Crooked End Farm Organic Blog

It is fair to say that the Crooked Enders have been busy over the past week:

Our inaugural supper club last Saturday went exceptionally well. We had a full house of people keen to try out our marvellous menu. There are already bookings in place for next months evening on February 18th at 7:30pm, so do get in touch as space is limited. Our masterful masterchef is putting her mind to a suitable (Valentine theme??) menu which we will publish shortly.

Our first green gym community even is this Saturday 28th from 10 – 1pm. Come and help with sowing seeds, planting hedging plants and other farm like activity. Delicious refreshments provided.

Manu and Ben have been continuing with hedgelaying around the farm – attached photos of Manu with chainsaw (stay clear!) and the results of their work. The route to where the hedgelaying was being carried out was through the hen field. I have attached another photo of the hens as they were positive I had some kind of food on me and were intent on some form co-ordinated attack!

Don’t forget that we will be getting fresh, local organic Hereford beef in around 3 weeks time. To make space in the freezer we are offering a buy-1-get-1-free offer on our current stocks of frozen beef mince. We are also offering a fantastic deal on the fresh beef – pre-order your fresh beef for only £8.50/kg for any cuts (excluding fillet and sirloin!), subject to a 5kg minimum. This means that you can stock up on fresh roasting joints, fresh mince, stewing beef and steaks at a great price!

The boxes this week will contain at least 5 of the following:

Celariac
Spring Green
Calabrese
Sprouts
Green pepper
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots

Best wishes from all in situ Crooked Enders – Brenda , Bruce (at weekends), Maggie, Sarah, Manu, Shirkara, Bogdan, Ben, Jess, Janet, Kate and Annette

Crooked End Farm Organics LLP
Crooked End Farm
Crooked End
Ruardean
GL17 9XF
01594 544482
sales
www.crookedend.co.uk

Crooked End Farm Organics LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales
Reg OC 336158

Crooked_End_Product_List_30-1-2012.pdf

Crooked_End_Product_List_30-1-2012.doc

Love has blossomed between Blackberry our Old Spot / Tamworth X sow and visiting ‘stud’ boar Bonzo. They have been provided with their own private quarters and ark in a luxurious spot on the farm, we are giving them some privacy in the hope of piglets in a few months time!

Brenda is flying the flag for Crooked End at markets 3 times a week. Come and say hello at Hereford market on Wednesdays, Hay-on-Wye on Thursdays and Monmouth on Saturday. Our box scheme is also growing, so if you’ve been thinking about placing an order, there’s no time like the present..

Our inaugural Supper Club is being held this Saturday. We are so pleased that some many of you have shown interest and indeed booked places. We still have just a couple of places left so if you’d like to come along for some fine 5 star dining this Saturday 21st January in our wonderful café please get in touch.

In my last newsletter I mentioned the Green Gym days – the first one is being held on Saturday 28th January (not Sunday as I previously stated) and don’t forget the Crooked End Runners on Tuesday or Fridays at 11.30am.

Veg boxes this week will contain at least 5 of the following.

Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Leeks
Closed Mushroom
Cauliflower
Tomato
Swede

Lastly, we will be getting fresh, local organic Hereford beef in around 3 weeks time. To make space in the freezer we are offering a buy-1-get-1-free offer on our current stocks of frozen beef mince. We are also offering a fantastic deal on the fresh beef – pre-order your fresh beef for only £8.50/kg for any cuts (excluding fillet and sirloin!), subject to a 5kg minimum. This means that you can stock up on fresh roasting joints, fresh mince, stewing beef and steaks at a great price!

Please find attached this week’s product list so don’t hesitate send me your orders.

Best wishes – Annette and all at Crooked End

Crooked_End_Product_List_23-1-2012.doc

Crooked_End_Product_List_23-1-2012.pdf

Belated Happy New Year to you all!

Our internet and computer issues seem to have been resolved and we are keen to move on! 2012 is an exciting year for us and we hope you can be part of it too! So what do we have to offer?

Our first monthly supper club takes place on Saturday 21st January here in our lovely café. Let Kate, our 5 star chef cook up some fabulous food guaranteed to lift any feelings of January blues! £15.00 for 2 course and coffee or £17.50 for the full 3 course and coffee. Reservations only so get in touch by email or phoning 01594 544482.

