2020 – It’s Been a Year of Change!

2020 has been an unusual year to say the least! There have been so many difficulties and extreme situations for us all to deal with – but for many it has brought some welcome perspective on everything we have taken for granted for so long – our freedom and spare time, our health and relationships with family and friends. 

Positive outcomes have included a strengthening of local communities, an increased appreciation of our surroundings and green spaces and a recognition of the importance of food and our health – as well as renewed interest in cooking meals from scratch. One of our customers worked her way through every recipe in one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s books over lockdown! This may have been extreme, but research commissioned by Tesco which questioned 2,000 adults found that during the lockdown:

• more than 20% cooked every meal from scratch compared to 12% previously. And 89% vowed to continue doing this after lockdown
• more than 50% had been using extra ingredients in their cooking
• 33% think that mealtimes have become more of an occasion
• more children have been getting involved in food preparation for the first time

At Greener Greens we spoke to many new customers during lockdown.  A common theme appeared to be a move towards more seasonal, fresh, quality produce which has been grown more locally. Many people have started to wonder where their food actually comes from and have actively started to seek out produce with a short and transparent supply chain. In essence our new customers were saying “We want food that is good for our health, immunity and the environment; that is safe and also tasty.”

This has been supported by separate research which found shoppers are showing a growing interest in provenance and animal welfare. British customers want British produce and information about ethical practices on packaging. Even large food manufacturers agree, with the Head of Sustainability at Kerry Group saying that; post lockdown 50% of shoppers want to consume food more responsibly (a new record high), 75% want to know more about the safety of their food, 51% want to understand more about what is in their food and 45% actively buy products that are better for the environment.

Consumers are making their wishes crystal clear – however the vast majority of fresh and processed food on supermarket shelves still does not meet any of their required criteria! Instead most food production involves intensively farmed plants or animals. For plants this means large areas of monoculture (single crop growing, instead of traditional multi crops selected for natural pest control) and the use of pesticides and other chemicals for pest and weed control.  The chemicals deplete bacteria, fungi and animals in the soil that convert metals and other nutrients into a form which plants can absorb – and are key to the quality of the food that is grown.

There has been a direct link made between environmental damage and intensive farming. The BirdLife report from 2017 stated that globally, one in eight species of birds is at risk of extinction directly because of intensive farming, and research shows that we have lost over 70% of our winged invertebrates on intensively farmed lane. Yet, this type of agriculture is still heavily subsidised by the government but is not held responsible for the damage caused – the polluter is incentivised to pollute!

Switch then to our organic growers – farmers who sustain the health of the soils and ecosystems on their farms by not using pesticides, keeping large wildflower margins and sometimes even using a ‘no-dig’ technique on their farms that mimimises the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. Our growers ensure that wildlife populations are enhanced by the land they use to grow on, rather than harmed. Visit the ‘Our Growers’ page on our website to learn more about what they do and how they do it – it’s a whole other essay for us to go in to now!  

So, here at Greener Greens we celebrate our small, independent growers. How about celebrating yours by sourcing quality produce either direct from farmers or from suppliers who can tell you about them and their methods?  We’ve been through a lot this year, it’s time to make positive change for ourselves – we’ve earned it!

It’s Illegal for us to Grow it, But we can Import it?

You may well have seen online and in our newsletter that Boris Johnson and MPs recently voted down an amendment to maintain British standards on future trade deals and imports.  This is a potential disaster for British agriculture, environment, and the health of the British people.  As Jamie Oliver has written in his letter to Boris Johnson– ‘I believe you’re about to seriously undermine public health and unpick the delicate patchwork quilt of farmers and food producers who are the backbone of this country.’

Now that we have left the EU, Britan no longer has to abide by the rules that it has in place to protect people from harmful food processes, like washing chicken in chlorine, genetically modifying food, or pesticides that have been proven to cause humans harm. This means that our government is able make up its own rules on what can be imported and fed to the public, regardless of the health implications. Because of the  recent vote, American agribusiness will be allowed to sell goods in the UK even if they do not comply with the same production standards as British farmers – as long as they pay a tariff to do so.  This means that there will be food on our shelves that would be illegal for the UK to produce.

