While the other side of the World burns, here in the UK we have had constant rain and flooding for well over three months now.
The fires are an immediate threat to life, while the crops lost to flooding speak of the future food shortages we can expect as the extreme weather events of climate change accelerate.
Away from human hubris, at least the mushrooms have been enjoying it, with boom in rare mushrooms are appearing across the country. Continue reading
Two years ago, on a dog walk, we came across a nice chap practicing flying with his new drone. Keen to help out, we suggested a test flight across The Secret Acre which was clearly visable from the hill top on which we were all perched.
Earlier this month we went along to our second local Crop Swap.
These were new to us this year, but we’re definitely converts.
The inevitable harvest time surpluses are always a challenge for preserving and dehydrating. So what better than being able to swap some of that surplus for some of the things you don’t have or didn’t grow this year? Continue reading
While Extinction Rebellion are rightly taking to the streets, inside The Secret Acre kitchen this autumn, things haven’t been hotting up, so much as becoming constantly warm.
Our local climate change has been the result of the purchase of a dehydrator, as another bow to our harvest preservation options.
So far our initial tests have involved plums, pears, apples and beetroot. Continue reading
The Mayor gave us a silver cup, which was nice.
As always, the arrival of this summer’s harvest also marked the start of the village show season.
Regular readers will know we have enjoyed mixed form at the village show over the last seven years. Continue reading
Back in May I opined about how on top of all things veg we seemed to be this year, warning that it surely couldn’t last.
And that hiccup arrived almost immediately in the form of a prolonged spell of unexpected parental care, now all fine fortunately, but leaving Emma to cope solo on the veg patch.
So the harvest we have enjoyed is all down to her hard work. Here’s a pictorial roundup of some of the action. Continue reading
We are great admirers of ‘no dig’ champion, Charles Dowding, but somehow I don’t think this what he means!
Generally we are more than in favour of anything that reduces the need to wield a spade ourselves. But when we recently cleared a large area of laurel to make way for a future fruit cage, leaving the massive stumps and roots to be removed, I was resigned to a day of hard working with the pickaxe to finish the job. Continue reading
