East Essex Smallholders
Newsletter:
April 2012
Welcome to
this month’s news,
Sorry it’s
so late
I had a
rather eventful lambing this year having to deal with many things that have
never arisen before for me which in turn has put me a little behind with
everything else!
 |
| Annie |
My first
breach birth of a rather large lamb was assisted by Carlie, EESH secretary,
that we managed to deliver successfully.
I’m sure the whole village could
hear Carlie shouting PULL...... PULL........BREATH....... BREATH. If
Cambridge or Oxford need a new Cocksen for next year’s Boat Race, I am happy to
put her forward.
Sadly I lost
twin lambs; thankfully not to SBV - just to one of lives sadness’s but still
very upsetting, although but we did manage to perform a successful adoption of
another twin to the pining ewe.
Then I had
my first case of twin Lamb disease thankfully I had all I needed in my lambing
kit thanks to WestPoint Vets and their training afternoons. Sign up for their
training days they are not to be missed.
Then our greatest
excitement this year Triplets! Our first ever set and a big thank you to Nigel
Brunt for delivering them they were in a bit of a muddle but with his years of
experience and wealth of knowledge they arrived safely and, touch wood, are
doing really well.
It was a
real EESH lambing this year and I would like to say thank you to Carlie, Nigel,
Georgina, Dani, Gareth a real team effort, oh and not forgetting my seventy
something incredibly fit Mum who was climbing over gates and restraining ewes -
a BIG BIG thanks to you all.
Can I book
you all again for next year.
I would like to also say congratulations to
ESSG member Caroline on the safe arrival of her first ever lamb’s; twins boys,
Leonard and James, arrived safely and,
more importantly, healthily on 10/03/2012 - very handsome they are too! Just
like their father, my Oxford Ram, Freddy.
A couple
more mentions - we are in the Home Farmer Magazine again this month with a
lovely write up about the successes of the Hobby pig keeping course in Stisted; we are
really getting our name out there we must keep up the good work.
Secondly
have you seen the fabulous new revamped EESH website? Well done to Darren and Carlie for all their
hard work on this.
Don’t Forget 2012
calendar Competition
2012 calendar competition organised by our committee
member Agnes Harris.
So come on dust those cameras off and get out there.
Theme of the competition is “Life of East Essex
smallholders”
The 12 winning photographs will be published in our first
ever EESG calendar for 2013.
Can you make
jam or chutney?
Yes - could you make some to sell at this year's country shows?
If so, contact Carlie on 07979862952 or email carlie@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk now
Thank you
EESH Quiz Night
Saturday 16 June
Helen our treasurer has kindly organised a Quiz
night at Ulting & Langford village hall (7.00 – 7.30pm).
Teams need to be a maximum of 8: tickets are £5.00
per person
Bring your own nibbles and drinks. For those who
would like tea and coffee is will be available at the beginning and interval
only.
This Quiz is being hosted by a professional Quiz
master with questions on a variety of topics.
Please bring your family and friends along for a
good evenings entertainment.
Report from last meeting
Our guest
speaker for our March meeting Tracy from The Giggly Pig Company.
As you may
remember Tracey was the winner of EESH sausage tasty evening back last year
(2011).
Tracy has led
a very colourful live and had us all glued to our seats with tales of her trials
and tribulations including long stint in jail where her love for pigs was born.
Now after
turning her life around and making the very best of what prison could offer
her, she is now a very successful business woman owning The Giggly Pig Company
some 700 pigs and 14 vans delivery her sausages to farmers markets.
Well done
Tracy you are an inspiration and proof that people can turn their life around.
Next Meeting
Tuesday 17 April 2012
7.30pm for 8pm
– Bring and Share
We are
planning a BRAIN STORMING session for fund raising! So come get those thinking
caps on and bring your ideas along .
Asparagus and Pea Risotto
300 g risotto rice
150 g spears of asparagus,
spears trimmed at an angle
200 g shelled small peas, (about 800g in their pods)
150 g shelled broad beans, (about 600g in their
pods)
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
50 g butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
125 ml dry white wine
3 spring onions, finely chopped
150 g freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp mascarpone
20 g fresh chives, finely snipped
Cook rice gently for 8
minutes then drain in a sieve. Should
be al dente style! Spread on tray and
allow to cool. Keep chilled (can be kept
in fridge for max 24 hours)
Cook asparagus, shelled peas (or frozen peas) and
beans in boiling water for 2 mins.