The implications of this are huge – Jamie Oliver described the decline in the quality of our food as a ‘race to the bottom’ and that’s exactly what it will be. Our farmers will not be able to compete with the cheaper food being imported and will therefore have to cut corners to try to do so.  Farms are already heavily subsidised in this country because of the cheap food culture that supermarkets have created – so imagine the increase in subsidies (provided by taxes) that will have to go to our farmers to cover their further losses.

There will be an impact on our health too – Non government organisations have pointed out that the chlorine washing of chicken by US farmers is used as an alternative to keeping facilities clean – chlorine is part of a processing method that makes up for poorer welfare standards on poultry farms that have sacrificed hygiene for increased production. The US hygiene standards are far lower than British standards (for example, US producers are allowed to include up to 30 insect fragments in a 100g jar of peanut butter, 11 rodent hairs in a 25g container of paprika, or 3mg of mammal excrement per each pound of ginger). To compare, the EU guidelines allow zero foreign bodies in any food.  In the USA, some animals are treated with hormones to increase the worth of the meat and to make animals cheaper to raise.  The main reason that Britain has banned the hormone-enhancement of animals is for animal welfare reasons, however excess hormones (like the ones in hormone-fed beef) have been proven to cause tumours and there is evidence to suggest that eating hormone-enhanced meat can increase the risk of cancer in humans.  The USA allows 82 different pesticides that are banned in the EU and UK due to impacts on both health and the environment. Food that is grown with these pesticides would be sold on our shelves.

The potential impact on our health has a knock-on effect to the NHS, who, most likely, will experience extra strain on the system due to health issues. It has been suggested that the Covid19 virus was passed to humans through the food chain – we should be learning from our mistakes rather than introducing new potential hazards into our communities. Remember the beginning of the lockdown?  So many of us experienced difficulties at the beginning of the pandemic, and felt real desperation and fear (that we experienced first hand at Greener Greens speaking to people who were calling us up every day, unable to get any food in the supermarkets and were desperate for a delivery company that wasn’t already at capacity) about sourcing food for their families. Even now as we near the end of the lockdown, the Coronavirus is a very real threat to many people. Now is not the time to be making it more difficult to have access to healthy food that can support the immune system, or local produce that has total traceability.  What’s more, we’ll be threatening the future of our farmers and food producers who, despite extraordinary challenges, have worked so hard to keep us fed throughout the Covid-19 crisis

I haven’t even covered the impact on our environment, which is already under stress from intensive farming. The need to compete with cheap imported food will only increase this stress, not to mention stretch the animal welfare standards of British livestock as farmers cut corners to make ends meet.

There is a real campaign by small farmers in America at the moment. As conditions in large meat and produce plants worsen. Wayne Pacelle (co-founder of the Humane Society of the United States) succinctly described the society’s four goals – “Less cruelty. More husbandry. Fewer animals. More farmers to care for them”

Less cruelty: “We are deeply distressed by the industrialization of agriculture, where animals have been moved from outdoor settings where they can feel soil beneath their feet and the sun on their backs.” Instead, they are “confined in cages and crates barely larger than their body”.

More husbandry: “We want to value farmers who are actually farming, and tending to the animals.” He quoted a farmer who told him that “the animals on his farm have just one bad day.”

Fewer animals: “We can’t responsibly raise nine billion animals in this country for food.” (Think about what would happen if that number were to increase to cater for Britain too.)

More farmers: “What we’re trying to do is connect people to their food, to make responsible choices.”

We in the UK, and certainly at Greener Greens, campaign for the exact same things.  By allowing this trade deal to go ahead in its current form, we risk not only jeopardising our own values, but sidelining the fight of the small, independent farmers overseas.

The vote down of this amendment is a disaster – and who will it affect the most? The poorest in our society, who do not have the luxury of choice as some do, and will always have to settle for the cheapest option despite the negative impact on their health. Once again, the most vulnerable in our society will be the ones who suffer – but not Boris Johnson or his MPs – they probably don’t shop at Aldi.

Please sign the petition to protect our food supply chain – then email your local MP (the link does it all for you). Fighting this will, in the long run, benefit our local economy, our environment and the health of our loved ones. Businesses like ours are at serious risk of disappearing, and once they’re gone it will be hard for them to come back.

