Cabbages galore this week! All our cabbages are at their best right now – we are harvesting the first of this season’s crop and are delighted with the results. We have Savoy, January King, Red and White cabbages for sale in the shop, online and on the menu. We are also beginning the work of chopping, brining and fermenting so that we have a good supply of Sauerkraut and Kimchi throughout the winter. Plump and round, juicy and tasty: this is the the first year we have grown cabbage in our no till beds and, so far, the results are very promising.
The no-till beds are a key part of our new, Regenerative approach. Our plan is to raise the beds, mulch the tops with thick layers of well rotted manure and straw and then let nature do the rest. No digging, no rotivating – just lots of mulch each year and planting young plants direct into the beds. Not only will we save on diesel and elbow grease, we believe this will grow bio-diversity in the soil, increase the amount of fungi, improve carbon sequestration and improve the water and mineral cycles. In turn, we believe this will also increase the nutrient density and flavour of our produce.
Historically our heavy clay soils have oscillated between cloying mud and what feels like solid concrete when it’s dry – our hope is that the raised beds will result in better drainage during wet periods and more friable, water retentive soils during dry periods. Additionally, the mulch together with cover crops (this year we have planted many of the fallow beds with Phacelia) will mean the soil is never bare. This approach should massively reduce soil erosion and compaction and nutrient depletion. The mulch will, in turn, offer shelter and nutrition to a hugely increasing microbiome – worms, nematodes, protozoa, bacteria, fungi and much more. Over the last month, we are delighted to have recorded our first toads and newts hiding in the moist spaces under the mulch – we hope this will lead to a richer environment in our pond next Spring!
Scallops again this week from Cornwall together with Lobster, Plaice, Hake and Squid which we will be serving stuffed with Chorizo and served in a rich tomato sauce.
We look forward to welcoming you over the coming days
