We are a group of micro farmers who welcome anyone who keeps animals or grows vegetables and fruit, or loves cooking! Who would like to come along to our meetings or events and share their experiences with others. You don't need to have lots of animals to be a "smallholder." Many people who grow vegetables, have some bees or maybe a couple of backyard chickens come along and enjoy the meetings and events as well.
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Newsletter - September 2011
August has been another hectic month with loads going on.
August Meeting
Blue Boar – W H Marriage and Sons Ltd
James Marriage, from W H Marriage and Sons Ltd, gave a full and interesting talk on their range of feeds, as well as giving a potted history of the company to date.Details on the types of feed and how they are produced was very informative showing members the importance of the different types of feeds available for all types of livestock. For the less experienced, the information on the levels of proteins found in the various poultry feeds was helpful.
James also explained the value of their Layers pellets which contain Flubenvet and how members could obtain this for their flocks. More details on this and the feeds that Marriages supply can be found on the blog - (East Essex Blog Flubenvet ).
James also highlighted their “mixed tonne pallet” that they offer to smallholders’ and which is proving popular in many parts of the UK, including crofters in Scotland! For those who are unsure of what this is, it is a “mixed tonne pallet” where the tonne is made up of a number of different feeds, for example poultry feed, pig feed and horse feed. For smallholders who want to share a pallet, this is also good idea as it saves not only on overall cost but also transportation – which saves penguins (?)
Marriages are also looking to offer online purchase of feeds – www.marriagefeeds.co.uk
Press Coverage
James also explained the value of their Layers pellets which contain Flubenvet and how members could obtain this for their flocks. More details on this and the feeds that Marriages supply can be found on the blog - (East Essex Blog Flubenvet ).
James also highlighted their “mixed tonne pallet” that they offer to smallholders’ and which is proving popular in many parts of the UK, including crofters in Scotland! For those who are unsure of what this is, it is a “mixed tonne pallet” where the tonne is made up of a number of different feeds, for example poultry feed, pig feed and horse feed. For smallholders who want to share a pallet, this is also good idea as it saves not only on overall cost but also transportation – which saves penguins (?)
Marriages are also looking to offer online purchase of feeds – www.marriagefeeds.co.uk
Press Coverage
Darren, PR extraordinaire, has been badgering the local newspapers and we have had coverage in both the Essex Chronicle and the Maldon and Burnham Standard over the past week or so.
Hopefully, after the great day we had at Bell Meadow Show, Woodham Walter, there will be even more exposure for the group. So don’t forget to look in this week’s editions of the papers.
For those who would like to come along, please meet at the Cafe and Museum at 7pm.
Tea and coffee will be provided and this should finish at approximately 8.30pm.
Afterwards, John and Isabel Doubleday, have kindly invited members to their home.
The Olde Smoke House
Beetroot are fattening up but again slow, I wonder if the ground has not been warm enough. Plenty of time for more salad crops provided you keep the frost off.
Late lettuces will go on, as will salad leaves and Pak Choi.
Brassicas got off to a good start with the early cabbages hearting up nicely but the spring heat wave sent the summer varieties up too quickly with either bolting or small heads.
The amount of cabbage white butterflies have played havoc, trying to watch out for caterpillars constantly. I think the winter varieties will do well later on and are looking good right now.
Strawberries are still going strong and putting out lots of runners. I put a 4” pot of soil under each new plantlet and pin it down, then carry on doing this as new shoots develop, once rooted, they can be cut off from the parent plant, you will have lots of new plants for next year and plenty to sell at the Show’s (hint!)
Most of the soft fruit has finished although late Raspberries are at their best now as are blackberries. Cultivated are ready to pick but the wild ones are going over, although there are still lots about if you get out there.
Fruit trees have been excellent this year with great crops and wasps do not seem to have got at the plums too badly.
So, what can we do now? Sow late cabbages for winter and spring, there are a lot of plants available in the garden centres if you have not sown seed.
Carrots, turnip and parsnips can be sown, they will yield some nice roots although expect small size.
Late lettuces and pak choi will mature before it gets too cold. If you have cloches you can get a good range of salad crops going right up to Christmas.
Start clearing up windfalls as these can rot and spread disease. Danni’s pigs will thank you for these.
Cut strawberries back to just the centre crown once the fruit has finished and the runners taken off.
Well, that will do for now, see you in October and will deal with some pruning of fruit trees and soft fruit.
