Beauchene Evolution

End of 2013, we all like to look back at the year, I thought we'd look back over a couple of years to see the evolution of our small-holding. Sometimes you can forget how much you've achieved if you are doing it all the time. Taking a moment to reflect helps us to see the bigger picture. These first images are from 2011. They show the main field grazed extensively by herbivores.

These next pictures are from Spring 2012.

And these are from Summer 2012.

Spring 2013.

Summer 2013.

So there you have a very simple look at some of the evolution of our small=holding in Beauchene.  Do something in your new year, anything, but make sure you reconnect with nature, she keeps us alive.

Toastie Start to July

This first week is due to see temperatures soaring here in Northern France. It's an explosive growth time, I submit some updates of how the small-holding is coming along, with a bit of a focus on our varied Kale beds... for Kristen. Freya and I couldn't spend too much time in the poly-tunnel, but you can see the tomatoes doing marvelously on the left and Kale on the right.

Lacinato Rainbow Kale

Halbhoher Kale

A mix of both Lacinato and Halbhoher Kale, so why the large amount of Kale you may be thinking, well that's a very good question.  Kristen Beddard, the face, brains and driving force behind The Kale Project (http://thekaleproject.com/) found us, care of Olivier Cappaert, the face, brains and driving force behind Excuse My French (https://www.facebook.com/ExcuseMyFR).  The project has a simple objective, "to bring the healthiest green vegetable to Paris".

True Siberian Kale

True Siberian

Red Ursa Kale

Red Ursa Kale

The nutrient values on this incredible super-food are simply staggering: in 100 grams of cooked, strained and unsalted Kale you will find (USDA recommended daily amount in parenthesis) Vitamin A (85%), Vitamin B1 (5%), Vitamin B2 (6%), Vitamin B3 (3%), Vitamin B6 (11%), Vitamin B9 (3%), Vitamin C (49%), Vitamin E (6%), Vitamin K (778%), Calcium (7%), Iron (7%), Magnesium (5%), Manganese (20%), Phosphorous (4%), Potassium (5%), Sodium (2%) and Zinc (3%)
Nero Di Toscano Kale

Delphinium

Foxglove

The clover is awash with countless bumble bees. The sound is so soothing, I honestly don't think I have ever seen so many chunky bumble bees in one spot.

A truly remarkable creature, we never get bored of watching, listening to or taking pictures of bees!

Strawberries a plenty too. This is the fifth straight day of picking them and we have been cropping pretty much this same amount daily... jealous much?

They say that you are what you eat, well Freya is aiming to become a massive juicy strawberry.

She is now starting to understand the seasonality of fruit and vegetables. We refuse to buy strawberries out of season, which is often hard to explain to 3-year old, but when there are more strawberries then this little one could possibly eat, she gets it and can look forward to natures bounty.

Late Spring Early Summer Update en Beauchene

Six weeks since we last had pictures on the blog regarding the state of the small holding, today I went out (June 23rd, 2013) to take some photos of how the plants have done after a slow and wet start to the Spring. The poly-tunnel turned up, eventually, which enabled us to get some of the more delicate plants going.

In this picture you can see some Lacinata Rainbow Kale and squash growing. Not particularly delicate but the constant warm temperature in the poly-tunnel gives them a good start before being planted out.

Here you can see mainly tomatoes but inter planted with basil and peppers, see if you can spot them!

This bed closest to the compost has mainly herbs and insect-friendly flowers growing.

In the foreground here you can see our mahoosive strawberry plot, sorry,Freya's mahoosive strawberry plot! Behind you can see a couple of raspberry bushes, some spring onions that we have let go to seed and a on the "interesting" looking frame tayberry (black raspberries in Americanese).

In the foreground here peas, to the sides, potatoes and down the middle some calibrese.

True Siberian kale here!

This beautifully rich looking area has from left to right, rhubarb, tatties, carrots, more tatties then kale going to seed. Inter planted here is onion (biological control) and lots of marigolds (beneficial predator encourager!).

Sweet peas at the base of one of Andy's over-engineered structures the rest is as stated before tatties and brassicas going to seed.

This is another large bed of red ursa kale.

In the foreground more tatties in the background some green manure planted last year, clover, which self-seeded and grew this year.

And these are the stunning violet flowers on the clover.

Here we have on the left the parsnips going to seed, surrounded by potatoes and leeks; down the middle you can see leeks, nero di toscana kale and onions, borage growing on the right side.

Here we have two large sections being sheet-mulched in preparation for next year. This should kill back all the grasses and the weed seeds too that remain.

Here's our Mediterranean herb bed which includes thyme, rosemary, basil, tansy, wild strawberries, lavender, to name just a few, but until they are established we have had to encircle them due to...

...These new arrivals. They've been with us 4-weeks now should be good to provide eggs from Autumn onwards, except the cockerel of course!