By Mill Dessent, co-grower at Coed Organic Market Garden in the Vale of Glamorgan. You can also find Coed Organic at Cardiff Farmers Markets during the summer months of the year.
The first thing I noticed when I started working at Coed Organic market garden was colour.
From the crimson beetroot and ruby-red chard to the deep purple cabbages, it was mid-January and I didn’t event know that such a rainbow could exist in the depths of winter in south Wales on a rainy grey day. Three years later and I still marvel at the vegetable rainbow that our humble field in St Hilary produces.
At this time of year, as the sunset starts to creep earlier and the golden glow hits the produce just as I am leaving for home, it is particularly special. The cherry red tomatoes dance in the breeze in the polytunnels, the last of the summers’ bountiful aubergines remain an indulgent magenta and we can begin to peer gingerly into the jungle of squash plants in the hope of finding some red and orange fruits, hoping they will come ready this year after a disappointing harvest last Autumn.
But this season has not come without its challenges. A slow start brought by unusually wet weather in spring has knocked us back two to three weeks on lots of our crops, particularly some of the fruiting crops like tomatoes, aubergines and peppers which lots of us look forward to most. We have also undergone some changes as a co-operative. Our previous Head Grower Scott who worked tirelessly to make all of this possible over the past 9 years has left for a new adventure as a secondary school teacher. He shaped this land and we wish him the best as he shapes a new path for himself and the young people he will be working with.
As we look towards Autumn our worker’s co-operative – now three of us: myself, Rhiannon and Ro – we are feeling hopeful, excited and more than a bit nervous. What we are certain about is the very reason why we are here: our belief that working the soil organically, mindfully, and with an eye on the future, is not a choice we have taken lightly but a necessary must if we are to produce food in a way that is in keeping with our planetary boundaries and prepares us for what our changing climate will bring.
As a Soil Association certified organic farm we do this through our commitment to work within natural systems to grow the veg we produce. This doesn’t just mean eliminating the use of chemical weed killers and pesticide sprays – it is more exciting, challenging and satisfying. It is about working with the soil and all of life within, on and above it, to build a complete, healthy, productive and sustainable growing environment.
We are also certified stockfree. This means that we don’t use animal products like manure or fish guts and bones on our field or in our compost. Our farm is a completely closed-loop system: we build all of our fertility onsite using a crop rotation system that includes a two year period where plants like chicory, clover, trefoil and cocksfoot grass root deep into the soil and forge the nutrients and organic matter that we need to produce nutritious and delicious veg. This reduces the overall land and resources needed to get our vegetables to your plate – and creates habitat and food for birds and insects in the process, like the chaffinches who visit us every winter to feast on the chicory seed.
But we aren’t just doing this for everything that lives in and around the field – as wonderful as it is. We want people to enjoy our veg as much as we do. On a Wednesday night in when roasted carrots and beets makes you feel nourished and comforted. When you invite over friends and neighbours for a broccoli soup to bring in the coming season. Or when a sharp crunch of celery matches the brilliant sun on a weekend picnic in the park.
Right now, we are looking for new members for our veg box scheme to help us keep on producing veg in a way we know is good for the soil and for peoples’ tummies. We run a veg bog scheme because it means that we can get consistent support through the year – whilst delivering our customers the freshest, tastiest seasonal produce possible. Through having a subscription with us, you also help us to support the amazing Llantwit Foodshare where we donate veg boxes when our kind customers are on holiday or away.
We are asking the people of Cardiff to get in touch with any interest – and will send any keen eyes and bellies a slice of the colours from the field their way! Our veg bags include a selection of our seasonal produce: Small (6 items) £15, Medium (8 items) £19, Large (10 items) £23.
To find out more about the Coed Organic veg box scheme email coedorganic@gmail.com.