 

 

There’s nought Blue about Blueberries

One of the high spots of the year for me is the arrival of the first blueberries from Horsham.  The season may be short – eight weeks or so – but it is packed with six varieties of blueberries, each with their own special flavour and becoming sweeter as the summer progresses.

Our Horsham blueberries are grown on fertile clay soil in Lower Beeding by Bob Hewitt of Selehurst Gardens (better known to us as Blueberry Bob).  Over the years he has transformed a relatively small area into an extremely productive site and the weather this year has helped to improve this productivity.  Last year the long, early Summer temperatures took their toll on the blueberry plants and the season finished before August was out.

I can recall my first tasting of a Blueberry Bob berry so vividly.  The sweet, flavoursome taste and amazing juiciness brought a huge grin to my face.  “This is heaven” I thought as I dived back into the punnet! Unsurprisingly, as we encourage people at our markets to taste the berries I have learnt that my reaction was not unique to me!  Collectively us “lovers of blueberries from Bob” could be deemed to be “people who know what they like”, but we think we fall into the category of having a “well-developed palette” as these blueberries are used by the Michelin 1 chef, Tom Kemble, at South Lodge in Lower Beeding.  I rest our case!

We have always been fascinated by these blueberries and why they can sell so well, at double the price, to those in London but are not generally appreciated in their home territory of Sussex. So we ran a taste test at Horsham Market a few years ago.  We bought some organic blueberries from Waitrose – variety Duke and from Poland. We had some Duke variety from Blueberry Bob on our stall at the same time.  The Waitrose blueberries were more expensive (a little aside, but important to us).  Customers and passers-by were invited to taste one of each and to provide a comparison. The facial expressions presented us with the best reactions.  The Polish blueberries were sharp and tasteless and usually generated a grimace. Blueberry Bob’s Duke blueberries mostly generated a satisfactory smile (and often a purchase – a double win!).

Whilst initially I was sold on these blueberries by their taste, I soon found out their health benefits – for young and old.  My grand-daughter was weaned on these blueberries and was declared the healthiest baby seen by the doctor for a long time at one of her early progress appointments.

Blueberries are considered a superfood today but have been used for their medicinal properties for centuries.  American Indians used blueberry leaves as a tonic for colicky babies and in Europe the fruit itself was used to cure diarrhoea, dysentery and scurvy as well as circulatory problems and eye diseases. In particular, blueberries were used to treat diabetic retinopathy (an eye disease associated with diabetes) and some physicians still use it as part of treatments.

Top researchers, Béliveau and Gingras, were particularly interested in this traditional use of blueberries for diabetic retinopathies as the latter are caused by “uncontrolled angiogenesis” in blood vessels, a phenomenon which is instrumental in the growth of cancer tumours.  Their research suggests that molecules known as anthocyanidins (found abundantly in blueberries) can be responsible for the anti-angiogenic effects of these berries and slow the growth of tumours.  Angiogenesis is a process whereby the cancer tumours, which require food and oxygen to grow, trigger chemical signals to attract the cells of blood vessels located nearby.  These blood vessels react by clearing a path to the tumour by dissolving the surrounding tissue and forming a new blood vessel thus facilitating the flow of food and oxygen to the tumour.

Research has determined that benefits of blueberries include improvement of cognitive health (this has to be a subject of a future blog as it is quite technical, but associated with the antioxidant content acting as a “de-rusting agent”), prevents urinary tract infection occurring, helps anti-ageing and improves skin, heart and eyes through its mineral and vitamin content.

These guys are so under-estimated because we have them throughout the year.  But, the greatest benefit will be achieved from the farm fresh ones that are produced locally and are available on our website.

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Backing British Farming, and it’s Exciting!

Today is Back British Farming day!  Did you know that UK food self-sufficiency is now just 61% – down from 75% in 1991?  The campaign by countryside magazine highlights acres of reasons why British farming deserves your support, as well as offering you the chance to make a real difference.

The day coincides with the week that we took part in Go! Organic –  a London-based festival encouraging people to take part in organic living. We built and constructed a pop-up farm shop for the people of London, at which we showcased five of our key British growers.

The event was a huge success, with people lining up to buy our produce! We were very proud to be able to shout about the growers  – Sunshine & Green, Cherry Gardens, Tablehurst Farm, Dynamic Organics and Sweet Apples Orchard. Daniel from Orchard Farm’s eggs also went down a storm.  We had several comments on the quality of our produce, with some people even asking if it was real – the ultimate compliment.

