Welcome to Greenhill Farm 2011
If you would like to browse through previous diaries, please use the picture links below
2010--------------------------------------------2009-------------------------------------------2008
2010--------------------------------------------2009-------------------------------------------2008
October 31 Samhain
The official end of the Celtic year.
There's very little left in our garden at the moment. Some cabbages, celery, drying onions and a few tomato plants. As I said earlier, not much planting was done because we are trying to sort out the new polytunnel and a new growing shed.
At the moment we are going through seed catalogues trying to figure out how many and what variety of seeds we will need for next year. As always, we will order our seeds from Tamar Organics in England. In our experience they have the best range of suitable organic seed for what we need to grow. There's no point in trying to grow vegetables that grow well in sunny climates in North Inishowen.
We also get heirloom seeds from the Irish Seedsavers, and Duchy organic, which is part of the Prince of Wales' business interest.
Click on Duchy above to link to their very interesting website.
Anyone interested in buying small amounts of organic seeds can get them from us, since one of the things we have always found frustrating is the fact that most seed companies sell so much seed in a packet that you end up throwing heps of lovely veg in the compost at the end of the year.
There's very little left in our garden at the moment. Some cabbages, celery, drying onions and a few tomato plants. As I said earlier, not much planting was done because we are trying to sort out the new polytunnel and a new growing shed.
At the moment we are going through seed catalogues trying to figure out how many and what variety of seeds we will need for next year. As always, we will order our seeds from Tamar Organics in England. In our experience they have the best range of suitable organic seed for what we need to grow. There's no point in trying to grow vegetables that grow well in sunny climates in North Inishowen.
We also get heirloom seeds from the Irish Seedsavers, and Duchy organic, which is part of the Prince of Wales' business interest.
Click on Duchy above to link to their very interesting website.
Anyone interested in buying small amounts of organic seeds can get them from us, since one of the things we have always found frustrating is the fact that most seed companies sell so much seed in a packet that you end up throwing heps of lovely veg in the compost at the end of the year.
New events on the farm.
One of the things I swore would never happen just did. The farm now has a cat. Shannon calls it Zack, it's male, but to me it will be called 'Cat'
O.K. So it's cute. At this stage I am prepared to entertain cute, after all, it's only a wee kitten, dependent on our good will to survive.
But, the minute this animal becomes demanding, out it goes. I'm prepared for battle! No cat will live in my house as long as I do!!!
As for the Chickens, well the diva of them all, Cola, is currently shedding her feathers. She looks a wreck! It's funny to us, but in hen land, she has just given 7up the chance he needed to become the top dog in the pecking order. (Mixed metaphors abound in the chicken world)
Today, I saw Pepsi, the young female, getting to the feeding tray first, the rooster next, along with the hardworking Coke, and poor Cola miserably pecking what she could from a waterlogged pile of feed from last week.
A lot of lessons could be learned by watching hens...
The Community Market had a brilliant 'fun day' last Saturday.
Photos galore are coming online from the event.
All the stallholders were in fancy dress, and our own Shannon spent the day scaring the living daylights out of unsuspecting customers as they came in the door. Lying on a chair, dressed as a scarecrow, she looked more like a mannequin than a person, so when she suddenly jumped up with a gloved hand offered to the unfortunate visitor, they got a total shock!
There was a great selection of stalls there, and live music and the atmosphere was fantastic.
September 10
Autumn came quickly. We're into our second storm and this one will be worse than the last.
The growing year is drawing to a close. There's still enough heat to grow lettuce, scallions, some types of cabbage, rocket and spinach, but it's too late to plant anything else for this year. It is possible, if you have a tunnel, to sow an early carrot variety which could be ready for Christmas!
Lots of our time this year was spent building a new greenhouse and getting ready to put up a new poly tunnel. Hopefully this will mean that we can get an earlier start inside next year. The market has continued successfully. Regular customers come in every week, and there's always a few tourists around too. We try to have live music every week
The growing year is drawing to a close. There's still enough heat to grow lettuce, scallions, some types of cabbage, rocket and spinach, but it's too late to plant anything else for this year. It is possible, if you have a tunnel, to sow an early carrot variety which could be ready for Christmas!
