter house waste; to create chicken, fish, and pig food.

 All those creatures need a high protein diet which these days usually comes from soya....Not the most sustainable source; even if it's GM free, and organically grown.

But nothing seemed to come of it....I assumed it had fallen foul (fowl?) of 'cultural resistance' Otherwise known as 'the yuk factor'.

Anyway- up; apparently there is currently a woman trialling farm scale production in this country; the flies are feeding on manure (any less yuk?) and the maggots when they're 'ready' conveniently crawl off their food source and congregate waiting to be gathered. 

 Which are then doubtless gently anaesthetised by soporific songs, composed specifically for the purpose. 

Makes perfect sense; turning a liability into an asset. And the manure will have been beautifully processed; into a usable soil amendment...

Will it take off? Remains to be seen. Perhaps just too neat a solution ? 

Could the thought of hens eating maggots be too much for squeamish folk to stomach?

 And if so; do I need to tell the ladies to lay off all those yummy woodlice they are presently dining off in the woodchip pile?

Will we ever learn??

The answer is? Well that depends....

Willingness to learn is essential undoubtedly; but can the teacher understand their pupils struggles; and point of view? Equally vital; but harder to master.

Some things come more naturally to some of us. Other skills we've worked hard to achieve; but we can all too easily forget how hard it was to 'get it' at the beginning.

Ever been frustrated by trying to teach a child to tie their shoelaces? You only have to try doing it back to front.... left first; instead of right; to realise just how awkward it once was....I have a mental block around I.T.; my children are nearly always very patient with me... I very rarely have to remind them that once upon a time; I had to teach them how to use a spoon...

 Even the brightest amongst us can take in, and fully retain, perhaps three things at once? 

That's on a good day; with full attention able to be given; and a mind uncrowded by that endless 'to think about' list.

People will often leave a yoga class saying they feel far more relaxed... That's not because they've spent an hour and a half wafting about; gazing at candles; inhaling incense; and chanting...

 Sorry if that disappoints; but we don't do any of that stuff..We work hard physically; always safely; always within our own capabilities; it's just most folks are capable of a lot more than they imagine...

I believe resulting relaxed mind is far more to do with having to be fully present to what we are physically doing right now; complete attention given to the precision demanded from this form of yoga..

It is almost impossible to think about any of lifes worries whilst you're balancing on one (hopefully very straight) leg; and then doing your best to get the rest of yourself properly aligned and extended, in relation to it.

 Iyengar Yoga appeals not exclusively to the logically minded, systematic type, but there are a lot of scientists, educationalists, and dare I say it? Men; who take it up. 

Ardha Chandrasana.... Top arm should be vertical....

Another oft encountered barrier is the "what we are used to doing" hurdle. The picture above shows Ardha Chandrasana.... Half moon pose...At first appearance considerably trickier than Trikonasana seen below; which is one of the very first postures we teach beginners.


But really the main difference is that in the above pose we're asked to stand on one foot and one hand: rather than our usual two feet. The shape; limb in relation to limb; is really not that different...


The adult brain puts up a bit of resistance at first. But if you can get your grown up 'brainy' brain to shut up for a bit; and let the mind experience; through a step by step methodical approach; what the body can do; it often in turn surprises the brain....And thus builds confidence for the next adventure.

Trikonasana... Triangle posture..Strenghtens; lengthens; opens; and realigns...Puts your bones back where they should be... 

One of my favourite teaching moments, is getting middle aged girls; who claim they couldn't achieve it in the school yard; up into their first ever in their lives hand-stand.... Child-like whoops of joy often emanate....From them...(I try to keep mine on the inside)


Probably best I leave it there... If they cotton on to just how much enjoyment I get out of teaching 'em they might refuse to pay anymore...,,


But no; that's my ridiculous; quasi Calvanistic - 'work should only ever be hard' attitude that kicks in on occasion; something that I definitely need to unlearn.

 This Sundays extra class had the winning combination of being informative and enjoyable for everyone; as well as lucrative for me; and that of course is O.K.

Timely Reminder...

Undertaking what is probably the last big cultivation job of the year...Just quarter of an acre of ground, where the lately departed porkers once rootled. It's very poor practice to leave soil bare over the winter, precipitates loss of nutrients and soil micro life.

So yesterday I hitched up one of my favourite attachments...On the edge of being slightly too heavy for the Ford; Massey discs. The light and sandy conditions here means that even after only a couple of dry days it's acceptable to cultivate carefully; without risking damaging the soil structure; or  becoming bogged down to the point of needing a tow by another local farmer...

The discs lift and turn just the top few inches of soil. Then it's back to highly enjoyable medieval handwork methods; broadcasting the grazing ryecorn seed which will germinate even at this tardy point in the season. This 'green manure' will grow slowly; but protect against erosion; and keep hold of the pigs' contribution to fertility; until the resulting greenery can be worked back into the soil in the spring; prior to next years squash crop being planted.

Cycles and circularity of nutrition and cropping, in some ways ...But not quite a closed system; current legislation requires that pigs cannot be fed on our food waste; of which they are near perfect 

re processors, they have instead to be fed on soya based pellets...