We pride ourselves on our growers and the quality of our produce and our British farmers who are working hard to enhance the British countryside, protect the environment, maintain habitats for native plants and animals and support wildlife species. Whether it’s helping birds get through the winter months by putting down seed, establishing woodlands and hedgerows to create habitat for animals or planting fields of pollen and nectar rich flower mixes to feed bees and butterflies, British farmers are taking action every day.

Our growers take real pride in the land that they grow on, and try to encourage and enhance wildlife every step of the way. For example, Jonathan at Cherry Gardens Farm collects fallen apples over the summer and stores them until the winter, when he puts them out for the birds that may be struggling with the frozen ground, and Blueberry Bob in Horsham practises biannual thinning and coppicing of  woodland on the farm, which has encouraged flora and shrubs such as bluebells, narcissi and snowdrops, buddleia and elder and has recently received a forestry commission grant for coppicing regeneration.

With the spirit of buying British in mind – it’s time to introduce our new line of BRITISH GROWN pulses and grains! We’ve started stocking Hodmedod’s, who specialise in British grown chick peas, spelt grain, lentils, and – for the first time – British grown Quinoa. We’re very excited to have them on board, and are hoping that you can revolutionise your cupboards and eat more of these protein-based little treasures, safe in the knowledge that they’ve come from a local grower with a transparent food chain.

Buying British has never been more important. With climate change, rising diet-related ill-health and widespread declines in our wildlife, the need to produce healthy food, cut food miles and protect our wildlife is getting more important. Choosing how we eat is a simple but powerful form of direct action:

 

1.BUY BRITISH

• Buy British food with a transparent supply chain – so you know the journey that your food has taken to get to your table. This way you can ensure that your food is of the highest quality, and that the farmer who grew it has been cut a fair deal.

 

2. EAT WITH THE SEASONS

• You can check out the Great British Larderto find out when British fruit and veg are at their best. It’s important to eat seasonal produce because that allows you to buy British all year round. This cuts food miles and guarantees that your food has come from a place of quality.

3. CARE FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE

• British farmers are custodians of around 75% of the British countryside. It’s important that we too take responsibility for it too.  Whilst out enjoying the countryside, make sure you take your litter home, follow the countryside code, and if out with your four legged friends, keep them on a lead around livestock and pick up after them.

At Greener Greens we take pride in our growers. All of them are independent, certified organic or biodynamic, and take great pride in their produce. This shows in the quality of the produce in our boxes that we send out weekly. The farms that we collect from all take great steps to preserve and encourage their natural environments and habitats. If you shop with us, you can guarantee that you’re backing British farming.

Potatoes – Where on Earth do They Come From?

The boycotting of products is a very popular way for consumers to punish or protest against a person, company or place. There are countless lists of things that we shouldn’t be buying, each list punishing a different organisation or opposing a different cause.

One particular item on a particular list that I read recently was Israeli potatoes. Apparently our supermarkets in the UK sell them.  I find this to be a bit bewildering, since there are thousands of tonnes of potatoes sitting in stores on farms across the UK. Why on earth do we need to be buying potatoes from the other side of the planet?

I have recently started taking part in gleans. They involve going to farms at which the harvests have already taken place and ‘gleaning’ the remaining crops. These are then taken to charities and organisations that distribute the produce to those that need it. I personally have spent hours and hours sifting through huge crates of potatoes which have been rejected by supermarkets for being too small or the wrong shape. All of these potatoes are perfectly edible, they just don’t look the part.

The reason that there is a call for the boycott of Israeli potatoes is almost irrelevant when  you realise that there are plenty of potatoes right here, probably within mere miles of nearly every house in the UK. The reason we should be boycotting the potatoes grown in Israel is because of the excessive food miles and the lack of support for our local farms, which depend so heavily on their communities supporting the local economy.

At the moment, Sainsbury’s are selling Maris Piper potatoes as well as ‘everyday’ organic potatoes from Israel, whilst Waitrose and even Asda are selling potatoes grown in the UK at similar or cheaper prices, proving that importing the produce is wholly unnecessary. To really support UK producers though, it’s worth buying from your local independent businesses and growers to ensure that the money you’re spending ends up in the right hands.

