Church Farm Your Weekly Newsletter Friday 6th January 2012 A Note from the Grower Composting is a particular enthusiasm of mine, as it should be for any gardener, I believe. T here is something deeply satisfying about the deliberate harnessing of natural processes to render nasty, smelly, organic materials into a dark, crumbly “soil”, teeming with life and everything a growing plant needs. Given time, of course, everything that lives will return to the earth as something like garden compost. But a skilful gardener, when building a compost heap, knows what materials to use and how to combine them, in order to achieve the best and fastest results. T he stuff available to the composter comes as two types: “greens” and “browns”. T he “greens” consist of any humid organic material that has recently been alive. T his includes all kitchen waste, (avoid cooked stuff), non-woody garden refuse such as grass cuttings and weeds (except roots of perennials and anything that has set seed), manures of herbivorous animals and poultry if available, and from the allotment or market garden, recently removed crop residues. T he “browns” are any older, dryer ingredients such as straw, hay, shredded paper and cardboard. Building a good compost heap entails making alternate layers of these “greens” and “browns”, thereby helping to generate the correct balance of carbon and nitrogen, and keep a good quantity of air is trapped in the structure of the heap. T his will ensure that the conditions favour aerobic bacteria; bugs that need oxygen in order to function. T hese critters break down the compost rapidly and produce a surprising level of heat in the process, which helps to destroy any plant pathogens or weed seeds that might have got into the mix. A compost pile made in this fashion will begin to rot down very quickly, and you will notice it collapse over a couple of weeks. T hereafter, regular turning will re-aerate the heap and hasten the reduction of all that stuff into something resembling malt loaf. It is a magical transformation, and there is no better soil improver or plant food than well made garden compost. Happy Composting! Rik Photo: http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/tips/tips-on-making-a-compost-heap/ Born on Christmas Day... It was a busy Christmas for our sows this year, as we had 37 piglets born on the day! One of our pigs farrowed a Church Farm record of 17 piglets in a single litter. Three of those have been fostered to another sow to relieve some of the strain on the mother and try to ensure that all of the piglets thrive. Unlike on many large-scale farms, where pigs are shut into restrictive farrowing crates, our pigs give birth naturally. If you come to visit the farm, you can see the piglets living with their mothers in the field. ...37 Piglets! A New Year Treat We will soon be harvesting a special fruit, which we’ll be sending out to all our Church Farm box customers. They’re brown and look like a cross between an apple and a rosehip, and they’re called Medlars. This is a traditional fruit that was popular in Britain for hundreds of years, but has recently fallen from favour. When ripe on the tree, the fruit is rock- hard and bitter, and it must go through the unusual process of bletting before it is edible. This involves laying out the fruit (end down on a plate indoors) for a couple of weeks while the cells begin to break down and release their sugars. The way to eat medlars is also a little unusual, it’s best to suck the fruit, so that the skin and seeds are left behind, and just the flesh is eaten. They can also be baked whole, or made into jellies or jams. Medlars supposedly also have medicinal uses, in addition to treatments for piles and miscarriages, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (1653) says that they can be used “to strengthen the retentive faculty; therefore it stays women’s longings. The good old man cannot endure women’s minds should run a gadding.” Sources: http://www.complete- herbal.com/culpepper/ medlar.htm http://kitchengardeners. org/memories-medlar http://www.guardian. co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/ nov/27/alys-fowler- medlars
06/01/12 Church Farm Weekly Newsletter
Mar 11, 2016
Check out our weekly newsletters - published every Friday - which include information about the Farm, Café and Store and events and workshops. You’ll also find lots of facts and figures, hints, tips and recipes, and up to date articles on important issues, such as animal welfare and climate change. If you have anything important you’d like to share, please contact us!
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Church FarmYour Weekly Newsletter
Friday 6th January 2012
A Note from the Grower
Composting is a particular enthusiasm of mine, as it should be for any gardener, I believe. There is something deeply satisfying about the deliberate harnessing of natural processes to render nasty, smelly, organic materials into a dark, crumbly “soil”, teeming with life and everything a growing plant needs. Given time, of course, everything that lives will return to the earth as something like garden compost. But a skilful gardener, when building a compost heap, knows what materials to use and how to combine them, in order to achieve the best and fastest results. The stuff available to the composter comes as two types: “greens” and “browns”. The “greens” consist of any humid organic material that has recently been alive. This includes all kitchen waste, (avoid cooked stuff), non-woody garden refuse such as grass cuttings and weeds (except roots of perennials and anything that has set seed), manures of herbivorous animals and poultry if available, and from the allotment or market garden, recently removed crop residues. The “browns” are any older, dryer ingredients such as straw, hay, shredded paper and cardboard. Building a good compost heap entails making alternate layers of these “greens” and “browns”, thereby helping to generate the correct balance of carbon and nitrogen, and keep a good quantity of air is trapped in the structure of the heap. This will ensure that the conditions favour aerobic bacteria; bugs that need oxygen in order to function. These critters break down the compost rapidly and produce a surprising level of heat in the process, which helps to destroy any plant pathogens or weed seeds that might have got into the mix. A compost pile made in this fashion will begin to rot down very quickly, and you will notice it collapse over a couple of weeks. Thereafter, regular turning will re-aerate the heap and hasten the reduction of all that stuff into something resembling malt loaf. It is a magical transformation, and there is no better soil improver or plant food than well made garden compost. Happy Composting! RikPhoto: http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/tips/tips-on-making-a-compost-heap/
Born on Christmas Day...
