Hello and Welcome to Another Newsletter From East Essex Smallholders
July has been great, as a group we had a stand at the Southminster show (more about that later), got lots of new members and held its very first Annual General Meeting.
The elected committee members are as follows
Chairperson - Danielle Perkins
Treasurer - Helen Quinnell
Secretary - Carlie Mayes
Committee Members - Donna Perkins, Caroline Smith, Darren Sewell and Chris Harris
The full AGM minutes will be put onto the web site in due course, however, they are on this Chitchat.
As a group we have also opened a bank account so we have somewhere to put all of the sponsorship money we are hoping to get from local companies.
As a group we have also opened a bank account so we have somewhere to put all of the sponsorship money we are hoping to get from local companies.
So if you have any ideas of companies we could approach please e-mail
events@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
It was really good to see so many new faces at the July meeting, some people were just starting out on their smallholding adventure, some thinking about it and others with lots of experience. It was great to chat to and it would be really good to see everyone again at the August meeting.
As we mentioned In a previous newletter we are thinking of organising another trip to the Venison Farm in Fambridge possibly at the end of October - if we go then there should be some venison for sale. If you would be interested please e-mail the above address.
Southminster Flower Show
Danielle, Carlie ,Phil, Wayne and Donna braved the dismal weather to attend the Southminster Flower show on 16th July 2011.
We all arrived about 10.30am it was raining but we were optimistic it would brighten up !
Two hours later the pens and gazebos were erected and the animals in place we were soaked to the skin and it was still raining, but ever hopeful the sun would appear we settled in our little tent for refreshments .
After a few mugs of tea and a slice of homemade cake finished off with some of Phil’s sloe vodka and Elderberry jelly the world was looking a better place.
After a few mugs of tea and a slice of homemade cake finished off with some of Phil’s sloe vodka and Elderberry jelly the world was looking a better place.
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| Phil, Gareth and Carlie |
Other stands were packing up and going home giving up on the weather but NO we stood fast and waited for that sun!
4pm the clouds dispersed and out came the sun at last.
The show ground started to fill and we then had a steady stream of people for the rest of the afternoon.
The animals behaved impeccably although Carlie's poor Poland chickens had very wet hairdos and Dude the sheep was a little grumpy and did threaten to head butt one small lad but overall they were marvellous.
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| Fred, Dude and Lottie |
Many people showed much interest in the group and we look forward to seeing them at future meetings.
We have already been asked if we would attend the show again next year so I think the group and some of our animals were a great success again!
The Old Smoke House at Furzedown
The smoke house will be fired up again Sunday 14th August 2011 at 10.00am
Anyone is welcome to put something in (NO CHARGE)
So come on have a go ,
Why not try curing your own bacon or ham and then finish it of with a cold smoke .............very tasty. or you could try fish or cheese.
Have a look on the following websites for a few ideas.
Or for you first timers why not buy and unsmoked Gammon Ham from the supermarket and pop in you will be surprised how nice it tastes.
To give us an idea of numbers please email Danielle Perkins
This should be the month of little work and reaping the rewards for what we have done so far this year.
Almost all the vegetables should be being picked or dug now. Potatoes are into the “mids” with all the salad types nearly gone but the mid are bigger and have more all round use. Most of the beans should be producing steady pickings. After a slow start they picked up well but it is most important to keep beans watered, any stress caused by lack of water will cause the flowers and young “beanlets” to drop off, this is true for peas as well. Keep picking as they are big enough and this will encourage more flowers. Marrows and courgettes should be yielding a nice few, don’t let them get too big or they become tough skinned and full of seeds, still edible of course but not nearly as tasty. Carrots and beetroot should be big enough to pull a few now and again; the gaps will help the rest to get bigger.
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| Carrots |
I am trying to make up my mind whether to lift the shallots as I desperately need the ground to get more spinach and rocket in. I think I am going to be a bit more patient, at least for another couple of weeks. Once the Shallot tops start showing signs of dying is best really. Main crop onions are at about the same stage but can be picked and used straight away, they are at their strongest flavour straight out of the ground.
My tomatoes are slow this year, although they have plenty of fruit they are a long way from picking yet both outside and under glass, patience again! Do keep them well watered to avoid tough skins and splitting. Cucumbers shot away, set some fruit, and then stopped growing. Once I picked these, the plants started off again- still will have fruit for longer in the season.