Herbs – The Spice of Life

The use of herbs dates back to early humans. Early civilisations wrapped meat in the leaves of bushes, accidentally discovering that this enhanced the taste of the meat, as did certain nuts, seeds, berries – and even bark. Our chief supplier of herbs & spices – Steenbergs Organics are passionate about them. And so they should be! Spices not only take your meals to the next level, they’re also brilliant for your body.

Arab traders were the first to introduce spices into Europe. Realizing that they controlled a commodity in great demand, the traders kept their sources of supply secret and made up fantastic tales of the dangers involved in obtaining spices.  Today, spices are used in almost everything we eat, and costs are relatively low. It is hard to imagine that these fragrant bits of leaves, seeds, and bark were once so coveted and costly. For centuries wars were waged, new lands discovered, and the earth circled, all in the quest of spices. However, many of the spices have properties as well as their culinary uses. For example, research has shown that turmeric is full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and horseradish contains substances known as phytochemicals, which possess properties that mimic the ability of antioxidants which give a boost to the immune system in our bodies. Herbs and Spices have antibacterial and antiviral properties and many are high in B-vitamins and trace minerals.  Most herbs and spices also contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than fruits and vegetables.

 

Spices are the buds, bark, roots, berries and aromatic seeds that are harvested for use in flavouring cooking. Herbs are the fragrant leaves of plants. Even the tiny filaments of saffron are referred to as a spice. (Saffron is the stigma which is hand plucked from a small mauve crocus native to Kashmir – hence its expense.) Most spices are grown in the tropical regions of the world, with some thriving in the cool misty highlands. Many of the seed spices come from more temperate areas, such as coriander seed, which is grown in Northern India, Africa and Eastern Europe.

The majority of spices are still harvested in the way they have been for centuries, by hand! Most of the developments in the spice industry have been with respect to growing and post-harvest treatment such as grading and cleaning.

Below are a few of our key herbs and the health-benefitting properties that they have:

 

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has the highest antioxidant value of any spice. It has been shown to reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar and blood pressure. Cinnamon has also been used to alleviate nausea. It provides manganese, iron and calcium. It can help extend the life of foods, along with nutmeg and orange.

Whilst cinnamon is most commonly used in baking and we tend to overdose on it at Christmas time, it can also be used in savoury dishes. Try adding it to a white sauce in a lasagna, pumpkin soup or even curry.

 

Basil

Basil is brilliant in everything from salads to soups. It has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties and can help prevent arthritis. It has been used in digestive disorders and is being studied for its anti-cancer properties. Though commonly used in Italian cooking, Basil is a versatile herb that can be added to practically anything.

 

 

Paprika

Recently, it’s been found that paprika not only helps your body fight inflammation and disease in general, but it may even have specific targeting to prevent and fight autoimmune conditions and certain cancers. Paprika also boosts your daily intake of vitamin E. Each tablespoon provides 2 milligrams of vitamin E, or 13 percent of the recommended daily intake. Vitamin E helps control blood clot formation and promotes healthy blood vessel function, and also serves as an antioxidant. Paprika is also an excellent source of iron.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a common ingredient in Indian foods, and a great addition to soups. It contains Curcumin, a cancer-fighting compound. It is best known for its ability to reduce inflammation and improve joints. If you are struggling with inflammation, you can grate a small amount and eat it raw. You’ll notice the effects fairly quickly. Try adding turmeric to your daily cooking – only a small amount will make a big difference!

 

 

Garlic

In our opinions, garlic is a cupboard essential. Fresh cloves are always best, but powdered, minced and granulated forms provide excellent flavour. Studies show that just 2 fresh cloves a week provide anti-cancer benefits.

 

Dill

Dill has antibacterial properties but is most known for its stomach settling ability (ever wonder why pregnant women crave pickles?). It contains a variety of nutrients but loses most when heated to high temperatures. For this reason, it is best used in uncooked recipes or in foods cooked at low temperatures. It is a great addition to any type of fish, to dips and dressings, to omelettes or to poultry dishes.

