May is a mix of hope and hard work as we reach the busiest planting season of the year. The hum of spring surrounds us, along with a gentle beat, as we sow, plant and hoe in tireless succession. We don’t always play music (the birds are often our preferred soundtrack) but there’s a rhythm and flow to our work and music can help with the repetition of sowing and planting, weighing and packing. It’s incredibly satisfying placing each tiny seedling into the soil or each fresh item into your box, knowing they’re grown without anything other than the love and care of healthy, well-fed soil, and maybe a gentle bossa nova.
Notes from the field
Our purple sprouting broccoli and cauliflowers were the true showstoppers in April and as we see the winter crops coming to an end, we have to practise a little patience while the summer crops mature; our bunched carrots, leafy greens and mixed salad helping us through the final month of the hungry gap. The spring onions are bulking up and the mangetout peas are in flower, meaning the pods won’t be far behind. Our indoor courgettes are in the ground, along with the beans, both dwarf and climbing and the first of the tomatoes and aubergines are being planted. We’ll be sowing flowers too, hoping to fill a few beds with colourful blooms this year. Surrounding hedgerows are bursting into life and we’re seeing bluebells and swathes of cow-parsley. We spotted our first swallow too - a breathtaking sight when you consider how far they have travelled. We' re hopeful they will return to their regular spot on the farm to nest again this year and Natasha, our team's wildlife expert, has made a nesting box to make life a little easier.
Open day at the farm: Saturday the 24th of May
The farm is heaving with the promise of fresh summer produce so what better time to invite you to come and explore? On Saturday the 24th of May we’ll be throwing open our gates and inviting you all in! Wander around our beautiful glasshouses, see where and how your produce is grown and meet the team who grow it for you. Grab a map and meander or join Harry, our head grower, for a guided tour. There’ll be complimentary tea, coffee and home-made cakes as well as kids’ activities. Head over between 10am and 1pm and don’t forget to come say hello!
Supplier spotlight: Brighton Permaculture
This month we talk to Nick Casey from Brighton Permaculture whose blended apple juices we sell in our Essentials range.
“Permaculture”, Nick explains “is a framework for regenerative living based on three principles: earth care, people care and fair share”. Founded in 2000, they run courses, plant community orchards and have founded the Scrumping Project; taking fruit that would have ordinarily been wasted and transforming them into juice. “With teams of merry volunteers we hand-pick surplus fruit from orchards in Sussex - from larger orchards, community spaces or people’s gardens,” explains Nick. “ We will then inspect and wash each apple using only the best for juice and others for cider.” They have an array of flavours and work to reintroduce nearly extinct Sussex apple varieties, with their orchards at Stanmer Park recognised as a national collection by Plant Heritage. Their blended juices range from classics like apple and pear to more unusual pairings like turmeric and black pepper and rosemary.
When they're not planting orchards and scrumping, the team can be found offering a wide range of permaculture courses - from caring for fruit trees and mushroom cultivation to harvesting energy and sustainable building If you'd like to get involved and volunteer with Brighton Permaculture or are just keen to learn more then visit their website brightonpermaculture.org.uk They are also looking for donations of fruit; "bring your fruit to us at the Fruit Factory and get involved with the process", urges Nick, "we press it all out in the open at Stanmer Park and welcome everyone or just come along and watch and chat with other apple lovers. If you have several heavy loaded trees we can even come to you." No Sussex apple need sit rotten on the lawn again and lucky for us! Not just for breakfast, the juices can be cooked with too, try throwing in a glass with some stock and roasted parsnips and blitz for soup, pour over a pork joint to roast in the oven or simply freeze as ice lollies as the weather gets warmer.
Seasonal focus
Found frequently in Japanese cooking, salad turnips aren’t quite so popular here in the UK but they’re a lovely edition to this month’s boxes. High in potassium, iron, calcium and fibre there’s a lot of goodness packed inside those little white globes, you’d be mad not to give them a try. Raw, they have a refreshing, tangy crunch, similar to a mild radish. Cooked they are sweet and buttery. ‘But what on earth do you do with them?’ so many people ask. Well, look no further, we’ve got plenty of ideas here that will make you wonder why you’ve ignored this tasty little guy for so long! Check out our May recipe for salad turnips with ginger broth and noodles and our '4 ways with salad turnips' feature.
That's it for this month. See you down at the farm on the 24th!
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