All change at Llangybi Organics

We are downsizing and it's my purpose in this post to explain why. But first, if you're a customer, you'll have received this email:

We at Llangybi Organics regret that we are unable to maintain production for the next season at its present level. Mur Crusto (Val and Bry) hopes to continue with a bag every 2 weeks from mid-August to the following Spring (2011) but growing a reduced range for a much reduced number of people. We will give priority to those who can help us now and then. The bag would not include potatoes, onions or squash but Ty'n Lon (Jill and Mike) are happy to consider growing these items if there is interest. To enable us all to plan for the next season, please choose one or more of the following options:

A. Join Ty'n Lon's potato etc co-op but this will involve coming to help on harvesting day.

B. Fortnightly bag from Mur Crusto and offering help now and then.

C. Fortnightly bag from Mur Crusto but unable to offer help.

D. Leave the scheme altogether.

Please note that we are continuing as normal at the moment and expect to continue until at least the end of March although, as always, this is weather-dependent. Some crops have been lost due to the exceptionally cold weather and so we will increase the amount of potatoes and carrots to compensate for the lack of variety.

We would like to thank you all for your support over the years and look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Helpers Obviously those who can offer help now and then -- Option B -- will want to know how this will work out. What does that loaded phrase 'now and then' mean? Well Val and I don't know either at this stage so if you do choose Option B, we hope we can arrange for a get-together at Mur Crusto of all of you who are interested. We have ideas to suggest and will welcome yours too. The emphasis will be on flexibility and you will, of course, want to know what's in it for you.

Why we are downsizing None of us is getting any younger and we are finding the commitment and work of growing and harvesting for over 30 customers more than we want to continue doing. The polytunnels make things easier but the outside work is often quite unpleasant in freezing and wet weather. We have little in the way of mechanisation so most tasks have to be done - as they always have been since the dawn of agriculture - by hand. So Jill, Mike, Val and I have jointly taken the decision to downsize drastically. It remains to be seen how the new arrangements will work out. That's now down to you, dear customers. We await your responses. Once we know how many of you do want to continue in some fashion, we can begin to see how it might all work.

The Big Chill at Llangybi Organics

This bout of Arctic weather has caused us many problems at Llangybi Organics. As you know, we had to cancel last Friday's bags and boxes and, if things continue as it looks like they will, may have to do the same for Friday 15th. Everything is, in short, frozen.

Jill reports, "The veg is feeling chilly, we might have lost the carrots and beetroot - and possibly others eg cabbage? Here's two photos of the veg field - you will see that there hasn't been much thawing despite the last few days days of sunny weather!" Jill has done her best to protect the root veg by covering all with fleece months ago. The fleece does keep everything warmer, but only relatively so.

We have much the same story to tell at Mur Crusto farm where we've recorded record lows down to -12Celsius. The slight thaw today (Sunday) has revealed serious damage to the overhead irrigation in the polytunnel with the plastic water pipes fractured and broken everywhere (photo left).

The veg in the polytunnel suffers less because of the protection of the tunnel but even so, the temperatures have dropped regularly to -4C making them all wilt until they thaw out and rehydrate. In order to help them recover, we have covered as many as possible with fleece which keeps them slightly warmer (see photo).

So we'll keep you posted on what happens next Friday. Meanwhile, let me leave you with a picture of our ducks, which are still laying eggs every day regardless of the low temperatures. They seem impervious to cold, almost like penguins.

Potato Days: community-supported success story

So many potatoes... but we were lucky because we had many helpers on our two Potato Days. Here are three photos and big thanks to everyone who helped. It makes 'Llangybi Organics' feel like a real community. On the Roll of Honour are Rosemary and Matthew (and Zippy, the dog), Joan, Mayumi and Carwyn (who found Zippy a little overwhelming), Christine, Gwenlli and Gethin. Gethin, Gwenlli's son, worked enthusiastically with me having transformed, he said, into a crane. He certainly piled in the tatws.
The two kids, Gethin and Carwyn (below, centre) enjoyed themselves. We had a competition for the funniest potato. I think mine was the best. It was, I was told, like a bottom! Being incurably romantic and not rude, I thought it looked like a heart but then I'm very old fashioned.
And more thanks are due to those who took our call for help seriously. As a result of you putting the word around, we now have a good number of new customers as well as some 'old' ones who've come back again. Word of mouth is always best, we find. Thank you for mouthing the right words.

