Church Farm Your Weekly Newsletter Friday 13th April 2012 A Note from the Grower April already and it’s time to sow those summer lovin’ crops such as climbing French beans, sweetcorn and winter squash. T hese three are usually grown separately in the garden, especially if a standard crop rotation system is in place. However, they can also be grown in a remarkable companionship called the “T hree Sisters”. T his technique derives from the wisdom of various Native American tribes, for whom the three crops were all staple foods. T hese people had strong beliefs about the importance of these crops and their relationship with each other, the land and the people, but there are many purely practical aspects of their success as a companionship, not least the fact that up to 20% increased aggregate yields can be achieved from similar areas of land growing the crops separately, with lower expense of water and fertilizer. T he association involves planting the three crops together in such a way that they each play a beneficial role to the others within the system. T he corn provides a structure for the beans to climb on, removing the need for assemblage of poles or strings. T he beans, coming as they do from the legume family of plants, fix atmospheric nitrogen to the soil and thereby help to provide essential fertility for all three sisters. In their turn, the squashes sprawl over the ground, spreading their large leaves to shade the soil, suppressing weeds and conserving soil moisture. As foods as well as growing plants, the three sisters complement each other perfectly, between them providing a balanced range of nutrients important for human health. Oh, and by the way, it looks wonderful too. At Church Farm we won’t quite be following this technique on the scale we work on; our beans on their own currently form an important part of our conventional crop rotation. However we do intend to intercrop sweetcorn and winter squash. For the sake of a little inconvenience regarding harvesting of the corn, the benefits in terms of yield per acre of land and aesthetic enjoyment should be great. Rik Image: http://www.motherearthnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=1502&category=Pest%20Controls.jpg You may have seen one of the articles that have been published recently about supermarkets (particularly Waitrose and Sainsburys) selling Monsanto broccoli under branding that disguises the fact that it is a strain created by the mulitnational seed supplier who are famous for their other GM stocks. If you’d like to find out more about Monsanto, there’s a very interesting article on the links page of our website which details their poor treatment of farmers in America. Monsanto Broccoli in Supermarkets Purple sprouting broccoli should be stored in an airtight bag at the bottom of your fridge. This veg is one of the first leafy greens to appear for a few months and it’s a sign of the exciting colourful treats to come. It cooks in a similar way to whole head broccoli but will take a little less time. You can boil, stir fry or steam some with butter or oil to taste, and it will add some beautiful colour to your plate. The leaves are really tasty and a great texture contrast to the heads so don’t throw them away. You can also eat it raw - add it to a salad, or enjoy it with a dip for a fresh crunchy snack. Interesting fact: Purple sprouting broccoli was first cultivated by the Romans. Broccoli has been grown in the UK since the early 18th century, although the purple sprouting variety has only risen to prominence in the last 30 years. Getting the Best from your Box Rhubarb and Apple Chutney If you’re not a big rhubarb fan, or you only think of crumble when you’re wondering how to cook it, don’t worry, there are lots of ways to enjoy this fantastic early season fruit. Here’s a savoury option, to be eaten with cheese, oily fish or pork. Makes 3 x 500ml jars Ingredients 300ml cider vinegar 400g brown sugar 300g raisins 2 inch piece ginger, grated 1 orange, juiced large pinch allspice 800g rhubarb, washed and chopped 2 Bramley apples, peeled and chopped Method Put all the ingredients except the apple and rhubarb in a large pan with 1 tsp salt. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved then boil for 10 minutes. Add the apple and rhubarb then cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Decant into sterilised jars (wash in hot soapy water and dry in a warm oven) and store in the fridge until required. The longer it’s left the better it will taste. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/reci- pes/1013637/rhubarb-and-apple-chutney