Welcome to the website of Diss Community Farm, we are a community group based in and around Diss who have come together to produce food collaboratively in an ethical and sustainable way.
We have a field in Winfarthing, together with three polytunnels; where we meet to work weekly, including harvesting whatever is ready. Whoever is working that day takes home a box of freshly harvested vegetables.
See the About us and How to join page for more information.
At the end of a morning’s work, it was good to see all produce, and more, crossed off the “to harvest” list.
The climbing beans continue to flower, so here’s hoping for late pickings.
Doing a catchup, with photos from a couple of weeks ago, plus one of our overflowing take-home boxes two days ago.
So, under cover and outside, crops continue to produce well.
The weather has changed. It’s still warm, not hot and we have rain. Today, 16th August, the rain held off until we had finished our coffee break.
After weeks of dry weather, gardening in the rain is a novelty, ‘though maybe not quite the amount of precipitation we had today. However, jobs need doing and produce picked.
It’s been such a mixed year so far; the weather and pests are blamed. But there are successes. This sunflower appeared, growing on it’s own in a polytunnel and is certainly doing it’s own thing. The stem is 6cms thick. There’s one flower at present but there are more buds.
Weeding of course continues, here amongst leek plants which have required covered protection.
Basil as usual is growing well, as are the tomatillo.
And the take-home boxes are pleasingly filling up.
Still no rain. Unbelievable.
Frequent picking of the sweet peas is ensuring a continuous supply.
After a shaky, nibbled start (mentioned in May), the climbing beans have revived and are in full flower with some fairly lengthy pods.
There are still strawberries to be picked but of the mainly smaller, jam-making size.
It’s the first year for worcesterberries at DCF; one bush is producing well with berries ripening. Hopefully by next year, the smaller bushes will have caught up.
Garlic has been dug up, onions shared and the other take-home boxes, are colourful – and nutritious.
We’re still waiting for rain…
The “picking season” is well underway, meaning a lot of hands are needed, for strawberries, currants, gooseberries, broad beans and, only added to the boxes after the photos were taken, lettuces, cucumbers, peas, calendulas and sweet peas.
A cool, windy day warmed up but rain is really needed, hence much time is spent watering by hand and using the sprinkler.
Strawberries are ready for picking and red currants are nearly ripe.
Potatoes are hoed up and weeding continues, as here among the onions.
Recently planted sweetcorn and courgettes look to be established.
Enviromesh is protecting many crops but has been removed from the climbing beans to aid pollination as they are in flower.
And after all the numerous other jobs, there’s the reward – the “take home” box.
