Hello Fellow East Essex Small Holders
Welcome to our February news letter, the first one by us, Donna and Caroline.
Hope it is of the usual standard, as we are new to this. Any hints and tips are
welcome, but please be aware we are ladies of a delicate age!!!!!!
Hopefully this will be the last one that is sent by e-mail as we are currently
developing our own website (well, Sussannah and Carlie are doing all the hard work
we are just helping with ‘good ideas’).
We have set up a small informal ‘committee’ as Danni asked for help running the
group. We are Danni, Sussannah, Carlie, Phil, oh and not forgetting us Donna and
Caroline. We all volunteered to take some of the workload and organisation.
Our First meeting of the year was on Tuesday night where we announced the
imminent arrival of the website and had a collection to purchase the web space and
domain. We raised a total of £77 .
We would like to send a BIG thank you to everyone who contributed.
Back Yard Poultry - Susan McCann
The ‘Back yard poultry’ talk by local vet Susan McCann was a great success many
thanks to her for coming. I think we all gathered some very useful information.
Here are the details for the useful websites that she mentioned.
to add them as a link when the website is up and running. We will also add the
contact details for Marriages, they sell Flubenvet already mixed in the food. This can
make life a bit easier.
New Members
We also had some new members come along which is always good to see. We
would like to welcome them wholeheartedly and we hope you enjoyed yourself and
will come to future meetings, (If we didn’t scare you off).
DEFRA
Danni received a call from Defra this afternoon who due to ill health have cancelled
their talk for February. We think we may have managed to scare them off even
before we sent them a list of questions! Although they say they are still very keen
to meet us, but want to be sure they send the best suited people. I have arranged
for pest control to come instead on 22nd February and will slot Defra into the 22nd
March as soon as it can be arranged. Please forward any questions to
Recipe of the Month
We have attached (hopefully) a recipe which we think you might enjoy. We are
hoping to include a ‘recipe of the month’ on the website. If you have any that you
like to share with the group please forward them to Caroline
Pig Keeping Course
For those interested Fiona is running some One Day Pig Keeping Courses, mainly for
anyone interested in raising pigs for the freezer, but can also be structured for
those wishing to have 'pet' pigs in the garden or simply for anyone wishing to spenda day with all things piggy!
A 'hands on' experience where you will learn basic pig husbandry covering housing,
fencing, regulations, handling/moving, feeding and general healthcare. Courses are
planned for March and subject to demand April too. Cost is £75 per person including
refreshments, lunch, information and a pig keeping book to take home, more details
can be found at www.madaboutpigs.co.uk
If anyone would like to offer any helpful hints and tips or amusing anecdotes
regarding your adventures in small holding we would love to include these in future
newsletters.
Dig It
One of our other columnists, Fiona’s Dad, has been talked into/told he will be doing
a gardening feature each month. So a big thank you to him and here is his first
article.
Allotment and Garden February
This is the time for getting equipment ready ie; seed trays and pots, making sure
they are all clean and ready for use.
Disregard old compost making way for fresh as old compost loses its nutrients.
This is also the time to buy seeds, onion sets and seed potatoes. You can start
'chitting' potatoes in a greenhouse or any light, cool place. Egg boxes are ideal trays
for these placing the tubers 'eye' end up. They should be ready for planting out in
late March/April.
Sow broad beans, early peas and spinach also early maturing cabbage and
cauliflower in pots, from the middle of the month onwards, in the greenhouse,
cloches or in poly tunnels.
If you have established rhubarb it should be coming through now, so if you want to
pick stalks early cover with an upturned bucket or pot to 'force' it.
Dig over the veg patches and dress with well rotted manure or fertiliser.
Remember to check bird boxes are secure or put up new ones.
Finish pruning and tidying the garden before the spring growth really takes off.
Just a few things to do in February
Well that’s all for this month we hope you have enjoyed our first edition;
Next Meeting
Happy smallholding hope to see you all on the 22nd February at The Blue
Boar
Donna & Caroline
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Potato and Blue Cheese soup
Ingredients
Potatoes (soft ones that mash)
2 medium onions peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
Blue Cheese cubed (its best with a mild one Garstang Blue or Stilton
Knob of butter and enough oil to lightly fry the onions
1 Litre vegetable stock
150ml cream (or good natural yoghurt)
Salt and Pepper
Method
Peel the potato’s (or you can leave the skin on if you wish) and cut
into rough chunks.
Heat oil and butter in a large pan, when butter has just melted add
the garlic and onions. Cook on a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes and the stock, cover and cook until the potatoes are
soft. If you are using cream add it at this point. If using yoghurt add
just before serving.
Mash or liquidise the soup using a food processor or hand blender.
Return soup to the pan and add the cheese cubes, heat gently until
the cheese has melted.
Season to taste.
If using yoghurt add now or garnish by crumbling on a small
amount of blue cheese.
Serve immediately with warm crusty bread and salted butter.