Cayenne

Cayenne has many health benefits and can improve the absorption of other nutrients in foods. It has been shown to increase circulation and reduce the risk of heart problems. It  is also a great addition to many foods. In small amounts, it can be added to practically any dish, meat, vegetable or sauce. As tolerance to the spicy flavor increases, the amount added can be increased also.

 

Mint

Mint has traditionally been used to calm digestive troubles and to reduce nausea. Many people enjoy a tea made from peppermint or spearmint leaves, and the volatile oils in both have been used in breath fresheners, toothpastes and chewing gum. Externally, the oil or tea can be used to repel mosquitos.

 

Oregano

Oregano is a common ingredient in Italian and Greek cuisine. Oregano (and it’s milder cousin, Marjoram) are antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer and antibiotic. It is extremely high in antioxidants and has demonstrated antimicrobial properties against food-borne pathogens like Listeria. Its oil and leaves are used medicinally in treatment of cough, fever, congestion, body ache and illness. Combined with basil, garlic, marjoram, thyme and rosemary, it creates a potent antiviral, anti bacterial, antimicrobial and cancer fighting seasoning blend. It can also be sprinkled on any kind of savory foods. A couple of teaspoons added to a soup will help recovery from illness.

 

Cumin

The second most used herb in the world after black pepper, cumin provides a distinct and pleasant taste. Cumin has antimicrobial properties and has been used to reduce flatulence. It is a wonderful addition to curry powder or to flavor Mexican or Middle Eastern dishes.

 

Curry Powder

Curry powder can have a wide variety of ingredients, but often contains turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, mustard powder, cayenne, ginger, garlic, nutmeg, fenugreek and a wide variety of peppers. With all these ingredients it has an amazing range of beneficial properties. Curry is an acquired taste, but can be added to meats, stir frys, soups and stews.

 

 

Rosemary

If you’ve had rosemary it was likely on a lamb dish, but its uses are much more varied. It has a high concentration of the antioxidant carnosol and research shows it may have benefits in cancer treatment and healthy digestion and use of cholesterol. It has a pine/lemony scent and it can be used in soap making due to its smell and ability to fight aging by rejuvenating the small blood vessels under the skin. If you aren’t ready to jump into soap-making just yet… try it on meat dishes, in soups or with vegetables. Water boiled with Rosemary can be used as an antiseptic.

 

Thyme

Thyme contains thymol, a potent antioxidant (and also the potent ingredient in Listerine mouthwash). Water boiled with thyme can be used in homemade spray cleaners and or can be added to bathwater for treatment of wounds. Thyme water can be swished around the mouth for gum infections or for the healing of wounds from teeth removal. Thyme tea can also be taken internally during illness to speed recovery. In foods, it is often used in French cooking (an ingredient in Herbs de Provence) and Italian. Add to any baked dishes at the beginning of cooking, as it slowly releases its benefits.

Once you have a basic understanding of the various spice flavours and how they complement different foods, you can use your own creativity and taste instincts to experiment with a whole range of combinations. Being adventurous with spices can make cooking fun! To see our full Steenbergs range, visit our website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our New Grower: Sunshine and Green

Yesterday we went to visit Greg at Peacocks Farm in Wickhambrook. He is the latest small, independent farmer to supply us at Organics for All and we’re really quite excited about it.

Sunshine and Green grow a wide range of vegetables and fruit using totally Organic techniques, (as Greg says – “in a nut shell means that we feed the soil, rather then the plant”).  Soil health is the most important thing, because if the soil is healthy, then so are the crops. This means they can be strong and defend themselves from disease and pests.

 

We visited the poly tunnels and saw the gorgeous salad leaves, beetroot and leafies being grown and were immediately sold to the whole ethos of Sunshine and Greens. Greg uses a ‘no-dig’ method of organic farming – where the land is covered in sheeting for a few months before crops are planted, to kill any weeds. Tilling the soil releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as well as exposes a very delicate ecosystem to the air which dries it out.  The soil loses a lot of its nutrients as well as some of its organic matter, and as a consequence, does not retain water as well. The delicate soil structure is destroyed, compaction of soil occurs, leading to hardpan formation, and reduced water infiltration in the soil, and more surface runoff, which increases soil erosion.