Website Update
Darren and Carlie have been working on the website – do take the time to have a look at it.
www.eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
Feedback would be very welcome – feedback@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
If anyone has any photographs of livestock, particularly some funny ones, we are looking to have a gallery – please send these to Darren at PR@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
Bell Meadow Show
27 August – Woodham Walter
What a fabulous day! Again, we have been asked if we would attend next year. A resounding YES!
The Team arrived just before 10 at the meadow and erected our ever growing number of gazebos (mostly being pop up style thank goodness – which saves on the stress levels). Within an hour and a half, all was done. Pigs, sheep, ducks, turkeys, chickens and the new edition to the entourage – Georgina’s quail - were all penned happily.
So organised, we had time to touch up our makeup, put on our new polo shirts with our very own logo and have our photos taken…….
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| First Group photo with our new polo shirts |
Gates opened at 1pm (after we had all had lunch courtesy of Helen and Toni, our catering crew). Visitors enjoyed talking to members of the Group about various things, from simple “what does that chicken eat” to complex details on bee keeping and pig rearing!
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| Visitors |
Lewis, our youngest member, thoroughly enjoyed the day, with his wheelbarrow of chocolate biscuits. Here, he is having his photo taken with Dude and Fred (Suffolk cross and Oxford Down sheep) and Darren! Darren is not a sheep, but found natural fame with the press having his photo taken constantly throughout the day.
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| Cllr Robert Long viewing the sheep pen NB Darren is a rare breed! |
As ever our intrepid Press Officer secured a photo shoot of Cllr Robert Long, Chairman of Maldon District Council again with Dude and Fred.
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| PR Officer Sewell and one of our youngest members - Lewis - with Dude |
Five new members were signed up, however, Carlie forgot to empty her pockets and washed her trousers with their details in! No one has dared to tell Danni yet......... Carlie has left the country..... so if any of those new members haven’t received their newsletter via email – please please email membership@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk thanks.
We were inundated with visitors throughout the day who were very interested in all our livestock and what the group was doing. This was very encouraging and showed that we are heading in the right direction. Thanks Danni, without your impetus none of this would have happened!
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| inside Gazebo City |
The day was beautiful.... until it came to taking down Gazebo City when the heavens opened.
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| Gazebo City |
Thankfully it only took 50 minutes to pack everything up thanks to hardworking team members, especially Maurice and Gareth, who kept going out in the rain.
Once everything was packed up, Danni “slid” out of the gate, narrowly missing the front of the pub, waving to bystanders as she went!
“See you next year” was her parting comment!
“See you next year” was her parting comment!
A big thank you to everyone who helped, everyone who came to see us and those behind the scenes.
September Meeting
Tuesday 20 September 2011 – Tiptree Jam Factory, 7pm PROMPT
Our September meeting is a visit to:
Wilkins Jam Factory at Tiptree, CO5 0RF
Tel: 01621 815407
Email: tiptree@tiptree.co.uk
Web: www.tiptree.com
Tel: 01621 815407
Email: tiptree@tiptree.co.uk
Web: www.tiptree.com
Wilkins Director, Chris Newenham, has agreed to give us a guided tour and talk on the production works at the site, growing fruit and the environmental implications of growing fruit.
For those who would like to come along, please meet at the Cafe and Museum at 7pm.
Tea and coffee will be provided and this should finish at approximately 8.30pm.
Afterwards, John and Isabel Doubleday, have kindly invited members to their home.
Their address is Goat Lodge Farm, Great Totham, CM9 8BX.
The Olde Smoke House
| Cambozola soft cheese - available at most supermarkets |
For those who are interested, Vince is firing up the The Olde Smoke House, Furzedown on Sunday 18 September at 9am.
Cold Smoke is for hams, bacons, fish and cheeses – Carlie’s
Cambozola was fabulous.
(Cambozola is a cow's milk cheese that is a combination of a French soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola)
Hot Smoke is for bacon joints, loins of cured pork or ribs.
If you would like to try this out, please email Danni – chair@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk stating what you would like to put in.
All produce MUST be at Furzedown, Main Road, Mundon CM9 6NU by 8.30am on Sunday 18 September.
Produce will then be available for collection 7pm-9pm that evening.
Dig It
by Terry Adger
Cambozola was fabulous.
(Cambozola is a cow's milk cheese that is a combination of a French soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola)
Hot Smoke is for bacon joints, loins of cured pork or ribs.
If you would like to try this out, please email Danni – chair@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk stating what you would like to put in.
