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| Cloughjordan Community Farm (October) |
In October we planted some fields with oats. We also planted four rows of spring onions.
To protect the seeds from the cold, we covered the surface of the ground with
straw or cloth.
Covering the onions
In the
fields we harvested all the onions and beets. In addition, we also finished
harvest red radishes, scallions and pencil French beans.
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| Harvesting red radish |
We also finished delivering all the pumpkins we had harvested in the month of
September. Some of the pumpkins have been used for Halloween decorations!
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| Pumpkin for Halloween |
In October,
we have been harvesting celery, two types of parsley, mint, coriander (it
always reminds me of the delicious tacos from Mexico), Kale (Black, Scarlet,
Pentland and Red Russian kale) and many carrots with really strange and fun
shapes.
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| Carrot love (roots competition) |
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| Blanche |
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| Goi |
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| Raquel |
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| On the farm we have our own carrot monster |
Due to the
cold and the humidity, there are also some fungi around the farm, but for the
moment they are only spontaneous!
In the polytunnels,
we can see the change of season by just looking at the colors of the plants. In
the first polytunnel the grapevine has stopped giving grapes and its
leaves are now red.
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| Vine leaves |
In the second
polytunnel we have finished harvesting cucumbers, jalapeños, chilies and
sweet peppers.
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| October harvest |
This polytunnel has been totally transformed. Cucumber plants,
courgettes, melons and chilies have been removed and taken to compost. We have cleared and rebuilt the beds and
planted salads, spinach, garlic and spring onions.
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| Second polytunnel |
In the third
polytunnel we had planted different varieties of lettuces (mild and spicy)
and also spinach including mustard in
early October and they are now ready to harvest.
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| Third polytunnel |
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| Spicy salad |
As in all
orchards, we have also had some uninvited guests. In the fields several
caterpillars have appeared and in some seedlings some eggs have appeared. To
prevent caterpillars and snails from eating our crops, we are planting aromatic
and other associations of plants looking for the best combination between them –
allelopathy- with spring onion, barriers
with large leaf spinach, garlic, etc. around our salads.
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| Caterpillar |
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| Slug eggs |
In the
month of October we have also received a group of new hens.
Goi and I
are learning how to handle horses. Every day we put on the harnesses and take
the ponies to the stable. Daily, we check that they have clean water and we clean
their sandbox.
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| Buddy & Coco |
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| Misty |
News on the
Coach-house! Thanks to a writer in the community, all members of the farm can
get to know us a little better. In the couch-house, they have put a space with
a brief history and a photo about Goi (EVS), Blanche (wwoofer) and me as
volunteers on the farm. It's a very nice detail, thank Eileen very much!
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| Coach-house wall |
When we
finished working on the farm, we used our harvest to learn how to cook
something new. This month with the great apple harvest, I learned how to cook an
apple tart.
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| Apple tart |
I've also
learned how to make beetroot muffins with nuts. Although the taste is new and
strange, they are surprisingly tasty!
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| Beetroot muffin |
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| Elliot always knows when I cook |
This month
we also have the opportunity to travel a little bit. We went to see beautiful
Galway city which is an hour and a half from Cloughjordan.
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| Galway |
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| Coffee time in Galway |
And last
but not least ... We wish you all the best, Blanche! Although your stay has
been short (two months) we will miss you very much on the farm, you are a great
friend. We hope to see you soon in the farm and all goes well with your studies
of Agricultural Engineering in Lille, you are the best!
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| Blanche delivering the harvest |
Do you join us to cultivate a better world? :)
Free time in the farm...
SEE YOU SOON, ALWAYS WITH NEW LEARNINGS.
ALL THE BEST!!
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