We hope you’ve enjoyed your veg boxes as much as we’ve enjoyed creating a new community of organic veg lovers in the local area.
Since starting this organic veg box scheme journey with you in 2023, veg production and ancillary support costs have risen quite dramatically of late. Until recently, we have been able to absorb any increase in costs. Regrettably, we now have to put our prices up.
From the 1st April 2026 our boxes will cost £16 for a basic box (up to 1–2 people), £21 for a family box and £26 for a large family/veg lovers box. The delivery prices also need to go up I’m afraid – veg deliveries will go up to £1.50 per box if you pay for delivery. Please remember that you can also collect from either our field or from Fromehall Mill in Stroud if you prefer (find out how to order and more info on deliveries here).
The weather is starting to warm up now thankfully and we’ve been busy preparing the ground, sowing and planting. I’m sure you’ll be relieved that this week’s box has the last of the parsnips (I’ve frozen a lot of mine and made some fantastic curried parsnip soup) and next week the last of the baby leeks.
Our first lot of broad bean plants had chocolate spot, a fungal infection. With some phosphorous feed and some homeopathic silica treatment, they’re recovering well. Our second lot of broad bean plants have been planted in a different part of the site to avoid infection and we’ll be sowing our final broad bean crop at the nursery in the next week or so. This should give broad beans for a good few weeks.
Next season’s parsnips and leeks are already sown along with all the onions and garlic we think we’ll need. Soon to sow are salad onions, beetroot, carrot and other assorted root crops.
Tomatoes and peppers are delicate crops so are taking their time to grow well because of the cold.
Mange tout have been sown along with chard and spinach, lots of varieties of kale and salad. At the beginning of April it will be time to sow courgettes, runners and French beans along with a variety of squash and melons. It’s all go!
Seed saving and crop trials
Our Ebley site is small but ideally located for saving seeds – it’s in the middle of a housing estate with no fields nearby, so there is less chance of cross pollination. From last year’s harvest we chose a selection of perfect leeks and kale which have been planted for their seeds in the summer, along with perennial spinach, black radish, parsnips and carrots.
We’ve also sown some leek seeds and red kale seeds saved from the field last year to make sure it comes ‘true’. Then we can use it as part of our rotation scheme.
Veg boxes
In your boxes for the next few weeks: potatoes, beetroot, carrots, kale, chard, spinach, onions and salad is back on the menu. We also have rhubarb – do let us know if you’re not a fan!