We've had mostly dry weather, with some sun and lots of wind during May and the start of June. We've been able to (just about) catch up on transplanting and weeding, as well as a good amount of mowing, ploughing and cultivating. Not bad considering our main tractor was out of action for a while, ... Read more
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Latest news from Ripple Farm Organics.
Displaying 41 - 60 of 169
Posted: Monday, 5 June, 2023 - 16:53
We started the supplementary feeding for Turtle Doves at the end of May, so moved the trail camera to the feeding area then. And we are very happy to report that we already have a picture of 2 turtle doves feeding there. The pictures at the pond include a heron (it didn't stay long) and a grey ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 4 May, 2023 - 10:26
April was another wet month, which meant we had very few days when the ground conditions were dry enough to do any field work and planting. We have managed to plant over half of the onion sets, and fitted in just one part day and one longer day of transplanting. The potatoes we planted in February ... Read more
Posted: Monday, 24 April, 2023 - 15:00
After a very dry February, we've had very few dry days in March and April and have only had a few days when we could work the ground and do some planting. So far we've made a small start on planting onion sets and transplanted some kale, chard, spinach and lettuce. And Martin has direct sown some ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 6 April, 2023 - 16:10
Wood pigeons have been our most regular visitors at the pond the last couple of months and we've also had magpies, yellowhammers, chaffinches, a kestrel and more as well as fox(es), a badger, a polecat/ferret hybrid and rabbits. We got a picture of a redwing at the pond for the first time, which ... Read more
Posted: Friday, 10 March, 2023 - 09:54
Better Food traders, and ethical wholesaler that we supply in London, have produced this lovely seasonal veg chart. It gives a good idea of when to expect different vegetables, although it does include some items we don’t grow or include in the veggie boxes. Seasonal veg chart Better Food traders ... Read more
Posted: Friday, 24 February, 2023 - 15:30
It's almost March 2023, we've had plenty of sub zero temperatures this winter but we are still harvesting the following fresh from the fields and polytunnels - leeks, cabbage, carrots, swede, parsnips, sprouts, kale, PSB, kalettes, radicchio and winter salad leaves. We also have squash, potatoes, ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 23 February, 2023 - 14:46
It’s been nice to have a few days when it feels like spring is in the air, but we’ve still had cold nights and there's more to come so our leafy greens are not regrowing yet. It's feeling like the 'hungry gap' far too early, altough we do still have leeks, kalettes, kale, purple sprouting and some ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 5 January, 2023 - 12:09
Wishing all our customers a Happy New Year and many thanks for all your Christmas wishes, cards and presents, always much appreciated. We’re happy to have some mild weather to start the New Year but the 10 days of sub-zero temperatures in December damaged a lot of our leafy crops. Our spinach and ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 1 December, 2022 - 09:41
Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023 Arrangements for the Ripple Farm Box Scheme The Christmas Week Veggie boxes, 22 December, will all be delivered at the usual times this year (as below) Canterbury/Whitstable/Faversham Usual Thursday collection times Velocity/ Canterbury Home Delivery Usual Thursday ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 1 December, 2022 - 09:32
See separate blog post for details of deliveries over the festive period and extras available on the 22 December delivery. Remember there will NOT be a delivery on Thursday 29 December. November has been mainly wet, windy and mild , which has been good for our leafy green crops although they have ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 3 November, 2022 - 10:34
Autumn is here , although it was strange to be working outside at the end of October in T-shirts! Our potatoes are all harvested, the polytunnels are planted up with winter salad leaves, the garlic is almost all planted and the broad beans are up. All the leafy green crops are looking good now ... Read more
Posted: Tuesday, 11 October, 2022 - 08:15
The summer drought finally ended with rain at the start of September and more since, so our winter crops have a chance to grow a bit more, although it came too late for the potatoes, squash and onions. Our squash are all harvested now and safe from frosts in the warm store. We still have potatoes ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 6 October, 2022 - 08:49
Our field corner pond gets a fair amount of shade and didn't dry out this summer despite the drought. The trail camera allows us to see more of the birds and mammals that visited it. Here are August and September's best pictures from the trail camera. August and September highlights A buzzard at ... Read more
Posted: Thursday, 1 September, 2022 - 11:50
We caught the edge of rain showers twice in August, receiving just 2mm of rain each time so no respite from irrigating the newly sown crops yet! We transplanted radicchio, chard, kale and spinach in August, which all needed irrigating with trickle tape to get them established and just have 9 trays ... Read more
Posted: Tuesday, 9 August, 2022 - 17:47
We have the trail camera back on our small field corner pond, and it's proving to be very polpular with the wildlife, no surprise when the South of England has had it's driest July since records began. We've had a few visits from a buzzard, and a first time visitor of a sparrowhawk. Our lone ... Read more
Posted: Friday, 5 August, 2022 - 11:22
July has been a challenging month to grow vegetables in the South-East, we’ve had a few mm of rain a couple of times that does very little and that on top of the mid July heatwave means the ground is very dry, and the plants are struggling. Our set up of 3 rented sites doesn’t allow for investment ... Read more
Posted: Wednesday, 6 July, 2022 - 14:36
June passed by in a blur of seeding, transplanting and weeding, in between the harvesting and packing with more of the same to come in July before things quieten down for a few weeks! A drop of rain soon would help us out now, Martin might have to do his rain dance soon! The new season’s beetroot ... Read more
Posted: Wednesday, 22 June, 2022 - 11:48
Here's some of the best pics from the trail camera from March, April, May and the first half of June. We did miss a few weeks when we didn't realise the batteries had died but still lots of pics to look through. Trail Camera Album Read more
Posted: Tuesday, 31 May, 2022 - 11:39
We were thankful for the rain on our fields over several days towards the end of May. All the new season’s crops look much better now, and it enabled us to work some more ground and transplant the courgettes and a big block of chard. We’ve had to cover the courgettes temporarily as they don’t like ... Read more