Field Notes: 19th August - 2nd September 2024

Sep 10, 2024

Field Record: What’s been happening on the 107 acres of Honeydale Farm?

As we come to the end of summer, the busy harvest season is behind us and we’ve started preparing the ground for next year. We’ve sown the sainfoin field with a cover crop mix of rye, vetch and buckwheat, which will help replenish nutrients and carbon in the soil, giving next year’s crops a head start.

Over the weekend, we also cut and collected the wildflower patch outside the cafe. With wildflowers it’s important to not leave mulch on the top but to remove the cuttings to encourage regrowth the following year. We can’t wait to see the beautiful blooms return next spring! 

Meanwhile, the wheat and rye fields have been tilled, and the harvested crop is now stored in the barn, ready to be tested. 

Alex, our resident entomologist and public engagement coordinator, has also been busy measuring our insect and bug life in the fields. Since joining us in May, he has identified over 260 unique species of insects on our farm! This is an amazing figure and one we only hope to improve.

Alex will be sharing his findings in a Lunchtime Talk on Wednesday 11th September. Tickets are available to purchase here.

Cafe Catch-Up: What’s new in the Cafe?

As we come into September, we’ve been reflecting on the summer we’ve had here on the farm. Although the sun has not always been shining, we’ve had plenty of gorgeous days with the Cafe doors flung open and the picnic benches filled with happy customers. Flowers from the kitchen garden have brightened our tables and our library has been bustling with lunchtime talks about a whole host of subjects, from beekeeping to Borneo and regenerative chocolate. 

Of course, our menu has also been brimming with summer dishes, with our cook, Gareth, conjuring up some delicious flavours over the past few weeks. Currently on the menu we have a celery, apple and mustard soup, made with apples from our very own orchard; a red pepper, tomato and chickpea cassoulet served with smokey quinoa and coriander; and an array of salads packed with fresh veggies. 

Look out for our hedgerow hot chocolate, too, featuring blackberries foraged from the farm! It’s the perfect anecdote to those drizzly autumn days. 

Events Recap: What’s on at FarmED?

Minibeast Safari

Last week, we hosted our final Minibeast Safari of the summer. We had a brilliant turn out with lots of enthusiastic kids, and the sun made its first appearance which truly made all the difference. We saw plenty of insects buzzing in the fields and managed to identify moths, bees, crickets and butterflies; caterpillars, dragonflies, damselflies, and even scorpion flies. 

One of the highlights from the day was a question from a 10-year old about metamorphosis. We also had a six-year-old spark a discussion about parthenogenesis and the concept of natural clones in the insect world - certainly keeping Alex on his toes! 

Thank you to everyone who’s joined us for a Minibeast Safari this summer. They’ve been a huge success and we’ve enjoyed every single one!  

Garden Treasures: What’s been happening down in the kitchen garden?

As the cold overnight temperatures set in, some of our summer crops like courgettes, cucumbers and aubergines are starting to tail off. However, the squash is ripening just in time for our annual squash harvest  in October and on Monday, we harvested the first of the outdoor carrots, which greeted us with their sweet, earthy scent. 

There’s a beautiful theme of red in the garden at the moment, mirroring the rest of nature as we come to the end of summer. With Russian kale, red onions, red peppers, red alouette potatoes, ripe tomatoes and gorgeous apple trees lining our plot, it truly feels as though we are moving into autumn. 

We had two lovely volunteers visit all the way from East London and Surrey on Thursday, both working in sustainable finance and eager to escape the city for some time in the countryside. Together with Emma, the team filled 10 tonne-bags with cleared nettles and brambles from one of the polytunnels. This will make room for the next succession of lettuces to keep us going over the winter. The bags will be emptied onto the fertility-building ley to decompose over the next two years. 

While working, they spotted a shield bug camouflaged among the yellow flowers and a giant frog taking refuge in the polytunnels…

With half the team just back from their holidays, Eddie and Ethan have been taking their well-earned rest. We’ve had reports that Ethan has been dreaming about fields full of brassicas - a sure sign that it’s nearly time to get back to the garden!