Swillington CSA

Moriarty

Moriarty's blog

I  don't normally go in for anthropomorphism but in this case I'll make an exception!

I 've decided in this case to give one particular human wood pigeon thoughts and emotions- you know the stupid one with the hat who's been hanging around my garden for the last month. It took him so long to work out who had been pulling out the onions I'll even give him a name, Sherlock will do for the moment.

I've had a whale of a time for the last week or two whenever he's not around, pulling up the onions - I hate straight lines and they look great in nice little piles of three or four.  Then I'll sit in the trees with the lads and wait for him to arrive, when he sees what I've been up to its so funny 'cos he looks around to see if he can see the culprit, even funnier, he's already fallen out with the Blackbirds and the Pheasants after blaming them!

I even occasionally put some of the onions back in upside down - that really does his head in 'cos he thinks that he might have got slack and accidentally planted them the wrong way up himself - 3 times this week he's had to spend most of the morning replanting the onions, oh the laughs we've had.

Still, I can't wait until he starts on the cabbages!

Watch out for me when you're next on the garden

Moriarty

Thanks to Bob Perry(bobperryonline.co.uk)for Moriarty's photo.

Volunteer days

Hi folks

Thanks to all those who have attended our regular volunteer afternoons, just a reminder of when we run our activities.

Friday afternoons 1-4pm

Saturday afternoons 2-4pm

It helps me to plan activities if you can text or ring me first on my mobile 07908 241681

Also there will be NO activities on the following dates

Saturday 14th July

For the time being until I am able to sort out dedicated facilities I can't guarantee tea making facilities or refreshments.

I look forward to seeing you on the Garden!

Ian

Ian the gardeners blog!

Welcome to the Swillington Community Supported Agriculture blog.

You know its amazing how time flies when you`re busy!

I'm 3 weeks into the project and have only just worked out some of what I need to do to blog!

Perhaps a good place to start would be a brief explanation as to how I became involved in the first CSA in Yorkshire (nobody has contradicted me yet ,so i'll keep saying it!), I`m sure that each and every one of you has a story as to how you became involved - why not post them to the blog?

My involvement with Swillingon Organic Farm goes back some time, in fact, well over ten years back to when I was Project Assistant for South Leeds Groundwork Trusts Five Villages Project working in Swillington and other villages in the Lower Aire Valley.

One of our regular events was a guided tour of the farm aimed mostly at children and using the walled garden as a picnic area, I distinctly remember asking Jo whether she had plans to bring the garden back to its prime - little did I know.

Later I found my way to Meanwood Urban Valley Farm where events conspired to leave me running the small organic market garden .

Yes its a garden but its not mine anymore.

click on these photos for larger images!

I suppose Kirstin has proved herself a catalyst in the development of the CSA scheme - I first met Kirstin when she came to work as a volunteer at Meanwood, I`ll persuade her to tell you about how she came to be involved in another blog post.

Despite standing on what is probably the worlds largest paper hanky Kirstin still insists on  wiping her nose on her sleeve!

I hope over the coming year to be able to post a regular blog (weekly if I'm organised) to tell you how things are going on the garden, what crops are planted, what the wildlife is doing and any other developments.

I'll also try to develop a format with some interesting links and recipes, pictures and other stuff that amuses me, I hope that you enjoy it too!

see you soon

Ian