Field Notes: 1st - 21st October 2024

Oct 23, 2024

Ripe hawthorn’s against the golden colours of autumn

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

As we move into mid-October, autumn feels as though it’s truly settling in. In the mornings, we’re greeted by the beautiful sight of mist rolling over the farm, amber-tinged trees, and the earthy scent of softening soil, mellowing leaves and faint wood smoke. 

The full moon on October 17th, known as the Hunter’s Moon or Blood Moon, was the second of three supermoons this year. It’s named ‘Hunter’s Moon’ as it appears during the time when hunters traditionally were the most active. Its brightness extended their hunting hours, and many communities would gather for feasts, taking advantage of the moon’s extra light. 

There’s lots of folklore and mythology that comes with this time of year, especially surrounding the moon. In Norse mythology, it was believed that Odin rode across the sky during this moon, gathering the souls of fallen warriors. European folklore tells of witches and other supernatural beings gathering under the moonlight to perform rituals. 

This month also welcomes the arrival of fieldfares, feeding on berries and seeds, while squirrels scurry to gather nuts, burying them in the ground for the winter ahead.

October brings with it the joy of muddy puddles, wellies pulled out from the cupboards, blustery showers, rich earthy colours, and the satisfying crunch of leaves underfoot. There’s endless foraging opportunities and conkers to collect. 

To make a space for October in your home, you might fill your table with orange candles, a bowl of acorns or nuts, apples, pumpkins/squashes, autumn leaves, and bare twigs. 

Our beautiful farm cat resting in the grass 

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

Our cosy cafe display 

This week, the Cafe has welcomed in autumn with comforting, hearty dishes perfect for warming the soul. On the menu, you’ll find dishes like a roasted squash and sage soup topped with pumpkin seeds and drizzled with our own FarmED honey; a roasted aubergine, mozzarella and basil sandwich; a classic ploughman's platter with local cheeses and homemade chutneys; and vibrant winter salads featuring potato, chard, sweetcorn, sweet and sour peppers and tarragon. 

The Cafe counter is decorated with the first squashes of the season and bunches of beautiful autumn flowers, as well as of course, a delightful array of cakes! Among them is our famous ‘Cake Moss’, made with spinach grown right here on the farm, alongside a rich and warming pumpkin cake with buttercream icing.  

Events Recap: What’s on at FarmED?

Tom Heap

Last Thursday, we hosted the first of our literary evenings - a night filled with conversation, inspiration and laughter. We had the pleasure of welcoming Tom Heap, who joined Ian for a fascinating discussion about his latest book, Land Smart: How to Give People and Nature the Space to Thrive. 

Tom and Ian explored topics like how we can balance human needs with those of the natural world, the latest advancements in agricultural science, the challenges and promises of genetically modified foods, and the importance of protecting biodiversity. 

Adam Henson then joined the discussion, stressing the importance of education in tackling climate change. He spoke of the need for a deeper understanding of the natural world, and how this can empower the next generation to make wiser choices. 

The evening left everyone with plenty to ponder and it was a brilliant start to our literary series!

Kate Humble 

Kate Humble joined us for another magical evening last Friday, celebrating the launch of her new book: Home Made. The night began with a delicious welcome drink before our talented kitchen team brought some of Kate’s recipes to life, including:

• Sharing plates of Hertfordshire (turned Oxfordshire) Antipasto, quick-pickled fennel and baba ganoush flatbreads
• Savoury venison koftas, a warming cauliflower curry and a potato and salsa salad
• A sweet honey and almond cake to finish

With laughter and genuine warmth, Kate told us the inspiration behind Home Made. She is passionate about telling stories and sharing simple, honest recipes. She also celebrated some of the wonderfully inspiring artisan makers and growers who inspired her  - from glass blowers and apron makers, to vegetable growers and chocolatiers.

It was a night of connection, community and good food. We hope to see you at the next one! 

Lunchtime Talk - Evenlode Catchment Partnership 

How Farms are Transforming our Landscape

Did you know that 61 farms in the Evenlode Valley are launching a groundbreaking Landscape Recovery project? Last week, Tim Field from the Evenlode Catchment Partnership talked to us about ‘How Farms are Transforming our Landscape’. We had a brilliant turn out of over 50 people (our biggest Lunchtime Talk yet!) and heard about their plan to create and restore over 3,500 hectares of interconnected habitat throughout the Evenlode. The talk was followed by a delicious lunch in our farm-to-fork Cafe. 

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

The annual squash harvest!

Stripping the tomato plants in the polytunnels 

It’s been a busy couple of weeks down in the garden as we raced against the first frost to gather in crops and stripped tunnels to prepare for winter planting. 

Last week, we cleared the polytunnels of their green and red tomatoes, making room for the next round of carrots and brassica salads. Husky, Eddie and Ethan took on the mammoth squash harvest, harvesting hundreds of crown prince squash just in time - by morning, the frost had arrived. We also stripped the caterpillar tunnel of aubergines, chillies and peppers, sparking our annual ‘chilli off’ - a tradition we always look forward to!

Taking shelter from the wind and wet, we spent the best part of the week building shelves from old pallet scraps to store the squash, now safely tucked away for the winter. This store will see us through to as late as February! In the orchard, we gathered windfall apples - Laynes Prince Albert varieties - which will soon be pressed into cider on Apple Day. And, of course, no trip to the orchard is complete without a stop to see the goats for a cuddle. One took a serious liking to Ethan and found his sweatshirt rather tasty! 

We’ve also dismantled the climbing french beans, mowing the organic matter back into the soil. We harvested the stunning borlotti beans, their skins stretched and purple, and even planted two varieties of strawberries - Christine and Cambridge Favourite - ahead of next summer. 

The garden may be changing - but it’s brimming with life, and we’re excited for what is soon to come. 

Baby winter crops in the polytunnels