A reminder: We've almost run out of boxes. Please do return them as soon as you can. You've been very good about returning the strong plastic veg bags. Keep it up. And please don't forget to tick the list when collecting, either for yourself or for one of the groups. It all makes Val's life easier in keeping track of things.

News: Despite the dreadful weather in August, most crops have flourished reasonably well. Jill has made her customary heroic efforts and has managed to produce some fine outdoor crops like the beautiful Romaneso cauliflowers you'll have had in your bags. The peppers have done very well even though the sun didn't shine much. The potato crop was good, despite blight. We have had quite serious problems with diseases brought on by the relentless damp. Disease is always a problem in the autumn but not so much in summer. Almost incredibly, my son Mark, down in Oxford, tells me that the soil on his allotment is parched. He's having to water because there hasn't been rain for months. Hard to believe when living in Llangybi.

Another aspect of the 'summer' weather was the wind: we've had several near gales which have seriously damaged tall crops like beans and brussels sprouts. Many of my plants were blown down, first one way and then the other, so that some have simply snapped off and many others are stunted. Such a shame when they all looked so healthy before the mighty winds. Then came the cabbage white butterfly caterpillars... but you'll have heard enough!

Challenging times for Llangybi Organics

Where have all our customers gone? Maybe it's the recession; maybe other things. But several of our customers have vanished this year and we are wondering what to do about it. So far as we can tell, our veg quality is as good as ever and value for money -- in this era of 'cheap' food -- is also good. At this time of year, we'd normally expect to have 25-30 people collecting boxes and bags every week. Since we started at the end of July, we've been averaging about 20. This is worrying for us as well as wasteful. Jill, in particular, is having to feed good veg to the pigs. Trouble is, we have to plan months in advance what we grow and how much, making assumptions about customer numbers. We always lose a few and gain a few at startup but we had planned and grown veg to feed 30 or so, not 20. Our viability is in doubt unless we can increase the numbers.

Could you help us? If you're part of our wonderful, loyal and supportive customer base, could you do a couple of things to help us? One is to pass on the message that we are looking for more regular customers to anyone you know who might be interested in fresh, genuinely local, organically-grown food. Please do show them what you get or tell them why you choose to buy from us rather than supermarkets. Another thing you could do is let us know if you think there's something we're not doing quite right or could do better. All the feedback we get is very positive; nice for us, but with people deserting us, we do wonder why.

Veg news: The photo (click for large version) depicts veg as picked by Val a couple of weeks back for a typical box. It looks good, doesn't it? At last, tomatoes are coming on stream. Peppers are doing well too although that seems to be down to varieties rather than warm summer sunshine (!). Pests and diseases are taking their toll of certain crops: the aubergines which looked so good are suffering and so are the cucumbers. The potatoes have been smitten, as usual, by blight. Jill at Ty'n Lon polytunnel No. 2 has a worrying new disease problem affecting some summer veg. She hopes it is not the dreaded verticilium wilt. Rabbits are on the increase and we had a man with a gun round last night, shooting the blighters. They were digging small holes in the leeks (which are looking good, I'm happy to say) and other parts of the veg plots at Mur Crusto. I'm having to set mole traps because these creatures burrow away underneath veg and fruit like the raspberries and damage the roots as they search for the humble earthworms which are their food. We at Mur Crusto have hundreds of tiny seedlings and little plants approaching readiness for planting out for winter polytunnel crops: half a dozen varieties of oriental brassicas and lettuces of various types. Anyone like to come and help with weeding and planting?

