3rd August

I had to go the the dentist today to get a big filling replaced. Despite my dentist being an absolute legend whom I have known and trusted for 40 years, I'm still very uncomfortable about opening my mouth as wide as possible to let someone fiddle around with needles and pneumatic drills whilst I sit there at their mercy.

Not nearly as uncomfortable though as when I got back from the dentist at lunchtime and had to spend the same amount of time watering tomato and cucumber plants in the polytunnel. I think that I'm now entitled to use the word ridiculous to describe the temperature in that polytunnel!

Good news is that the tomatoes are doing well. The cucumbers appear to have taken a bit of a break from growing fruit though so I need to get them sorted.

Whilst I was watering, I was thinking about what I should write this evening, and I was thinking that I can't go on about the weather yet again. I have some interesting changes to talk about but I figured that I will have to mention the weather as it really is dominating life for a market farmer.

I had one of these delivered today

We'll come back to that later as I want to talk about other things that I think are very important

We get a lot of positive feedback about our "a la carte" veg boxes, but we also get feedback from people saying that they can't be done with selecting and just want the best of what is currently in season.

We have therefore introduced two veggie box options to give them a try; one with the nutrition rich microgreens, and one without.

A quick reminder that we only sell what we grow ourselves, so when we say "in season" that is only what is at its best in this corner of East Sussex.

Talking of what is in season, unfortunately, we are at the time of year when the new potatoes have finished , but I have added a standard white offering this week

as well as a mix of our reds and whites

The other change to our offering is that we have made some price changes.

However, unlike the broadband and utility companies, we actually mean changes rather than just increases! I have previously mentioned that our prices are based on the average of the organic farmers regulated by the soil association. I regularly check back to that, and as a result, have made these changes this week:

Spinach has gone up from £2-50 to £3

Chard has gone down from £3-50 to £3

Green beans are down from £4 to £3-50

All choices of courgette are down from £1-25 each to £1 each

We need another photo...

It looks like the remains of a bonfire right? (It is in colour believe it or not!!!)

Nope, that is soil in the second bed of climbing beans, and I have dug down about 6 inches. Despite some watering, it is like dust, and the poor young beans are showing some signs of stress

I had been thinking that it is only a matter of time before the clouds come and help me,

but I've finally accepted that if I wait any longer there will be nothing left. So, referring back to my purchase that I showed at the start of the blog, this is what it looked like all rigged up. I think it was roughly half four by the time I had this set up 😁

So I have four sprinklers that are going to work overnight, and the timer has a separate program for each sprinkler

1) On at 22-30, off at midnight

2) On at 00-30, off at 2am

3) On at 2-30am, off at 4pm

4) On at 4-30am, off at 6am

To me, the concept of growing organically that I cherish, means going back to the wholesome, nutritional, old fashioned methods of farming without any nasty synthetics.

However, I ask you to excuse me if I embrace modern technology to allow me to work in my sleep!! 😉

These guys aren't officially due for another month!