All produce MUST be at Furzedown, Main Road, Mundon CM9 6NU by 8.30am on Sunday 18 September.
Produce will then be available for collection 7pm-9pm that evening.
Dig It
by Terry Adger
Well, it feels like summer has gone with a definite touch of autumn in the air, much cooler and certainly wetter.
Most of the garden produce is over halfway used up but still plenty to pick and dig for this month. Potatoes have been very good although the yields of earlies were not high, the mids were very good. Did you get in a sowing for Christmas? I put two bags in but they have come on so well, I think they will be gone before December.
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| Spuds |
Onions and shallots were very good, nice size and plenty of them, these should be drying out nicely and keep us going until next year.
Beans have been going on and on but have stopped flowering now and I do not think they will last much longer. Let the runner beans go on ripening on the plant if they are getting woody, the beans inside are worth cooking and delicious. Peas are also coming to an end and probably will not get another sowing in now unless you have a poly tunnel.
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| Keep some of your runner beans for seed for next year |
Tomatoes seemed to take a long time to ripen but are now coming on steadily. If the plants start going over, pick the fruit off and ripen on the window cill.
Marrows and courgettes are still going but without sunshine, will not set the flowers for more fruit. Marrows will store for weeks in a cool dry shed, so let them grow on until the plant starts to go over then cut them off and store them.
Carrots again seemed to take a while before they put on any growth but are just right now. You can get another sowing in if you choose a late variety, they will happily grow into the winter. Swede, turnip and parsnip will be putting on weight and again should go right into winter. If you have a lot, they will store if you lift them and put them inside in boxes of dry soil. They need to be covered or will shrink and turn woody, all need to be kept in the dark or will go green and bitter.
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| Beautiful beetroot - try roasting it as a change |
Beetroot are fattening up but again slow, I wonder if the ground has not been warm enough. Plenty of time for more salad crops provided you keep the frost off.
Late lettuces will go on, as will salad leaves and Pak Choi.
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| pak choi - try it next year |
Sweetcorn is ripening but not a high yield; even the commercial crops are not good. The plants are healthy enough just not a big crop.
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| Sweetcorn - grown here in a slightly raised bed - protected from rabbits and other pests |
Brassicas got off to a good start with the early cabbages hearting up nicely but the spring heat wave sent the summer varieties up too quickly with either bolting or small heads.
The amount of cabbage white butterflies have played havoc, trying to watch out for caterpillars constantly. I think the winter varieties will do well later on and are looking good right now.
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| Cabbage white |
Strawberries are still going strong and putting out lots of runners. I put a 4” pot of soil under each new plantlet and pin it down, then carry on doing this as new shoots develop, once rooted, they can be cut off from the parent plant, you will have lots of new plants for next year and plenty to sell at the Show’s (hint!)
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| Strawberry runner |
Most of the soft fruit has finished although late Raspberries are at their best now as are blackberries. Cultivated are ready to pick but the wild ones are going over, although there are still lots about if you get out there.
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| autumn blackberries - ready to pick wild from the hedgerows |
Fruit trees have been excellent this year with great crops and wasps do not seem to have got at the plums too badly.
So, what can we do now? Sow late cabbages for winter and spring, there are a lot of plants available in the garden centres if you have not sown seed.
 |
| Sow late carrots, turnip and parsnips |
Carrots, turnip and parsnips can be sown, they will yield some nice roots although expect small size.
Late lettuces and pak choi will mature before it gets too cold. If you have cloches you can get a good range of salad crops going right up to Christmas.
Start clearing up windfalls as these can rot and spread disease. Danni’s pigs will thank you for these.
Cut strawberries back to just the centre crown once the fruit has finished and the runners taken off.
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| Clear windfalls - be careful of any sluggish wasps that might be around |
Once crops are out of the ground, roughly turn it over to get some air into the soil. It is worth turning in some rough compost at this time to help break the soil down and allow moisture in.
A little at a time will avoid a major job in November.
Cut herbs back to ground level once they have finished flowering, this helps the plant from exhausting itself making seed.
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| Single dig to arate the soil |
A little at a time will avoid a major job in November.
Cut herbs back to ground level once they have finished flowering, this helps the plant from exhausting itself making seed.
| Herbs - grown here in pots |
Well, that will do for now, see you in October and will deal with some pruning of fruit trees and soft fruit.