Hopefully before too long this wasteful practice will be reversed, and swine can reclaim their status as most efficient converters of the inedible into the highly comestible.

After casting the grain about; it's off with the discs; and back on with the spring tines; to tickle in the seed; followed by the crumbler bar that firms it in to the tilth.

 I will dig out a picture... There are some as find that particular item of agricultural kit quite visually stimulating.

Then only ten minutes off completion; the sky darkens noticeably ...Nearly four O'clock;  I could have finished; but a figure approaches; I'm needed urgently elsewhere; annoyance turns to relief as only then do I realise, I'm about to run out of fuel; (the tractor; not me; I'm still full of Friday cake). And thereby am serendipitously saved from the very tedious job, of bleeding the diesel system...

By the time I get back up the hill with a jerry can of fuel it is pretty much dark; plus it's now bucketing down; the leaden sky was full of rain as well as duskiness. But I could just refill and get those last few yards done...

Climbing onto the slippery bonnet; funnel in one hand 20 litres of fuel in the other; I finally gather some sense...Hmmm? Rushing these jobs seldom ends well..

 I have a neat little scar on my inner thigh from an incident a few years back where I was saving a few seconds with what I knew at the time was an ill - advised implement manouvre. 

Hydraulic systems are very powerful; even on aged kit; and are no respecters of human flesh....

"One legged yoga teacher / farmer" might be a novelty act too far?

Farming has overtaken deep sea fishing; and construction;  to gain the unenviable pole position, in terms of highest accident rate statistics.

Maybe in part because we are often working by ourselves; racing against time; or the weather; or both; employing perhaps less than state of the art equipment?

Might this be in someway related to the minimal income that can be derived from food production? Or are we all just 'gung ho' idiots who didn't ought to be let out by ourselves? 

I was also mindful of the fact that today I was doing an emergency first aid refresher course. It would have been deeply embarrassing to have to cry off with a work related injury.......And to have missed the opportunity for a good bit of sitting down and tea and biscuits; between bouts of CPR and bandaging. 

So the cheeky jackdaws; that are often on hand to assist with cultivations; will have had a fair portion of that ryecorn by now; and it might not stop raining for a month; so it may be too late to work it in properly. But in the grand scheme of things; not much was lost.

Gift from 'The Sky Pixies'?

OK; maybe not; but it sure does help the 'Mental 'elf; all the same....

At it again...

Maybe 5% of the time spent doing veg work here is spent on the faithful old Ford.

But just how much you can do; with fairly basic mechanisation; in that relatively small amount of time is easy to discern in this before and after illustration.

And I would defy; even the most determined eschewer of infernal combustion; not to get a little bit of a thrill out of having that much power at their command..

Skilled hand work; with well designed tools; is appropriate for most tasks here.
But to do it all manually would require something like a threefold increase in the price of veg..

Or perhaps one of those regularly overflying troop carrying helicopters from the local marine camp, could drop off some personnel for a bit of 'in the field' exercise?

Mmm; unlikely..

So we're going to be burning diesel for some time yet to produce affordable food.

Of course the environmental effect of a bit of fuel use; is negligible in the grand scheme of things..

It's ironic that having children; which it could easily be argued is the 'biggest ticket item' in terms of individual contribution to environmental load; is an event that often initiates people  'thinking green'.

But no amount of organic shampoo; or wooden toys; is going to offset adding more, first world, entitled, happy shopping bods' to our ranks?

What's the answer?
Controlling our numbers? Perhaps.
But how to do that equitably; and effectively: and with humanity?

If there was an easy answer; then surely we'd have found it by now...

Beware anyone offering 'simple' solutions to complex problems...

The greatest likelihood is that they're just a bit 'simple' themselves..

Here making much fun in the country; mowing down the old sweetcorn that I spent all summer defending against the badgers; a point to me you fuzzy bottomed beasties....

Hello Kitty!

Trailer Trash Pusser.....

Supervising the spinach beet planting.

Remember those fecund bundles of sunshine; over two tonnes of which were harvested a month ago?

Well now those squash are safely tucked up in the barn; and quite a few have been sent out already to new homes.

But the still fertile soil; warm and weed free thanks to the ground cover sheet through which the summer crop grew; is just the place for a few hundred hardy greens to grow on.

The stripey one had an utterly exhausting day; keeping an eye; not only on my work rate; but overseeing two girl Mondays as well....

 My fuzzy friend is expected to be doing a double shift; she needs to be up there now chasing off the rabbits; there were considerable quantities of bunny currents in evidence.... 

Wildlife battling resumes...

Birds Eye View.....

Mmmmm.

Fresh bedding....
Not quite smooth sheets; but the next best thing...

The heady sweet scent of fresh wood shavings; see us nest and nestle.

How could this not make our feathered friends happy?

And in turn produce even more; eggcellent custard ingredients....

The ladies are supposed to lay in the cubby holes provided; but some girls have other ideas....

It would appear; even hens; can think outside the box.