Shillingford Organics
'in tune with nature'

Vegetable Box Bulletin
February 2010

CONTENTS

1. FEBRUARY EXTRAS
2. NEW DATABASE SYSTEM
3. CROP & OTHER NEWS

1. February Extras

Organics Eggs:         £1.60 per half dozen
Local Honey:             £3.75 per 454g /1lb jarLaydilay Organic
Mayonnaise:             £2.20 per 175ml jar
Remarka Potatoes :  £3.00 for 5kg bag
Remarka Potatoes:   £7.00 for 12.5 Kg bag

2.  New Database System
Hello everyone, this is Bridget your Box Scheme Manager. I am pleased to advise you that for the past few months I have been working closely with a developer to create a new Database System for Shillingford Organics and this is now well on the way to being completed. This has sometimes been a bit of a challenge but now it is all coming together I am really pleased with the end results. Last week I ran the two systems in parallel and there were only a few minor glitches to rectify.

This week we are using the information from the new system to generate all the lists so please bear with us if there are any minor issues, in some ways part of the testing is done within the day to day running of a new system. The reason we have been keen to set it up is so that we can use a central area to add/delete/modify all related information that has previously been held on several spreadsheets and various forms. It is hoped that this system will iron out any previous system problems and improve efficiency within the admin area.

I want to make you aware that if you ring for an account balance I will need to calculate some of it manually, this is due to your account only being up to date once the current week's orders have been posted across, which will not be completed until the end of the week or the beginning of the following week, giving me time to make any essential amendments. Please bear with me as a solution may be in the pipeline.

3. Crop News
The cold weather of a month ago is a distant (and surreal) memory now. Fortunately we are hardy lot!! as pulling Leeks and digging Parsnips out of the ice and the continuous freezing temperatures were enough to test anyone's physical and mental reserves. 

As for the crops I think we have got away fairly lightly compared with some. A colleague of ours in Mid Devon lost his entire crops and has had to stop his box scheme until next season, Minus 17 frosts destroyed, not just the heads of Cauliflowers and Sprouting Broccoli, but the entire plant! We lost Cauliflowers and many are still marginally damaged. The Leeks have some frost damage and are more time consuming to trim.

Perhaps the most damage was caused by the pigeons having nothing else to eat except rows of Purple Sprouting temptingly sticking out of the snow.

We have now taken drastic measures. After having the bird 'scarer' on for several days (apologies to the inhabitants of Shillingford) we have erected high steel wire supports along two edges and strung yards and yards of string across so that they can not fly in without risking hitting the string.

Hopefully, the warmer weather will bring on new growth.  We have sown several crops ready for transplanting in mid February, for example; Spring Cabbage, Calibrese, Kale, Pak Choi and Lettuce. Sharon and Martin have also been sowing lines of Rocket, Mizuna and Ruby Streaks Mustard in the tunnels and now the first early Carrots.

We have also been looking for dry interludes when the soil is dry enough to sow the Broad Beans. This has been almost impossible since early November but finally, we managed to plant some last Monday.

Winter jobs have been a priority: from pruning apple trees to repairing rabbit fences.

Unfortunately we have used up all our own carrots and the ones left in the ground have been destroyed by the frost. Therefore, we have bought some in from an Organic producer near Cullompton. The quality is disappointing, exasperated by the amount of soil attached.

Unfortunately, we are also buying in onions, which we have bought together with Rod & Bens. Embarrassingly,

I have to report these are Dutch. If you prefer not to have them in your box please advise Bridget and she will had a note to your orders until we have our own again.

by Martyn Bragg


 

 


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