Judy at the Great Taste, Golden Fork Awards.
Well we did not see that coming. Stoney Cross wins the English nomination, at the Golden Fork Awards, competing with Honey Gin and Cake, plus lots more wonderful products from around the world, held at the Battersea Arts Centre, London.
That was one heck of a party and a wonderful evening, being able to meet so many people and customers.We would like to thank you all for your kind comments and support.
Bubble bees and Sunflowers
There have been changes in the support monies that farmers benefit from in the last year, and the money offered tends to have a more environmental slant to it.
We have engaged with the new system called SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive), and although the civil service mandarins describe this scheme as easy, it is not, and very complex and full of pitfalls. With much effort, we have opted for several different options, some of which are showing some results already.
Firstly, Bird nesting plots.
We have left two 2.5 acre plots for plovers/lapwings, to hatch their young has not worked , for whatever reasons, disappointing really, given there are plovers about and we see them but they don’t like our idea of free housing, just too fussy!
Secondly Winter bird food,
We have planted about 10 acres, in various fields. Seeds planted are Sunflowers, see picture, millet, spring wheat and triticale. This is a right old mixture of seeds that will stand all winter and feed a very lucky local population of birds all winter long. Downside might be that the birds don’t eat all the seed and leave a lot of volunteer seed to chit next year, but time will tell. The upside is we have a lot of very happy bees who have launched into the sunflowers big time. The big open heads of these flowers give the bees a huge opportunity to gather loads of pollen and buzz off back to to their hives.There is too much to write in one go and there will be two more options for discussion next month.
Our phone contract came to an end in July and we needed to renew the contract with our provider, which I duly did. Then followed 3 weeks of complete chaos, as we, along with the rest of the nation had to be moved, from analog to digital. All very well for people with a fibre supply and those living in the towns. For those living in the country, with no fibre, and at the very end of old, long copper cables, it has been a complete shambles. We have literally spent hours on the mobile phone trying to get some sense out of these people and have eventually got some semblance of a service, but for how long we don’t know. Be warned, those of you you living in the country with no fibre, this is no joke, be very wary of signing up to digital contracts without a cooling off period. Digital phones don’t work without a good stable broadband!!!
Old Winchester has experienced up lift is sale since April and supplies are now tight, please take your foot of the pedal for 8 weeks, so that we have enough for Christmas.
Pumpkin on the move.
9/09/2024 Culinary Pumpkin on the move today, all bright orange and ready to go to a top end outlet.
