Or should that be irrigation in the rain, yes even in the rain, the squally showers that we had earlier in the week being nothing more than an irritation holding up outside work and keeping customers away from the farm. There is now enough rain to stop irrigation on our raspberries, the strawberries under tunnels still need a drink, also everything gets its fertilizer through the irrigation (fertigation in agricultural terms) just to keep it going. All our irrigation is drip, simply put that is a pipe with lots of tiny holes in it, rather like Thames Waters pipe's, this makes it efficient and precise (unlike Thames Water) which is important as when delivering nutrients to the crops. We have started using a garlic liquid delivered through the drip line (don’t worry it does not taint the fruit), on our strawberries to put slugs and vine weevil off being active in the soil and eating the plants and in the vine weevils case laying eggs which will turn into grubs which will eat the strawberries roots in the winter.
While any pick your owner was able to pick under are tunnels, or dip in and out of the showers for our table tops and many did, my mother’s mantra that sunshine sells strawberries holds out.
These our the four Ukrainian students, from the left Oksana, Roman, Uri and Era, they were with us last year and they do most of the picking and planting on the farm. They have been patient with us this week and the ‘English weather’ when we have had to change them from one job to the next due to rain or shine. The students made it to The Third West Country Scythe Festival and Green Fair (I had drawn the short straw and was manning the farm shop) and seemed to have a good time, Uri Scythed a 5 meter square patch in 12 minutes, so maybe we don't need a combine after all... Anyway that might have been a better bet than annual nettle eating contest at the Bottle Inn, which I only found out about on Saturday, sadly too late to enter.
The only good news on the weather front is that it has enabled us to plant nearly all our pumpkins and butternut squash.
Anyway it is fair to say it has been a trying week.
Also the local school brought up a lovely card to say thanks for their visit which much appreciated by us all here.