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| Sweetcorn |
Almost all the spring planted cabbage have gone but I put in some winter red cabbage and round cabbage, just need to keep the butterflies off them, there seems to be a lot of large white about this year.
Funny time of year for salad, the early sown crops have all gone but worth putting in a little salad leaves, rocket and spinach to keep a supply of fresh leaves going.
Sweetcorn looks well away with flower heads and cobs forming, again keep them watered for nice juicy kernels. As soon as you get two or more flower heads fully opening given them a shake together to improve germination.
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| Strawberries |
casualties and keep a strong stock to start again. Any over you can use as “swaps” or save for selling at next years Blackwater Show! Soft fruit has been really good this year and to keep the plants strong start pruning back as soon as the fruit has been picked. Gooseberries should be cut to open up the middles forming a cup shape.
With the huge amount of soft fruit around, it would take a small book to describe the pruning of each one but the basics are:-
- Summer fruiting raspberries fruit on canes 2 years old or last year’s growth, cut out any older canes right down to 6”.
- Autumn fruiting types fruit on this year’s growth so these need to be cleared of all growth down to 6” above ground
- Most varieties of currants fruit on last year’s canes so again, cut out any older wood to ground level.
- You can prune growth from any soft fruit to tidy them up but not too dramatically!
- Apples and pears look good for a heavy crop this year. If you can, thin out overcrowded spurs, it is best to leave just 2 fruit at each spur for larger crops.
“Things to do now”
Really is your last chance to plant up a couple of bags of seed potatoes for Christmas dinner. If you have room anywhere, salad of everything can go in. Keep tomatoes tidy, pinch out side shoots and start taking off the bottom leaves up to the first truss, then work up as fruit is picked, more goodness goes to the fruit instead of plant growth.
As ground becomes available, once potatoes come out, think about putting in some winter cabbage plants, also broccoli, sprouts, chard and spinach. They are all pretty frost proof.
| Winter cabbage |
Keep the garden tidy, clear away dead leaves on brassicas, marrows and courgettes. This will stop mildew forming and takes away a hiding place for slugs and snails.
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| Onions hung in net bag |
Marrows will keep for weeks after cutting if you store them somewhere dry and cool. Courgettes do not keep so well so pick and eat fresh as you want them.
Well I think that’s all for now, enjoy the fruits of your labour!
Terry
Terry
Recipe of the month
Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Like the carrot in a carrot cake, beetroot keeps the cake moist and helps it to last for days — as if any chocolate cake is going to last for days.
Ingredients
Feeds 6. Takes 1 hour plus cooling.
50g bitter cocoa powder 180g plain flour 11⁄2tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 250g caster sugar 300g cooked fresh beetroot 3 eggs 200ml corn oil 1tsp vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Butter and flour an 18cm (7in) round or square cake tin.
Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix in the sugar and set aside.
Purée the beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the corn oil and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the beetroot mixture into the well. Lightly mix, using a rubber spatula, and pour into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. It won’t rise a great deal and the top may crack a bit.
Allow to cool a little before removing from the tin, then leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
To serve, dust the cake with icing sugar or bitter cocoa powder, and cut into generous slices.
Enjoy
August meeting
James Marriage from the local and family run Marriages Animals feeds will be attending this month’s meeting.
He will be talking on what animal feed he can offer smallholder and the very popular poultry food with added wormer flubenvet.
A meeting not to missed for all smallholders with live stock what with feed prices on the up we all want to be sure we are getting the best deal for our money.
So add this date
23rd August 2011
7.15pm
The Blue Boar,Silver Street, Maldon
We thought it may be nice to make this evening “A Bring Something to Share Evening” at previous meetings we have had homemade cakes or biscuits which we have all throughly enjoyed sharing.
Moulsham Mill on Parkway, Chelmsford. It was powered by water and later by steam, but ceased milling in 1971. It is still owned by the Marriage family.
Well that is all for now, we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
Donna and Caroline.
P.S If anyone would like to help or exhibit livestock at the Joyces Farm Show on 4th September 2011 please contact Danielle.Perkins@yahoo.co.uk.