Contents of our vegetable boxes this week are provided by Mark Norman, Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest and Camel CSA’s own plot, all of it grown to organic principles.

Small vegetable boxes will have:
potatoes – Pentland Javelin (Mark)
carrots (Mark)
blackcurrants (Mark)
peas (Jeremy)
cucumber (Jeremy)
broad beans (Camel CSA)
salad bags (Camel CSA)

Standard veg boxes will also have:
extra potatoes
mixed courgettes (Jeremy)
marrow (Jeremy)
swiss chard/perpetual spinach (Camel CSA)

The broad bean glut continues so please think of different ways to use these versatile vegetables. Please pick up your box from St Kew Harvest, as detailed in the e-mail to members. 

Subscribers can expect all or some of of the following: -

• potatoes (Arran Pilot)
• onions
• broad beans
• beetroot
• peas
• salad pack / lettuce
• cucumber
• courgettes
• turnips

 A definitive list and recipe ideas for beetroot will be posted once the boxes have been packed on Friday.

As expert grower Jeremy Brown explains: -

There are runner beans to plant out and French beans to sow.  We also need to sow some more rows of carrots.

Everything needs weeding – the carrots (yet again!), the parsley and celeriac…  But the onions are okay. 

The early potatoes also need weeding and ridging up.  The peas need supporting and tying up.

Just turn up to join the team on our site at St Kew Highway between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 

If you can’t manage Sunday, why not come to our new mid-week volunteer session every Thursday morning at the same time?  Or ring Jeremy Brown on 07971762227 if you’d like to help out another day.

Mid-summer celebration for members

Don’t forget it’s our mid-summer barbeque next Saturday 20 June in St Mabyn from 6 p.m. onwards.  Please contact Charlotte Barry if you can come at charlotte.barry@btinternet.com so we have an idea of how many people to expect. 

Everyone is asked to bring some food for the barbeque, a drink and a seasonal side dish or pudding.  Don’t forget to bring your own plate and cutlery as well!

Give expert grower Jeremy Brown a ring on 07971762227 to find out when it might be convenient to help out on Camel Community Supported Agriculture’s vegetable beds.  Weather permitting, of course!

He’s there every day as a member of the farming family who own the land and who have generously offered it rent-free to Camel CSA for the first few months.  He grows his own vegetables on the adjoining plot to sell at St Kew Harvest Farm Shop.

Jeremy can arrange to meet you on the site and explain what jobs need to be done.   These might include sowing seeds in the potting shed, spreading compost on new beds and weeding around our emerging crops.

Last Sunday we got several new beds raked, fresh compost spread and more seeds sown, including an extra row of peas and some more radishes.  We planted out beetroot and chard seedlings and hoed up weeds in the pea, onion and shallot beds. 

The devastation to the first rows of peas that had to be replaced was caused by the pea and bean weevil, not slugs.  Apologies all round.  Either the resident pheasant or a partridge has been having a go at the spring onions, but the damage is not lasting.

A big thank you to Sunday’s energetic crew – volunteer expert growers Jane, Jeremy B and Mark N and volunteer members Carolyn, Charlotte, Diana, Kitty, Mike H and Mike S.

We had a useful discussion during the tea break about the kind of activities we want to organise for the Open Day on Sunday 7 June – Open Farm Sunday.  Any suggestions welcome. 

Click here to view our entry on the Open Farm Sunday website.

“Just to let you know the jobs for this Sunday.

“There are lettuce and leeks to sow in the potting shed and out in the field we need to transplant brassicas and chard.

“A second sowing of beetroot can be made and, as long as the weather is good and a bed can be formed with the tractor, a second sowing of carrots. Other than that, weeding the onion beds and probably the peas.

“See you Sunday.”

Last Sunday a bunch of around 10 volunteers got a lot more weeding done, but had to replant a row of brassica seedlings that had been devastated by another predator.  We should probably blame the resident pheasant this time, as it left tell-tale beak marks and foot prints!

The second sowing of peas that replaced the 30-metre row eaten by slugs is now emerging safely under a protective fleece.

Many thanks to volunteers Beverley, Cath, Charlotte, Mark N, Mike H, Mike S, Jane, Jeremy B, John and Kitty.

This Sunday turn up any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.  Remember to bring strong shoes or wellies, waterproofs, gardening gloves, drinks and a snack.  Also tools, ideally wheelbarrows, shovels, spades, forks and rakes.  If the weather’s good you might need suncream and a hat!

Click here for directions to the site.  If you have any questions call Antonina at St Kew Harvest Farm Shop on 01208 841818.

In three short hours our community food growing group achieved what one person working alone would have managed in a week!  That’s one of the big advantages of belonging to a co-operative.

Grateful thanks to the three volunteer expert growers – Jane, Jeremy B and Mark N - and to volunteer members Alex, Cath, Charlotte, Diana, Fiona, Ian, Jeremy S, Jerry, John, Kitty, Mike H, Mike S, Mark M  and Yvonne.

Together we spread compost, hoed weeds, tended the broad beans, shallots and onions, planted out cauliflowers and cabbages, sowed radishes and dug up yet more dock leaves.  More seeds were also sown in the polytunnel.

Unfortunately a whole row of peas had been eaten by predators, but our enthusiastic volunteers got some new seeds planted in just a few minutes.   It would have taken an allotment holder most of the morning.

Jeremy B, one of our expert growing team, thinks we should blame slugs rather than our resident cock pheasant.  Fortunately the rabbit netting has proved secure so far.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you again this Sunday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.  We’ll be preparing additional beds, spreading compost, planting out more brassicas, and sowing calabrese and leeks.

Remember to bring strong shoes or wellies, waterproofs, gardening gloves, drinks and a snack.  Also tools, ideally wheelbarrows, shovels, spades, forks and rakes.  If the weather’s good you might need suncream and a hat!

Click here for directions to the site.  If you have any questions call Antonina at St Kew Harvest Farm Shop on 01208 841818.

Some of our growing team regulars (left to right) Gav, Jane, Diana, Kitty, Charlotte, Jeremy

We feel we’re starting to get somewhere!

There was a good turnout on the field on Sunday. The Camel Community Supported Agriculture team worked hard to create additional seed beds, spread loads of compost, and get broad beans, peas and onions into the ground.  

More seeds were planted in the polytunnel.  Some of us tackled the remaining dock leaves with a vengeance.

Many thanks to Kitty, Ian,  Mike, Jane, Gav, Jeremy, Charlotte, Frank, Mark and Diana.

A big thank you to all Camel Community Supported Agriculture members who turned out in the sunshine last Sunday to plant potatoes, onions and shallots.

Please come and help out again this Sunday 29 March between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to get more seeds in the ground.

Mark Norman, one of our team of expert growers, says:

“There’s another bed of onions to plant together with  broad beans and  peas.  We need to prepare another bed for sowing carrots and parsnips.  Look out for broad beans and Jeruselem artichokes just peeking through.

“We have more seeds to sow in the polytunnel. Seeds sown in the tunnel three weekends ago are doing well.  Some have been moved into the greenhouse for slightly cooler and less humid conditions with maximum light.”

Remember to bring wellies and waterproofs (just in case) as well as drinks and snacks.  And don’t forget a pair of gardening gloves!  If possible, bring a selection of tools – wheelbarrows, rakes, spades, forks and trowels.

We look forward to seeing you.  You’ll be sure to get a warm and friendly welcome.

Camel CSA - first volunteer day

Watch this video of our first volunteer day.

If you would like more information or have any questions email Alex at alex@olivetreeevents.co.uk or call Antonina at St Kew Harvest on 01208 841818.

Click here for directions to the site.