REVIEW OF THE YEAR

      Another year draws to its close. Overall the year has been good. Yes some crops did not do well, tomatoes, for example, but despite tomato blight a reasonable number were gathered. Potatoes did well, again, despite the blight, that fortunately with my earlier planting of the seed potato had only a small affect on the plants and less on the eventual crop. Haricot vert and buerre did ok as did the water melons. Over wintered broad beans did well as did the follow on spring sowing. Onions ok but could have better I fear and there was a good crop of shallots which I turned into pickled onions! Beetroot. Well, those self seeded in the poly tunnel did very well. Outside, not so good. Squash. Yes a good year. Pumpkins. No, a poor year. Brassicas. A very good year although the sprouts have left a little to be desire for but we got enough for Christmas dinner! Cauliflower. A couple of heads but I have always found cauliflower hit and miss. Carrots. Oh yes very good year with, what, at least six sowings with at least three being very good. Strawberries. Wow! New plants planted in a no dig bed and a crop of strawberries I have never had before. Sweet peppers, good, chilli's good. Sweet corn good. Peas. Well, one good sowing which would seem to be the norm. Successive sowings just fail for whatever reason. Lettuce did well in the poly tunnel with some very good heads of Great Lakes (like an Ice Berg lettuce) but later sowings outside did not produce. Parsnips poor but enough for Christmas dinner! Courgettes, round and straight, enough for what we needed. The vegetable plot more than paid for itself. 

   January 1st was a very mild day so I took the opportunity to weed and fork the seed bed at the end of the poly tunnel. I also created a new one where the chicken manure compost heap had been. I also covered up the rhubarb patch. Beds covered over to stop the chickens from scratching!

   The hens produced 1209 eggs which includes 8 cracked ones but did not return a profit. I fear a lot of feed was lost to rats and I have now invested in pedal feeders so hopefully that will reduce the wastage. A campaign of rat extermination has been conducted and a very marked reduction in the rat population has been noted. The campaign continues on a watchful state.

Estimated value of the total crop before expenses: 1,133 euros

Estimated profit: 922 euros

All potatoes: 203Kgs from 12Kgs of seed potatoes (Anoe, BF-15, Desiree)

Haricot vert/buerre: 19Kgs

Seed beds and rhubarb patch.