So it was finally time to bring in the onion crop again! This was one of the most memorable sessions for me last season and I have to share again Isobel’s juggling tricks…
Onions from the field were gathered onto the trailer.
Then the onions were unloaded into the polytunnel, where they will keep dry and the added heat of the tunnel will help dry them through.
These onions will be used in the farm box scheme for the rest of the year, and into next spring.

Polytunnel full of onions

We have had the added excitement of the rye crop on the farm this year, that we hope to donate in part to local community bakers CamBake. The long rye straw will be used by Farmer Paul to bed down his chickens and sheep in lambing time next spring. CropShare volunteers really got stuck in scything and stooking, and even den building in this crop this season. 
In the stook den!



Not so grim reapers



Rye grains.. coming soon to a loaf near you!

 

The rye stooks were now dry after standing in the field for a month.
 
Strength of 10 men!
CropSharers built up the stooks into a mow…
Adding more stooks to the mow
Mow is getting taller! Steady on up there.
Carrying stooks to the mow: spot the CropShare volunteer!
…and covered the mow with tarpaulin to keep the grain dry.
Covering the mow with tarp

 

Finished product!
 

 

CropSharers enjoyed a now ledgendary lunch out in the sun.
 

And picked up some veg as a reward for their hard work.
Veg available to volunteers this week YUM

Volunteers picking up their veg reward for farm work
We also spyed on the farm’s chickens, here are a few of the hens with one of the cockrels keeping cool in one of the chicken sheds.

 
We then had time to weed the celery in the afternoon.

Hiya!
Weeds were quite big- but we soon got on top of them 

Healthy celery patch all weeded 
 
It’s a myth that there’s gold at the end of a rainbow- all I could find was celery. And some weeds.