Last box day... but there's more

Last box and bag day: 27th February: All you diligent people who read their newsletters and the notices we post in the Swallow House will know that the time for the last boxes and bags has come and gone. We should be re-starting as normal on in late July 2009. We'll let you know when.



Tell a friend! Meanwhile, if you like what we produce and intend to remain with us, please recommend us to your friends so that we can add a few people to our waiting list. It's important for us to be sure about how many customers we shall have as we have to plan, sow and plant for you months in advance. Contact details are here.



CSA group veg: If you look at our new Photo Album (there's a permanent link from the left column of this page), you'll see several pictures which I (Bry) took on the last day. And just look at all those rows of veg in the polytunnel! They're all free for our CSA group members who are welcome to come and get what they want when passing by. Available for the next few weeks are Lettuce, Purslane, Pak Choi, Mizuna, Rocket and a few other green things. We also still have lots of potatoes, a reminder of the bumper harvest which group members so kindly helped harvest back in September.



Small bags for customers who want veg: In the past, we've deliberately grown veg to keep at least some of you supplied until April or so. This year has been different in that we've tried to grow it but much of the veg was damaged or killed outright by the bitter cold we've had. But - as the album shows - some has survived well and is now growing again and we may be able to offer small bags of fresh greens for those of you who would be interested. Val will probably send an email to you all if and when we're ready to do this and we'll pack what we have for Fridays as usual. The price depends on what we have to offer. Jill also has hen eggs which you could request her to bring to Mur Crusto to collect when you collect your small bag.

If you aren't a member for the CSA group (who will be coming to help us from time to time) and don't want smaller bags of veg in the coming weeks, thank you for your custom and we hope to see you again in July.

Llangybi Organics new CSA group meets

Thanks to all those who were able to come to our first ever Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group meeting. I (Bry) don't much like meetings but this one was a good one. There was a lot of laughing and we enjoyed tea and cake as we sketched out a preliminary idea of how it would all work.

Who was there? Val, Bry (from Mur Crusto farm, where the meeting was held), Mike and Jill (from Ty'n Lon farm, with whom we have an informal co-operative partnership to grow all the veg and fruit for the boxes and bags), Arabella (who has kindly agreed to be the Group co-ordinator), Mayumi (and her son, Carwyn), and Mark (from the Shrimala Trust). All (except Bry) are depicted in the rather poor photo I took of the gathering. Left to right: Mark, Mayumi, Carwyn, Arabella, Mike, Jill, Val. Two other potential group members weren't able to come that day: Rosemary and Christine. There may be others too and, of course, anyone can join at any time. There is no minimum time commitment.

What did we agree? As with all 'proper' meetings, we ended up with some Action Points:

• Bry to arrange an online calendar so that we can all find out what's happening when. This will be a Google calendar via OneClimate.net's Llangybi Organics group page. I'll let you know when it's all set up. You'll need to join OneClimate.net but it's free and all you need is an email address. It's a social networking site (like Facebook) but for doing something about climate change
• Val to organise a 'phone tree', whatever that is. Something to do with last minute contacting of everyone in case an event has to be altered or cancelled because of bad weather. Or the reverse, if the weather is unexpectedly good (it happens...)
• Nominal group help days will be Tuesdays for Mur Crusto and Thursdays for Ty'n Lon, and Sundays when convenient. This doesn't mean we expect group members to turn up every week; merely when we request help with some major piece of work which has to be done. Examples are potato picking, planting out leeks or onion sets, weeding carrots - that sort of thing where many hands make light work
• What's in it for group members? It's FUN we like to think, working together to get a task done in a pleasant environment (each farm, I mean). There's a good deal of amusing chat which can be in any language but usually English, Welsh and - sometimes - Spanish. And there's more: the opportunity for each member to take home such veg or fruit (e.g. raspberries from Mur Crusto) as happens to be available in the amount she or he needs as 'payment' for the work. We'll let you know what's available so if you wish, you can come and get stuff even if you're not working. We will also try and grow the things you specially like. Arabella wants peas and Mark wants artichokes. We are going to do both but you have to come and help yourselves!