Terry
Website Update
Darren and Carlie have been working on the website – do take the time to have a look at it.
www.eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
Feedback would be very welcome – feedback@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
If anyone has any photographs of livestock, particularly some funny ones, we are looking to have a gallery – please send these to Darren at PR@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
In Profile - The Adder - Vipera berus
Adders can be variable in colour, but typically the background colour differs in males and females.
Males tend towards a grey, whitish, occasionally yellowish colour. The contrast with the black markings can make them appear almost silver.
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| Male Adder |
The females tend to be brownish with considerable variation of shade and occasional hints of red or yellow – although in the latter case always a much darker shade than the males.
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| Female adder |
Both sexes are similarly marked. Typically these markings are very pronounced and extremely easy to identify, consisting of a heavy dark zigzag pattern down the back with dark spots in rows on the flanks.
At the back of the head there is a heavy “V” or “X” shaped marking and a dark band running from behind each eye.
The young are coloured and marked much like adult females.
Although Adders are rather stocky snakes they are not very big, seldom exceeding 60 cms in length, the males being slightly shorter.
The head shape is notably different from the other British snakes being rather broad and angular with an upturned snout.
The eyes are large and tend to be reddish in colour with a vertical pupil – again a feature unique to this species in this country.
The back pattern can vary in some individuals.
With these variations there are occasional individuals that are not readily identifiable.
A Snake in the grass.....or amongst the pumpkin by Helen Quinnell
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| Picture 1 - lovely spuds |
I started by collecting a large bucket of kale and got that soaking whilst I pulled up a few carrots before heading down to the potatoes. I was very excited with my haul of spuds – our biggest pots to date – see picture 1. They made great roasties too!
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| Picture 2 - Darren being very brave...... |
Pleased with what I had gathered I thought I would do a quick tidy of some unwanted netting before I left. I grabbed the net and its wire frame and pulled it out of the ground. As I moved it through the air to throw on the grass I noticed a rather large dark objected in the middle of the bunched green net. A shriek of surprise confirmed my fear as I realised the dark object was in fact a snake!
Now Steve Irwin I’m not and I had heard that there are Adders in these parts of the county– could my new friend be dangerous? By now a fellow allotment holder, who helped me examine my find, had joined me. Neither of us knew whether this slippery chap was the kind you should cross the road to avoid but what we did know was that he wasn’t happy. He had obviously been stuck in the net for a few days and was getting distressed with two giants looking over him and sent out a less than delightful aroma to tell us to ‘go away’.
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| Picture 3 - Grass snake carefully disentangled |
We freed the frightened one as much we could with a knife but still unsure of his nature I decided to load him into the wheel barrow and take him the two minute walk home where I could contact someone that is more knowledgeable and check out exactly what I was dealing with. Luckily this particular day Darren, my long suffering boyfriend was doing some work on our garden so as I raced round the corner, still slightly in shock, they were able to confirm that it was, in fact, a Grass Snake and my life was not actually in danger!
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| Picture 4 - George the Grass Snake having a drink! |
Between them they carefully snipped the entwined net away from the prisoner and gave him a much-needed drink. See pictures 2 & 3.
Once we were satisfied the snake was alright (see picture 4) the boys took him back to the allotments and set him free in the surrounding bushes.
It certainly made me think about learning to identify some of the indigenous snakes of Britain, particularly the Adder! See picture 5.
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| Picture 5 - This is an adder....... |
Do you know your snakes?
EDITOR:
Very glad there was a sizzling happy ending to this tale..... keep a watch out folks - next time it could be an adder........
click the link for more information on snakes
Monday 29 August 2011
Bell Meadow Show - 28 August 2011 - Woodham Walter
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| How many men does it take to put up the boards? |
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| Danni directing opertions |
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| Gazebo City |
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| "Jus' like that" |
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| Team EESG - Carlie missing as she is taking the picture |
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| Darren just loves the camera - photographer to the left.... |
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| Cllr Robert Long, Chairman of Maldon District Council meets Fred and Dude |
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| Look.... I want to climb in here...... |
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| Gloucester Old Spots x 3 |
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| Lewis, one of our youngest members with Dude, Fred and Darren. Darren in the tee-shirt! |
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| "What lovely eyes you have!" |
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| SHEEP - never do what you want them too |
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| Relaxing |
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| What's his name? |
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| Hello Mr Sheep |
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| Let me out! |
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| Am I cute or am I cute? |
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| No I'm the cute one! |
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| What is that red thing? |
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| Gosh - loads of people.... |
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| Look girls, these are Gloucester Old Spots |
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