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A Typical Year @ Goldhill Organic Farm
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We work according to the seasons rather than nine to five. This is how we spend our time throughout the year.
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January / February
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The days are short and little is growing in the winter. The main activities are hedge laying, clearing out the cow yard and feeding and bedding the cattle. We also prepare the vegetable beds for planting in the coming spring. These beds are typically dug by hand.
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March
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As spring approaches we start to prepare the vegetable beds, spreading organic manure and compost (most of which is recycled from our own cows). We then begin planting our first vegetables of the season inc: Lettuce, Celery, Parsley, Radish, Mange Tout, Peas and Spinach. We also mend any broken fences and gates before the weather warms up and were are rushed off our feet with vegetable farming work.
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April
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Field preparation starts in earnest as we plough, dig, harrow, and mark out the land. We plant potatoes, Mange Tout, Beans, Carrots, Calibres, Cabbage and many other vegetables as the weather becomes more clement and the days begin to lengthen.
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May
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The growing season is in full swing with longer days of sunshine and moisture working upon the soil. Our vegetable production is at its most intensive stage as be plant beds on a two to three week cycle. The weeds now grow with frightening speed and as we do not use pesticides or weedkiller we have to remove them all by hand (which can be a long and backbreaking task sometimes).
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June
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We plant Sweetcorn, Squash and Chinese Leaves, as well as continuing the cycle of other intensive vegetables so that we can keep harvesting well into the autumn. The harvesting is now at its peak, because vegetables grow so quickly in the fertile soil. We have to harvest some crops such as courgettes and tomatoes every two days. We also cut the silage for our beef cattle. This silage is stored for the winter months. It is at this time of the year the bull is put into 'run' with the cows - producing calves for the coming year.
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July / August
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Hay is cut for the beef cattle and vegetables are harvested every other day. If the weather is dry we water the vegetables. We also start planting our winter vegetables such as leeks.
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September / October
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The summer is over, but this is our busiest time. The days are getting shorter but we still have a lot of field crops to harvest - the summer crops of cucumbers, tomatoes, ect overlap with the autumn crops of brussel sprouts, parsnips and squashes. We also have to prepare the vegetable beds for the autumn planting, spreading green manure and digging it into the beds.
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November / December
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During this part of the season we bring in the cows and are still harvesting the carrots. At this time of the season we start to prepare our Christmas stock.
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