Field Notes: 16th - 30th September 2024

Oct 09, 2024

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

On September 22nd, we celebrated the arrival of the autumn equinox, the point when the sun crosses directly over the equator. The days are now getting shorter and the landscape around us is changing: leaves are beginning to turn shades of reds, yellow and gold, the fields in the valley are shifting to brown.

As autumn settles in, vibrant flowers are transforming into their skeletal seed heads, holding up their offerings before scattering them to the earth. These seeds will lie dormant through the cold months, patiently waiting to sprout when the warmth returns. 

We’ve had plenty of heavy rain over the last couple of weeks: 100ml in just a week! Fortunately, our fields have avoided any flooding thanks to our natural flood management. Undersowing our fields and implementing agroforestry strips along their edges also helps the soil absorb large amounts of water quickly, preventing erosion and our precious topsoil from heading downhill. 

We’re also excited to introduce some new faces to the farm - six friendly goats! Charlie and Kate spent a sunny afternoon moving them from their summer pasture in Chadlington to their new home just below the heritage orchard. Bracken, Heidi, Billy, Hattie, Willow and Fern have all now settled in nicely, happily grazing on grass, brambles and thistles. Each has their own unique personality and they are all very fond of a cuddle. The goats are kept in place by NoFence collars, a clever GPS-based system that replaces the need for traditional fencing. They’re very used to people and love seeing visitors - so feel free to stop by and say hello. 

Bracken, the matriarch of the group, grazing on the brambles.

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

As we move into autumn, our Cafe has been transformed to a cosy space to shelter from the wind and the wet. It seems like just a week ago we were flinging our doors open to the sun and serving strawberry smoothies! Our menu this week features a delicious sweetcorn, courgette and pinto bean stew, a roasted aubergine, mozzarella and basil pesto sandwich, and a masala spiced celery and coconut soup. These dishes are hearty, warming and the perfect autumnal treat.

We’re also proud to announce that we are now part of the national Chatty Cafe Scheme. The Chatty Cafe Scheme is a UK-based non-profit organisation that aims to reduce loneliness and social isolation. On Tuesday mornings, our team members Camilla and Alex host a ‘Chatter & Natter’ table, encouraging people to chat with strangers. We’ve been running this for the past two weeks now and can safely say it’s been a resounding success! If you, or anyone you know, would like to come along, simply come to the Cafe on Tuesday from 10am and follow the yellow signs…

Events Recap: What’s on at FarmED?

Lunchtime Talk: Sustainable Architecture

Our beautifully designed eco-buildings 

Last Monday, Tim Tasker, founder of Timothy Tasker Architects, came to the farm to speak to a group of 50 architects. He sought to answer one question: how can we make affordable, efficient, beautiful buildings that are both good for us and the planet? 

Since 2016, Tim has worked on a number of sustainable projects, including the Eco House in the Kent Weald and our very own FarmED buildings. He firmly believes that architects have a duty to respond to the environmental crisis we’re facing. Buildings, through the energy and materials they use, can contribute significantly to climate change. 

In his talk, Tim talked of the importance of eco-friendly construction materials, such as stone, timber, straw, hemp and wool. He focused on the benefits of timber in particular, and how we can increase the amount grown and used in the UK. 

Lunchtime Talk: Healthy Soil. Healthy Food. Healthy People

Henry Astor joined us last Thursday for one of our weekly Lunchtime Talks. He spoke about the importance of supporting local farmers and growers, and his journey introducing regenerative principles to Bruern Farm. Since 2016, he has settled back on the farm he grew up on, deciding he wanted to create a more diverse landscape. He has since bought cattle, pigs and chickens, renovated grain silos into accommodation, bought a flour mill and cold press to make sunflower oil, started growing a variety of heritage grains, opened a market garden and built a farm shop and cafe. 

In his talk, he spoke about all this and the reasons behind diversifying his farm. We had some lovely feedback and the afternoon was topped off by a delicious lunch in our farm-to-fork Cafe! 

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

Poppies poking through the sea of kale 

This week, we’ve been noticing a real sense of autumn in the air. When working outside, you can almost smell the seasons changing, whether it's the damp leaves, the crisp chill in the air, or the first few plumes of smoke coming from the nearby villages. 

We had the first of our squash harvests this week, their deeply burnished orange, green, yellow and blue-grey skins now hardened to preserve the beautiful marigold insides. For the FarmED Cafe on Monday we harvested Ochiki Kuri, Winter Sweet, Little Gem and Crown Prince varieties. The crinkled blue-black cavolo nero is also coming into its own, as is our kale. We’ve undersown the kale with a wildflower mix and poppies have begun to reach up over the sea of green.

The winter brassicas and lettuces we planted in the tunnels a few weeks ago have begun sprouting, shooting up healthy and strong. We’ve also been getting seeds in the ground for spring, such as lettuce, chard and spring onions. 

We’ve been harvesting potatoes for winter storage for three weeks now and the end is now in sight. Last Friday, we had a group of 10 year olds from Kitebrook Prep School join us to help, digging potatoes from the ground and placing them into the wheelbarrow while Ethan pushed it along the row. It was a real team effort and a delight to host the children on the farm! They learnt all about where their food comes from, getting their hands stuck into the soil and asking lots of questions.