 

Judging by the quality of the leafies we saw growing yesterday, the soil is very much enjoying this method, as is Gregg. He’s clearly very proud of the produce that he is growing at the moment, and if you take a look you can see why:

 

At the moment,  Sunshine and Green are able to supply freshly harvested fruit and vegetables to the surrounding towns, villages, pubs and shops. It is important to Greg that his market stays local so that he can retain the quality standards of the produce and ensure it is delivered fresh as fresh be can with shortest distances travelled from field to kitchen.

Like us at Organics for All, Sunshine and Green are passionate about their wildlife. The farm already plays hosts to some iconic birds, like buzzards and barn owls, and over the coming years they will be expanding the range of habitats for wildlife. They plan to plant areas of trees and hedging that will provide home and food for animals, as well as growing wild flowers and native meadow land. For every project undertaken on the farm, they’re always mindful of what impact it will have on the wild inhabitants of the farm.

 

We’re very excited to be working with Sunshine and Green and genuinely can’t wait to see what happens next  – because of growers like Sunshine and Green the future of food production in Suffolk is looking pretty great!

This week we have gorgeous mixed leaves from Sunshine & Green. Be sure to add them as an extra to your box.

 

 

Gleaner Greens: The Day I Went Gleaning

Last Saturday I spent the day gleaning on a lovely farm in Kent.

It was a last minute thing – a post came up on my social media from Feedback calling for volunteers for the next day. Feedback is an environmental organisation that campaigns to end food waste at every level of the food system. They fight for change – from local communities to governments and global organisations. Their aim is to change society’s attitude toward wasting food. As we at Greener Greens do, Feedback understand that food waste is a symptom of our broken food system.  By scaling back farming intensity and by eliminating the significant inputs that go into crop growing we can drastically reduce the amount of food that we waste.

The purpose of the glean on Saturday was to rescue as much as possible of the 1000’s of potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli and spring greens which could not make it to the market and would otherwise have been wasted.  These particular greens were potentially going to waste because of the recent weather speeding up the growth cycle. The farm would not have been able to harvest and sell them in time before they flowered and spoilt. The potatoes were going to waste because they were cosmetic outgrades- too big or too small for commercial market.

We started by picking purple sprouting broccoli from a field that was due to be ploughed over the following day.  This particular field had already been harvested by the farm, but there was plenty left for us.

We then did a stint with some potatoes dividing them into sacks.  The best bit for me though was being given a bushcraft knife and the task of cutting the remaining spring green cabbages from the fields. I saw a red-legged pheasant for the first time too!

 

 

The veg will be passed on to various organisations, including The Felix Project, UK Harvest as well as various other local organisations, where they will be put to good use: feeding people who need them the most. Many projects such as homeless hostels, breakfast clubs, womens’ refuge centres, and services for the elderly will be flooded with delicious food.

Do have a look at Feedback  and the work that they do. They’re a brilliant organisation who have the same core values as we do.  They do have organised gleans that you can help with too – see their website for more information and to sign up. I’d recommend it – it was a brilliant thing to do, and I got to spend the day on a farm!

 

 

Our Growers: Michael Hall School

The 2 ½ acre walled garden at Michael Hall School unites many activities.  Within the garden, they grow about a hundred varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and top fruit, all to Demeter standards – the largest certification organisation for biodynamic agriculture. Compost is important to biodynamic gardening and Michael Hall maintain a variety of compost heaps around the garden.  They have two old fashioned wooden greenhouses, three polytunnels, and the original Victorian propagation houses.  They’ve also just recently installed a new flow form which is used to improve the irrigation water for the seedlings, and to make nettle, comfrey and compost teas.

Because Michael Hall School, as well as supplying us with some of our wonderful produce, is also a Steiner school, part of the garden is entirely set aside for gardening teaching. There is a gardening classroom, the children’s propagation house, a bread baking oven, and tools for garden and woodland crafts.   Children have their garden beds there and it is where their gardening lessons take place.  In winter, they roam beyond the garden into the rest of the Michael Hall estate to learn about woodland management. What a fabulous way of learning!

The aim of Michael Hall School is to combine beauty in the garden with growing an abundance of good biodynamic vegetables for the school canteen, the garden shop and the local community.

We’d like to thank Laurie, the gardner responsible for providing us with beautiful produce that we can then pass on to you. At the moment, we have perpetual spinach, rainbow chard and lettuces from them. You can buy them online and have them delivered to you for free here.