Lots of our time this year was spent building a new greenhouse and getting ready to put up a new poly tunnel. Hopefully this will mean that we can get an earlier start inside next year. The market has continued successfully. Regular customers come in every week, and there's always a few tourists around too. We try to have live music every week
Sadly, at the end of July, we said goodbye to our loving and loyal Charlie.
I've mentioned here before that he wasn't very clever, and this proved to be his downfall. He loved to bark at the postman and the milkman, this was a very important part of his day. Unfortunately, he didn't get out of the milkman's way in time, and he was so badly injured that the vet put him to sleep. We still miss him so much.
The young chicks turned out the opposite of what we thought, 2 roosters and one hen! One of the roosters is now happily living near Carndonagh while the other one is confusing the older hens. Cola was always the boss, and now she's even trying to crow so that she can hold her place! They are so very funny to watch.
I've mentioned here before that he wasn't very clever, and this proved to be his downfall. He loved to bark at the postman and the milkman, this was a very important part of his day. Unfortunately, he didn't get out of the milkman's way in time, and he was so badly injured that the vet put him to sleep. We still miss him so much.
The young chicks turned out the opposite of what we thought, 2 roosters and one hen! One of the roosters is now happily living near Carndonagh while the other one is confusing the older hens. Cola was always the boss, and now she's even trying to crow so that she can hold her place! They are so very funny to watch.
August 6th
Missed out on a whole month!
It's Autumn, time is really flying. This year, things took a strange turn. Last year we met a man called Danny, who changed many things for us and for a lot of other people.
When we met him, he was clinging to life, looking for something to keep him in health. He found it. It's called wheatgrass.
Danny perfected the art of growing the stuff, and now people come from all over to see how he grows it.
How do we fit in?
Well, before Danny came on the scene one of our neighbours told us about wheatgrass, and how she was paying €10 per kg for it in a certain health shop. Since we were agents for Fruit Hill farm, we checked the catalogue and discovered we could sell it much cheaper, so we looked into it. Along came Danny and between us we came up with the most suitable startup kit for growing wheatgrass we could manage.
Wheatgrass has so many properties it's hard to decide which is more important. Suffice to say that one ounce of wheatgrass juice has the same amount of vitamins and minerals as 2.5lbs of green vegetables!
As we know from recent studies, eating green veg can actually reverse the effects of some cancers, ease many skin conditions, even stabilise blood sugar levels. So, needless to say, the whole idea of juicing wheatgrass has become one of the busiest parts of our business.
It's Autumn, time is really flying. This year, things took a strange turn. Last year we met a man called Danny, who changed many things for us and for a lot of other people.
When we met him, he was clinging to life, looking for something to keep him in health. He found it. It's called wheatgrass.
Danny perfected the art of growing the stuff, and now people come from all over to see how he grows it.
How do we fit in?
Well, before Danny came on the scene one of our neighbours told us about wheatgrass, and how she was paying €10 per kg for it in a certain health shop. Since we were agents for Fruit Hill farm, we checked the catalogue and discovered we could sell it much cheaper, so we looked into it. Along came Danny and between us we came up with the most suitable startup kit for growing wheatgrass we could manage.
Wheatgrass has so many properties it's hard to decide which is more important. Suffice to say that one ounce of wheatgrass juice has the same amount of vitamins and minerals as 2.5lbs of green vegetables!
As we know from recent studies, eating green veg can actually reverse the effects of some cancers, ease many skin conditions, even stabilise blood sugar levels. So, needless to say, the whole idea of juicing wheatgrass has become one of the busiest parts of our business.
June 21st
Solstice!
I can hardly believe we're at this year's halfway point.
Driving to Carn today the rain was blinding, and brown leaves were falling off the trees in front of the car, making it seem like Winter.
Lots of people are reporting setbacks in their gardens, if not total failure.
We were less affected than a lot of people, because over the years we've lived here in Fawn I've been concentrating on growing windbreaks, and these have just begun to earn their upkeep.
