Introducing the pigs, July at Occombe

I managed to miss-title last months post. Last month was indeed June and we're now in July. Just thought I'd clear that up before I recapped what we got up to in the garden this month. It was a good volunteer day this month. The weather was gorgeous and there was a cheery atmosphere even though that we were all sad that one of the trainees would be leaving us after today. She is moving on to another garden.

Three Little Pigs 

But at Occombe we have some new friends too. These pigs have been moved to the back of the wartime allotment. They came across on Monday and they are making quick work of their patch. I'm told it will be mud in two weeks and with all the snorting, snuffling and wallowing going on I'm sure it will be. It's nice to see pigs back in the garden as the garden is on the field that used to belong to the pigs. When Stephen and I first started volunteering the pigs still took up part of the field and they used to be fed our weeds. Since then the forest garden has moved in on that spot and the wild flower border has grown up massively.

Stephen poses, farmer style

We picked some sweetpeas for the shop but the bulk of our work this Saturday was clearing weeds from the CSA fields. We started on the sweetcorn and managed to get in impressive amount cleared working together. Unfortunately we left after lunch but it was already looking drastically different before we left. 

Round Courgettes Make Admirable Bowling Balls

We didn't leave empty handed though. The picking shed has a table filled with past their best courgettes that ranged from oversized to marrow. I took two of these massive ones home. I turned half of one into gnome cakes from Cakes (River Cottage Handbook) which are lovely. I left them blonde to eat with a hot drink rather than put on frosting. That and I was tired after a hard days work. I intend to turn the rest into chutney. recipes anyone?

Fit for a gnome