The fact that I love gardening is probably not a shock to many people. So, earlier in the year I decided to join the Norfolk & Norwich Horticultural Society – to gain more gardening knowledge and to take part in their seasonal shows. Being a newbie I hadn’t been to any of the society’s talks or… Continue reading Gardening for the sheer joy of it…
Over the past few days we have gone through another round of TB testing – the process for testing bovine tuberculosis in our cattle. We live in a part of Britain that is considered low risk for TB so we are normally tested every four years (other higher risk areas have to go through it… Continue reading Another TB test…
As February gathers momentum we’ve had some wet and windy mornings but we’ve also had some frosty, misty and bright mornings. These are the mornings when going outside isn’t a chore. The air is still, the sky is full of optimism and the ground is crispy and crunchy underfoot. And, it’s not just me that… Continue reading A February morning on the farm…
This morning we woke to a thick blanket of fog covering the farm. Visibility was down to about 15 metres, the air was cold and the earth was frosty. It was incredibly picturesque, particularly when the sun started to do it’s very best to burn the smur off.
I am writing this out of sheer frustration at the shambles of a remembrance event I attended yesterday. I’ve been trying to get over my annoyance but can’t seem to shrug it off. So, if you’ll bear with me, I feel the need to put pen to paper as it were. I make sure that I mark Remembrance… Continue reading Why I will remember this Remembrance Sunday for all the wrong reasons…
Well, what an experience that was… A few months ago I decided to put myself forward for the Norfolk Home Chef of the Year award which is part of the Norfolk Food & Drink Awards. Looking back, it was a rather brave move for me, but I did it out of a love of cooking. I… Continue reading Norfolk Home Chef of the Year…
Today marks the very first Norfolk Day – venues, producers and residents are coming out in celebration of the county. It got me thinking about the county I call home and why I feel so attached to it. Norfolk for me is all about the coast and countryside – vast stretches of coastline and idyllic inland nooks. The county offers some… Continue reading Why I love Norfolk…
Every year the glut of courgettes hits me with a bang. I always know I’ll have lots (each season I religiously plant four seedlings) and there’s always too many, but for some reason I can’t cut back! To try and tackle the mountain of courgettes that is starting to build, I decided that this year I would try lots of… Continue reading Courgette season (and a recipe for courgette lemon drizzle cake)…
There are particular points in the farming year that bring me a real sense of joy – from the first cut of grass to the first bale of hay, to seeing and hearing the roar of combine harvesters on the fields. When harvest is in full swing there is a real sense of urgency in the… Continue reading Harvest is go…
It’s been a busy few weeks, but then again it always is at this time of the year – aside from the farm, the garden is in full bloom and the veg patch is bountiful which means I’m in my element in the kitchen cooking new dishes with seasonal produce. There are weeds to keep at… Continue reading A month without rain…