Colm Grant from the Buncrana Gardener's club and the Organic Group tells us that the storm we had a few weeks ago, which turned all the hedges brown and killed off many plants, is known as 'an Gaoth Rua' or the brown wind. The fact that an anam atá as Gaeilge proves that it's not 'acid rain' or anything caused by volcanic ash, but a wind that has hit this country periodically over many centuries, desiccating the leaves and causing them to die off, because it comes at a time when they are at their most vulnerable – soft and green in early Summer.
Nevertheless, it is soul destroying to see all your preparation and care going down the drain.
Maybe it's a bit different for us because losing some of our crops is something we are used to, but for someone who planted say, ten cabbage, the loss of half of them can feel like the end of the world.
I can hardly believe we're at this year's halfway point.
Driving to Carn today the rain was blinding, and brown leaves were falling off the trees in front of the car, making it seem like Winter.
Lots of people are reporting setbacks in their gardens, if not total failure.
We were less affected than a lot of people, because over the years we've lived here in Fawn I've been concentrating on growing windbreaks, and these have just begun to earn their upkeep.
Colm Grant from the Buncrana Gardener's club and the Organic Group tells us that the storm we had a few weeks ago, which turned all the hedges brown and killed off many plants, is known as 'an Gaoth Rua' or the brown wind. The fact that an anam atá as Gaeilge proves that it's not 'acid rain' or anything caused by volcanic ash, but a wind that has hit this country periodically over many centuries, desiccating the leaves and causing them to die off, because it comes at a time when they are at their most vulnerable – soft and green in early Summer.
Nevertheless, it is soul destroying to see all your preparation and care going down the drain.
Maybe it's a bit different for us because losing some of our crops is something we are used to, but for someone who planted say, ten cabbage, the loss of half of them can feel like the end of the world.
In my last diary entry I notice that I mentioned the same thing that keeps annoying me, trying to keep the front of the house looking well kept! Because so much of our life is spent working at the veg gardens and the tunnels, time spent cutting grass or hedges seems like a waste. But is must be done. So we decided to go for a blitz. Myself and my cousin spent a couple of days with two strimmers, a lawnmower and a couple of pairs of shears, getting the place looking almost perfect. Then the rain came, and it didn't get finished, like always. So now I'm trying to use the few dry hours to mow the lawn again, and pick up the grass we left to wilt the last time, thinking it would be lifted the following day. One thing you need to know in Ireland is: NEVER plan anything, the rain will always come when you least want it!
Our little family has grown again. Although the cat disappeared (to my delight!) we've since added to the clan with a beautiful red setter called Sally, and 3 wee chicks!
Sally came to us from John's sister. We'd been admiring her so much that Ann finally asked us if we wanted to take her home. Although she misses Sally a lot, she knew that having people around constantly would be good for the dog, who had been abused in a previous home. Sally settled in almost immediately, even though Charlie refuses to admit she exists!
Our little family has grown again. Although the cat disappeared (to my delight!) we've since added to the clan with a beautiful red setter called Sally, and 3 wee chicks!
Sally came to us from John's sister. We'd been admiring her so much that Ann finally asked us if we wanted to take her home. Although she misses Sally a lot, she knew that having people around constantly would be good for the dog, who had been abused in a previous home. Sally settled in almost immediately, even though Charlie refuses to admit she exists!
Our two hens, Coke & Cola, were always different. Cola was always looking around, head up trying to see everything, and Coke spent all her time working hard, pecking away at everything she saw, so it was no big surprise that Coke decided it was time for her to have a family. My first reaction was to scare her into forgetting all about it – and old recipe for this would be to put her under a bucket in the dark for a day or two, but John had different ideas. Alex, from Buncrana, a member of the Organic Group, had some eggs for setting, and so, Coke got a job!
Cola wandered around, looking very lonely, for a few weeks. She even came into the house looking for company, but after three weeks, Pepsi, Fanta and 7up came into the world, making Cola one of the proudest maiden aunts I've ever seen! Pepsi has a dark stripe like a mohawk all the way down it's back, so we assume it's the male, the other two have beautiful patterned wings. One is very good at escaping. She must be 7up!
