Farming is a balancing act

Farming is a balancing act

 

What on earth did CropShare get up to his time?

Among all the balancing tricks…

Thomas with potato

Thomas with potato

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 Caitlin with squash

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 Axel with double balanced potatoes

In field games…

 

Chuck da potato in da bag (Prize if you get it in= the potato)

Chuck da potato in da bag (Prize if you get it in= the potato)

Fencing matches with large organic weed plants (Fat Hen is great for this)…

Fight!

Fight!

Ferret play time…

Hey polecat pal!

Hey polecat pal!

 

We actually managed to harvest LOADS of onions and potatos! It’s a wonder we get stuff done 😉

 ONLY those potatoes SELECTED will go in the bags

ONLY those potatoes SELECTED will go in the bags

Farmer Paul first lifts the potatoes with a harvester – which leaves them near the soil surface for us to pick.

Potato harvester in action

Potato harvester in action

 

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Potato pickers working it

Unfortunately the amazing potato harvester machine suffered a bit of a hiccup and drove Farmer Paul to drown his sorrows in the field holding the mangled bit of metal that broke off the harvester…

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 Farmer Paul with broken machinery

 

Luckily for him CropSharers were there to raise his spirits and he was back on top form for onion harvesting. Here he is in full FARMER getup loading crops into the van.

 

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 FARMER Paul

Wax Barbour jacket: Check. Tweed style flat cap: Check. Miscellaneous sheep herding stick: Check. Just out of the shot of photo: Plastic bag tied round leg with orange baler twine as only wearing one boot.

Perhaps we can see more of Farmer Paul’s fashion tips next time. Personally I think this is a very strong look:

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Jesse from Fast Show

Anyway, ONIONS! Loads of them too, enough to fill the onion shed! I remember when we planted these babys back in April.

Do you know your onions

Do you know your onions

Sophie harvesting onions

Sophie harvesting onions

Nice wellies Sophie!

Nice wellies Sophie!

 

The onion crop had its leaves cut off to help drying out and was left on the soil surface for a week before  our farm day today.

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Loading onions into fetching orange bags

And as always veggie rewards and lunch went down a treat!

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CropSharers claiming their tasty rewards

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On offer today- sweetcorn, squashes, lettuce, onions, potatoes…

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Courgette flowers available too! Yum

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Yummy stuff to take home- kale especially is delicious this week

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YUM We cant wait to eat the tasty produce we have spent all year growing up

Also a hedgerow mini-harvest of sweet and creamy hazelnuts… very tasty.

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Hazelnuts from the Hedge

What a TREAT at lunch today we had Axel’s choco-beetroot cake, see the recipe here.

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CHOCO-BEETROOT CAKE NOM NOM

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Lunchtime – colorful plate!

Thanks CropSharers see you next time! 🙂

See more photos from the day here.