It was a busy Christmas for our sows this year, as we had 37 piglets born on the day!
One of our pigs farrowed a Church Farm record of 17 piglets in a single litter. Three of those have been fostered to another sow to relieve some of the strain on the mother and try to ensure that all of the piglets thrive.
Unlike on many large-scale farms, where pigs are shut into restrictive farrowing crates, our pigs give birth naturally. If you come to visit the farm, you can see the piglets living with their mothers in the field.
...37 Piglets!
A New Year TreatWe will soon be harvesting a special fruit, which we’ll be sending out to all our Church Farm box customers. They’re brown and look like a cross between an apple and a rosehip, and they’re called Medlars. This is a traditional fruit that was popular in Britain for hundreds of years, but has recently fallen from favour.
When ripe on the tree, the fruit is rock-hard and bitter, and it must go through the unusual process of bletting before it is edible. This involves laying out the fruit (end down on a plate indoors) for a couple of weeks while the cells begin to break down and release their sugars.
The way to eat medlars is also a little unusual, it’s best to suck the fruit, so that the skin and seeds are left behind, and just the flesh is eaten. They can also be baked whole, or made into jellies or jams.
Medlars supposedly also have medicinal uses, in addition to treatments for piles and miscarriages, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (1653) says that they can be used “to strengthen the retentive faculty; therefore it stays women’s longings. The good old man cannot endure women’s minds should run a gadding.”
Sources:http://www.complete-herbal.com/culpepper/medlar.htm http://kitchengardeners.org/memories-medlar http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/27/alys-fowler-medlars
Church Farm, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7AH, T: 01438 861 447E: [email protected] www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk
What’s in my box next week?
MEATFarm VarietySausages, chicken, diced pork, minced beef, back bacon
Old English CutsLamb’s liver, chicken, diced pork, bag of bones
Premium SelectionSausages, chicken fillet, back bacon
VEGETABLESExtra Small (6 varieties)Potato, carrot, onion, curly kale, aubergine, tomato, pumpkin
Small (8 varieties)January king cabbage, red pepper
Medium (10 varieties)Mini leeks, parsnips
Large (12 varieties)Cauliflower, celeriac/beetroot
Extra Large (15 varieties)Herb bunch, tbc
FRUITApples (Jonagoreds), bananas, kiwis, pears, oranges, mangoes.
Please note that these are standard items and are subject to change.
If you have asked not to be supplied with a particular item, a substitute will be provided in your box.
Real Ales: Real Food : Warm Welcome at the Jolly Waggoner
Book a table today to avoid disappointment! Call 01438 861 350
www.thejollywaggoner.co.uk
Ingredients1 small onion, chopped175g (6 oz) mushrooms500g (1 1/4 lb) lean beef mince4 tbsp fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs1 tbsp dried mixed herbs1 tbsp tomato puréeSalt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteFlour, for shaping
MethodPlace onion and mushrooms in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add mince, breadcrumbs, herbs, tomato purée, salt and pepper. Process in bursts for a few seconds at a time, until mixture binds together but still has some texture. Mould handfuls of the mince mixture into burger patties using lightly floured hands. Using a large frying pan or griddle, cook the burgers for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until evenly cooked. Serve with relish and salad, in burger buns or pitta breads.
Beef and Mushroom Burgers
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/304/beef-and-mushroom-burgers.aspx
Everyone at Rural Care is excited about the New Year ahead, and all it could bring. After a festive few weeks, the Schools and North Herts College are returning to continue learning and working on the farm, and soon we will be busy with assessments for the Animal Care Course. It’s been a successful course so far, and everyone involved has progressed significantly already. This week we’ve been busy keeping the animals warm and fed in the wet and windy weather, and checking the trees and outhouses for any storm damage. We’ve also stocked up on firewood to keep the cold and damp at bay. Our refurbishments continue, and thanks to our resident handyman Kevin, we now have a brand new floor in our main shed, as well as sturdy and colourful ramps for each entrance to make Rural Care more accessible. Happy New Year from all at Rural Care!
Refurbishments at Rural Care
Orange MarmaladeIngredients6-8 small marmalade oranges, weighing about 550gJuice of 1 lemon1.4 litres water1.1 kg granulated sugar
MethodSlice the oranges in half. Using a metal spoon, scoop out the flesh over a bowl to collect any juice, leaving the pith behind. Reserve the shells. Put the flesh, juice and pips in a food processor and blend until smooth. Push the purée through a sieve into a preserving pan or large heavy-based saucepan. Now scoop out as much of the pith from the shells as possible. Slice the rind into very thin matchstick strips and add these to the sieved flesh in the pan. Pour in the lemon juice and water. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the rind is very soft and the mixture has reduced by half. Over a low heat, add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Boil for about 10 minutes, skimming off any froth on the surface. After 10 minutes, spoon a little of the marmalade onto a cold plate and place in the fridge. If it sets to a jelly the marmalade is cooked. If necessary, cook for a further 5-10 minutes and test again. Allow the marmalade to cool slightly, then pour into the sterilized jars.
http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513116
Frozen Meat Special Offers - While Stocks LastFree Range Whole ChickenWas £5.59 a kilo, now just £3.59 a kilo
Free Range Prime Red Poll Beef MinceWas £6.59 a kilo, now just £5.99 a kilo
Free Range Pedigree Boneless Pork Roasting JointWas £6.99 a kilo, now just £5.99 a kilo
Related Documents