Cola wandered around, looking very lonely, for a few weeks. She even came into the house looking for company, but after three weeks, Pepsi, Fanta and 7up came into the world, making Cola one of the proudest maiden aunts I've ever seen! Pepsi has a dark stripe like a mohawk all the way down it's back, so we assume it's the male, the other two have beautiful patterned wings. One is very good at escaping. She must be 7up!
Easter 2011
I've been very bad at updating the diaries this year so far. This might be due to my addiction to facebook, where we have a GHF page, or because so much time has been spent setting up a new market in Carndonagh.
Anyway, it's almost May, and I am now frantically trying to make the yard look like somebody actually lives here! The flame weeder is great, burns everything, including emerging seeds, although it will probably need a second burning to kill off the scutch grass.
John has been busy putting in the spuds. He plants them the way my Dad always did his, leaving one drill intact and placing the seed potatoes on either side of it. The two drills either side are then split, and shoveled over the seeds, half against one intact drill and half against the next one. If this sounds complicated, it is difficult to explain. I will have some pics soon. The main advantage of this method is that, when the tops start to grow, the drill that was left alone can be split easily, and the potatoes are earthed up very quickly. It also helps with weed control.
The Community market has had mixed success. The first day was very busy, but lots of people didn't realise that it would be weekly so the following weeks were a bit quiet.
Some people also found that they couldn't cope with being stallholders, leaving us with a few gaps. We hope this is sorted now, and we're all looking forward to this market becoming a weekly social event as well as being a place to buy the groceries!
February 10th 2011
It's a beautiful Spring day, the best kind to get outside and make a start.
John has been busy over the last few weeks getting cabbage, tomato & cucumber plants started. They are all over the windowsills in the house!
The walls of our greenhouse blew out in the last storm so we're fixing that. We made barriers out of windbreak to keep the hens out of the tunnels. They did a great job of cleaning the soil before the new planting started, but now they have to be kept away or they will scrape out everything we plant.
I went out to take some photos today, and the sounds I was hearing all around me made me think of when I was a small child. Ducks quacking next door, a donkey braying over the road, the hens clucking away, birds chirping...
All these sounds had almost disappeared over the past 30 years or so, and it's great to see & hear the countryside coming back to life.
Over the winter we met so many people who intend to grow their own vegetables this year, or plan to get some hens, or to make some change towards providing some food for themselves.
A new GIY group has been started in Inishowen, as part of the GIY Ireland organisation. The last meeting in Harry's Bar in Bridgend was packed. Gareth Austin gave a great talk about what everyone needs to be doing now to get ready for the growing season. You can find them at www.giyireland.com
We seem to be attracting animals at a frightening rate. The latest to make an appearance is a very tame cat who seems to have made itself at home in our shed. It is missing it's tail and most of it's rear end. If it survives, I suppose it can stay. We're not great lovers of cats.
John has been busy over the last few weeks getting cabbage, tomato & cucumber plants started. They are all over the windowsills in the house!
The walls of our greenhouse blew out in the last storm so we're fixing that. We made barriers out of windbreak to keep the hens out of the tunnels. They did a great job of cleaning the soil before the new planting started, but now they have to be kept away or they will scrape out everything we plant.
I went out to take some photos today, and the sounds I was hearing all around me made me think of when I was a small child. Ducks quacking next door, a donkey braying over the road, the hens clucking away, birds chirping...
All these sounds had almost disappeared over the past 30 years or so, and it's great to see & hear the countryside coming back to life.
Over the winter we met so many people who intend to grow their own vegetables this year, or plan to get some hens, or to make some change towards providing some food for themselves.
A new GIY group has been started in Inishowen, as part of the GIY Ireland organisation. The last meeting in Harry's Bar in Bridgend was packed. Gareth Austin gave a great talk about what everyone needs to be doing now to get ready for the growing season. You can find them at www.giyireland.com
We seem to be attracting animals at a frightening rate. The latest to make an appearance is a very tame cat who seems to have made itself at home in our shed. It is missing it's tail and most of it's rear end. If it survives, I suppose it can stay. We're not great lovers of cats.