It's nearly Potato Day, all you CSA Group helpers: Over the summer, several members of our trusty group came to help out with weeding and planting out, mostly at Ty'n Lon. Thank you! We're going to be asking for help again with potato and onion-harvesting at Ty'n Lon sometime in the next few weeks when it dries out enough to get them in. I expect Jill will provide a lunch with, I hope, unlimited quantities of cava and cider (or else I'm not coming!).

Llangybi Organics veg boxes ready to go

Starting again: Once again, we're about to start harvesting and packing boxes and bags for our customers. The first collection day will be Friday 24 July, any time after 5pm. Val, who normally manages customer contacts, is away - daughter having a baby - so Jill and Bry are doing their best to be in touch with every customer about the startup. To get in touch, remember there's our contact page on the Llangybi Organics website.

Collecting veg: Everything remains as before including the prices (£11 bag and £16.50 box). You collect from the Swallows' House (by the blue iron gate), tick the list and leave your payment in an envelope with your name written on it. And please would the last person to leave close the main gate. More details on the website.

CSA group success: Val and Bry were able to have their month holiday, camping and mountain walking in Scotland, knowing that help was at hand to keep things going while we were away. Jill also made good use of the group to help plant out thousands of leeks. So many thanks to all our wonderful helpers. It does make a huge difference knowing that we have extra hands on call if we need them. Next big thing will, I suppose, be Potato Lifting Day in another month or so. Can't wait!

Busy times: help wanted soon

This is the busiest time of year for us. The exceptionally fine weather has made some tasks easier and others more unpleasant as we register temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius in the polytunnel. Today, Val and I planted out about 50 sweet corn and 32 cucumbers in these temperatures. Not much fun, but it's a busy time of year - and without any income! - getting all the tomatoes, peppers and aubergines up and growing, ready for when we re-open in July. The pictures are of granddaughter Amy and Val, preparing some beds for brassicas and planting out little brussels sprouts seedlings.

Jill has been filling her second polytunnel with peppers and tomatoes. Remember, that was the one that some of our group members helped put up earlier in the year.

Help please, CSA Group: Val and I (Bry) are off to Scotland, camping, for the rest of June and so we will need help with weeding and other things at Mur Crusto whilst we're away. Arabella will be doing her best to co-ordinate things and if you're a group member, she'll be in touch with you when help is needed later on in June. As ever, group members can help themselves to whatever there is in the way of produce. This will be the first time we've tried asking for group help at Mur Crusto. It will be gratifying to come back and find that everything is in good order on the farm instead of the weedy unkempt mess of previous years. If you can come and help, do bring a picnic and enjoy your time here. You can explore our land and walk down to the lake, a real haven for wildlife. My son Richard will be staying here for the last 2 weeks of June and Val's brother Graham will be here before then so there should always be someone around.

Potato eve and a call for help

Tatws away: Yesterday, in the fog, we got all the potatoes planted at Ty'n Lon farm. Mike and Jill were well prepared and ready to go when Val and I arrived. The tractor and planter worked without hitch - the plough just hit one big underground boulder - and the only complaint I (Bry) had was that the seating (old plastic drums) wasn't very comfy. I prefer more luxury as you know...

Request for help for onion Sunday: Jill and Mike want to get the onions planted on Sunday if possible. It's a long job with 2, half as long with 4 and easy if we have some of you kind CSA group members come along for an hour or two. I've posted Jill's request on OneClimate's Llangybi Organics group page. See Group events calendar and post. If you haven't joined OneClimate yet, now's your chance. It's free and does lots of useful things. Have a look around.

Veg matters: We've had to cease the few bags we were doing because most of the veg has now bolted and has had to be pulled out. So, no more proper veg bags until July, I'm afraid. But there is still stuff available free for CSA group helpers, and there will be more to come. There's still lettuces and leeks plus a few other things and Jill has potatoes which she can bag up on request: free to group members and £4 for 5 kg (or larger quantities, if preferred: 12.5 kg and 25 kg) for customers. Contact Jill if you want them: 01766 810915.