Tip cooked veg into bowl of
very cold water and put to one side.
Keep veg water as stock.
Saute shallot and garlic in olive oil and 25g butter.
Stir in wine and simmer until only half the liquid
remains (reduce)
Add part cooked rice
Add ladle of stock and let the rice absorb. Then add another ladle of stock. Repeat until the rice is just cooked (just
soft) and has a shiny glaze.
Stir in veg.
Chop spring onions and add – simmer for a couple of
mins – add extra stock if needed.
Take of heat and stir in parmesan, mascarpone and 25g butter.
Allow dish to rest for 2-3 mins and then serve with a little olive oil,
parmesan shavings and a sprinkinling of fresh chives from the garden (if you
have them).
ENJOY!
DIG IT - APRIL
Well, I am sure like me you are all itching to get out in the garden and get
planting and sowing. What perfect
weather too! Getting warmer and with
some rain, although we cannot discount the possibility of some frosts still, so
be careful!
I would expect most of us have trays of seed potatoes all over the place
in various stages of chitting and these can safely be sown outside as a couple
of inches of soil will protect the shoots.
Just make certain to cover them over until the end of the month if
frosts are forecast.
I have peas coming through so will sow some more once these are about 6”
high, just to keep a succession going, little and often rather than a one off glut.
French, runner and most types of beans can be sown this month. Protect these and peas from mice digging them
up! Get ready to provide some kind of
support once they are up 6” as this really will help to strengthen the
plants. If you have broad beans from an
autumn sowing, these should be looking wide awake and putting on new
growth. Autumn planted brassicas should
also be looking a bit fresher after the winter and will start to look stronger. You can sow seeds of all the brassicas now
for late summer/autumn crops.
Early varieties of carrot and beetroot can go in. Perpetual spinach, chard and pak choi should
wait until the end of the month unless you have cloches to keep them warm.
Under glass you will have sown your tomatoes and they may even be showing
through, careful how you water, as they are very prone to damping off if the
weather turns cool for a few days.
Courgettes, cucumbers, squashes and pumpkins can be sown, melons also if
you have the room, these will be through in no time.
Remember to keep the glasshouse well ventilated on warm days and mist
spray to keep white and greenfly down.
Parsnips can be sown in April safely.
If you have had problems with carrot fly, try sowing a very thin row of
marigolds next to them as the smell can keep the flies away. Nasturtiums are another useful companion
plant that will attract green and black fly off your broad beans. They look pretty good too, you can eat the
leaves and flowers of nasturtium and pretty up a salad bowl. Rhubarb will benefit from a liberal top dress
of manure. If last year’s crop was weak,
it may be worth digging it up and cutting it in half then plant these back in
well manured holes, keep well watered until established.
Sweet corn can be sown now, try sowing them, one seed to a toilet roll
tube of soil. When big enough they can
be planted out without any disturbance to the roots; that they do not like.
If you sow leeks into a large container or spare corner they will be
ready to plant out into the soil that your early potatoes vacate once lifted,
saves space and keeps the plot productive all year.
Salad leaves should be able to be cut by mid April, keep sowing these
fresh once you start cutting to ensure a non-stop crop. You only need a 2 foot square tub or patch of
soil.
Onion sets and shallots will be happy from mid April direct, again protect
from birds pulling them out.
There are many different types of vegetables that can be got under way
this month if you have the room especially under cover like, peppers,
aubergines, lettuce and of course, every herb you can think of. If you think you do not have room just sow up
some herbs, just a few seeds in a 4” pot put on the window cill. As soon as they are a few inches tall, sow
another lot, you will never be out of basil, parsley, chives and coriander this
way and of course it is growing right where you want it!
Vegetables are set to be very expensive this year due they say to higher
fuel prices, not enough rain, transport costs.
For about £20 you can have fresh produce from seed out of your back
garden all year. You may not be self
sufficient but why pay £2.50 for 3 sticks of rhubarb.
