John's Blog Archives - Helens Bay Organic

We are Light Farmers

by Helen's Bay Organic | Nov 16, 2021 | John's Blog, News

I heard this statement recently describing organic agriculture. It aptly describes the process by which we grow your vegetables. Instead of reaching for chemical fertilisers to feed the plants we use photosynthesis to create ground covers of plants using light, air,...

Who is Ahmed?

by John McCormick | Mar 30, 2021 | John's Blog, News

II have been talking often twice a week with Ahmed for 24 years yet we have never met. More about this later. The Hungry Gap is the hardest time of year for us farmers: a few weeks, usually in April, May and early June, after the winter crops have ended but...

Update on official pesticide residue testing

by John McCormick | Nov 17, 2020 | John's Blog, News

The amount of fruit and veg sold in the UK containing a “cocktail” of pesticides has risen in the last year with strawberries and lemons topping the list, an annual pesticide ranking list has revealed. The so-called ‘Dirty Dozen’ list, which is compiled by the...

Soil health, green manures and covid 19

by John McCormick | Oct 20, 2020 | John's Blog, News

I started my working career in banking so if we compare agriculture to banking the soil is our capital . Healthy soils are alive with a careful balance of bacteria, fungi , earthworms and a myriad of other organisms within and on top of the soil busy making soil...

Kale – Nutrient-dense superfood

by Helen's Bay Organic | Mar 17, 2019 | John's Blog, News

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Kale is part of the Brassica/cabbage family, along with broccoli, cauliflower Brussels sprouts and of course cabbages. It is grown for its edible leaves but unlike cabbage it doesn’t develop a head. It originated in the eastern...

February Nature Notes at the farm

by Helen's Bay Organic | Feb 26, 2019 | John's Blog, News

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Flocks of siskins have been regular visitors to the farm during February. Siskins are resident Finches with lemon-yellow plumage, long, narrow curved bills and forked tails They have joined the flocks of long-tailed tits feeding up...

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