And the first event? Polytunnel-raising; provisionally 22 March: Mike and Jill have bought a second-hand polytunnel. Putting up these structures isn't difficult though it is time-consuming. Once done, the really tricky thing is to get the polythene cover on. This is where they need as many people as possible to help unroll it, pull it over the frame and hang on to it while it tries to behave like a paraglider or hot air balloon whilst the whole thing is fixed tightly. The event will be at Ty'n Lon farm starting 10.30 for 11 am but does depend on there being light winds and fairly warm weather. This is where email contact, this news page, the OneClimate calendar and the phone tree will come in useful.

We, from both farms, are delighted to have this new source of support which will enable us to keep growing and keep going... if it all works. You can post anything you want on the OneClimate group pages, including photos. I propose to start a Google photo album for photos anyone takes of our various activities. We look forward to the polytunnel-raising First Event at which there will be unlimited supplies of cava, wine and beer. Actually, I just made that last bit up. Sorry!

Llangybi Organics Newsletter - February 2009

versiwn cymraeg
Firstly, thanks for sticking with us through the dark wet winter months and sorry for our sometimes rather muddy veg, or the occasional onion which has started to rot.

Future veg supplies - bags and boxes finish end of February. We have enough veg to continue with the bags and boxes until the end of February. Unfortunately we have lost a lot of veg because of the severe and prolonged frost, incuding some in the polytunnel. We intend to resume the veg again in mid/late July, but will contact you to confirm, nearer the time.

Eggs: If you want to buy eggs after our closedown, please contact Jill directly (01766 81091), (but not many eggs available at the moment).

Packaging: Thank you for returning the Soil Association bags and boxes for re-use as this helps reduce packaging.

Keeping in touch: The latest news from Llangybi Organics' two farms is online in the form of a weblog at: http://llangybi-organics-news.blogspot.com/ (i.e. here!). It's frequently updated (with photos too) and replaces the old-style newsletters on the static website. If you wish to find out the latest happenings, do connect. You can leave your comments too if you wish.

Thank you for your support during 2008.

Val & Bry, Mur Crusto, 01766 819109 Jill & Mike, Ty'n Lon 01766 810915
Website: http://www.llangybi-organics.co.uk/

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Cylchlythyr Menter Organig Llangybi - Chwefror 2009

Diolch am aros efo ni drwy fisoedd oer a gwlyb y gaea', ac am beidio â chwyno am y mwd ar eich llysiau, neu'r ambell nionyn sydd wedi dechrau pydru.

Cyflenwad o lysiau yn y dyfodol - bagiau a bocsus yn gorffen diwedd Mis Chwefror Rydan ni'n gobeithio y bydd digon o lysiau i ni barhau gyda'r bagiau a bocsus tan ddiwedd Chwefror. Yn anffodus, oherwydd y gaeaf caled dan ni wedi colli cryn dipyn o lysiau i'r rhew, yn y caeau ac yn y polytunnel.

Rydan ni'n bwriadu ail-ddechrau'r llysiau canol/diwedd Mis Gorffennaf, ond byddem mewn cysylltiad efo chi yn nes at yr amser.

Wyau: Os byddwch chi eisiau wyau ar ôl inni gau, cysylltwch â Jill (01766 810915) (ond does dim llawer o wyau ar hyn o bryd).

Deunyddiau pacio: Diolch am ddychwelyd y bagiau a'r bocsus Cymdeithas Bridd. Mae hynny'n arbed llawer o wastraff. Cadw mewn cysylltiad: Yn lle'r cylchlythyrau ar y wefan, mae gynnon ni weblog bellach. Mi gewch weld y newyddion diweddara' o ddau dyddyn organig Llangybi ar http://llangybi-organics-news.blogspot.com/ Bydd yn cael ei ddiweddaru yn aml, ynghyd â lluniau. Cysylltwch, a gadewch sylwadau ar bob cyfri.

Diolch ichi i gyd am eich cefnogaeth chi yn 2008.