Got any spare room? If so why not get an asparagus bed going. They only need a shallow trench in well
manured ground, set the crowns on top of a central ridge about two feet apart
and lightly cover the well spread roots with soil. They will get going fairly quickly and
although you should not cut the first year, they will soon establish a nice bed
to give spears the second year. Again
why spend £2.50 on a bunch of woody spears when you can cut what you want when
you want it.
Strawberries are definitely on the move and will benefit from a light
dressing of any potash rich fertilizer.
Most soft fruit will be in early leaf now, check over to see if there
are any dead or damaged stems that should be cut out.
Well I hope I have not left you exhausted with all the jobs to do but
you know it will be worth it come June once you start lifting salad potatoes
with mange tout and mint and crisp salad.
Don’t forget to sow a few extra seeds for sale as plants for the
Blackwater show; it will help to swell the funds. I am really looking forward to it already.
Well, I think that is enough to get on with. Without turning this into a book, there are
still lots of other vegetables that can be sown, the list is endless. I am sure you all have your favourites if I
have not mentioned some so if you have any hints or tips or shortcuts, please
let me know and I will get it in print for others to enjoy.
Terry
P.S Old saying’s
On seed planting;
One for the mouse, one for the crow, one to rot and one to grow.
Weeding;
Use the hoe or watch them grow
Events for your
diary
After a suggestion from our
Treasurer, Helen, it has been decided to trial a later start time to our
monthly meeting. From 20 March 2012 we
will meet 7.30pm -8pm (please let us know how this works for you )
Tuesday 17 April
2012
7.30pm for
8pm – Bring and Share
We are
planning a BRAIN STORMING session for fund raising! So come get those thinking
caps on and bring your ideas along
Sunday 22 April 2012
A spinning event where
members will learn how to prepare and spin wool to make use of fleeces that
might otherwise be disposed of has been arranged.
Alongside this, there is
the hope to learn about felting and making of accessories and easy headwear.
All places are taken for this event but if anyone is interested please
contact
Tuesday 22 May
Surprise! Miss this at your peril.....
7.30pm for 8pm
Saturday 16 June
To be held at Ulting & Langford village hall
7.00 – 7.30pm
Teams maximum of 8 - £5.00 per person
Bring your own nibbles and drinks tea and coffee
available.
Professional Quiz master
Visit to Kings Seeds
We are
planning a trip to Kings Seeds in June to see the sweet pea trials if you are
interested please at your name to list at the meeting or email carlie@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
Tiptree Jam – Open farm Sunday 17 June 2012
Anyone who
is interested could take advantage of Open Farm Sunday 17 June and
visit Tiptree Jams: visiting the
strawberry fields, sharing recipe ideas, tasting fresh strawberries and Tiptree
Quince and Little Scarlet Conserves. After a quick visit to the Jam Museum most
people finished the day with a Tiptree Cream Tea.
Tuesday 19 June
Bring and Share Show Meeting -
Blackwater Show
7.30pm for 8pm
Sunday 24 June
Blackwater Country Show
Co-ordinator: Danni Perkins
8am-5pm
Sunday 18 July
Southminster Flower Show
Co-ordinator: Danni Perkins
Tuesday
21 July
7.30pm for
8pm
Sunday 26 August
Bell Meadow Show, Woodham Walter
Co-ordinator: Carlie Mayes
8am-5pm
Tuesday 18 Sept
National Sausage Week
7.30pm for 8pm
Tuesday 23 October
7.30pm for 8pm
Tuesday 20 November
7.30pm for 8pm
Tuesday 11
December
Christmas
gNosh
7.30pm for
8pm
Contact details:
Contact details:
For information on Events and
monthly meetings/visits:
Email: events@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
For news and press enquiries:
Email:
events@eastesexsmallholders.org.uk
For advertising livestock or
other produce:
Email:
advertising@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
To contact our Chair - Danielle
Perkins
Email:
chair@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
To contact our Treasurer -
Helen Quinnell
Email:
treasurer@easttessexsmallholders.org.uk
To contact our Dig It - Terry
Adger
Email:
digit@eastessexsmallholders.org.uk