Secondly, what about a spot of exercise with the Crooked End Runners (joggers, walkers, amblers ……) come and join Brenda on Tuesdays or Fridays at 11.30 for a tour of her or your favourite routes. Free drinks afterwards here at the farm.

And finally, for those who prefer their exercise in another way why not come to our green gym sessions. Be part of constructing our community garden, to be held on the last Sunday of the month. All abilities and ages welcome, bring along yourselves and any ideas you may have!

Please find attached our product list for this week.

Best wishes

Annette and all at Crooked End.

Crooked_End_Product_List_10_1_12.doc

Dear Everyone and Everybody

The last couple of deliveries have just been done and the last couple of
turkeys are resting in the cold room ready for collection tomorrow. Yes it
has been a very hectic week. However, if you have had any problems at all
with your orders or your produce please do not hesitate to let us know as
there is still some time for us to remedy most things. We don’t get things
right all the time, but we do try! We are always looking to improve the way
that we operate and are grateful of all feedback, both positive and
“constructive”.

So we will be at Monmouth again tomorrow (Saturday), until about lunch time.
Meanwhile the farm shop will be open until 4pm for last minute provisions.
On Thursday 4th January we will reopening the farm shop, and offering a
basic delivery service (set value veg/meat boxes only – please let us know
if you would like one) for Thursday delivery. Our normal service will
resume the following week, including our market stalls in Hereford, Hay, and
Monmouth.

Thank you everyone and everybody for joining us at Crooked End in 2011 and
we hope that we can share the adventures that 2012 will bring with you too.
We will finish our community garden, host our first Supper Club on 21st
January (farm shop dining with our 5-star chef, reservations only!), publish
a definitive order form and brochure for our great Crooked End provisions
range (not just the award winning pies, but also the popular panna cotta,
coleslaws, soups, ready meals and more)…and that is just for January!

Happy Christmas to everyone and everybody, and a New Year of adventures and
excitement

Love from

Brenda, Bruce (needs no introduction), Barrie & Anya (Cyprus branch),
Annette (deliveries mastermind), Sarah (the calm one in the shop on Fridays
and Saturdays), Kate (chef), Manu (singlehandedly running the farm), Lottie
& James (junior Crooked Enders, not desperately helpful but can provide
entertainment), assorted wwoofers (invaluable and great fun)

Crooked_End_Product_List_19-12-11.doc
Crooked_End_Product_List_19-12-11.pdf

Hooray – it seems we may have internet connection!

Another week closer to Christmas… have you put your Christmas order in with us yet? If any of you did not receive our Christmas offer email please get in touch and we can send one out to you pronto! Look out for Crooked Enders delivering Christmas leaflets through the doors of Ruardean, Drybrook and surrounding villages.

Here at the farm the winter salads are finally starting to show signs of growth and Manu is planning the planting schedule for next year. The little piglets are not quite so little any more, I watch them from the window above the computer here rootling through the grass and attempting to escape at any given opportunity.

The veg boxes this week will contain at least 5 of the following:

Calabrese
Closed mushroom
Swede
Sprouts
Pepper
Kohl rabi

Attached is the product list if you would like to sample any of our other lovely delights.

Best wishes

Annette

Crooked End Farm Organics LLP
Crooked End Farm
Crooked End
Ruardean
GL17 9XF
01594 544482
sales
www.crookedend.co.uk

Crooked End Farm Organics LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales
Reg OC 336158

Crooked_End_Product_List_12-12-11.doc

Crooked_End_Product_List_12-12-11.pdf

Crooked_End_Product_List_28-11-11.pdf
Crooked_End_Product_List_28-11-11.doc

Crooked_End_Product_List_21-11-11.doc
Crooked_End_Product_List_21-11-11.pdf

Don’t forget out grand SHOP OPENING celebration this Saturday from 12 – 5pm.
Come and see our wonderful farm shop and café, have a wander around the farm
and the new community garden area, meet Anya, Brenda and Bruce and find out
more about where your lovely organic goodness comes from.
We really hope to see you!

What’s been going on elsewhere on the farm? Bruce has been enjoying getting
his hands dirty on the farm again, today he could be found moving the older
piglets back to the barn (previously the maternity wing, now the crèche) and
rounding up the sheep for a general check over. I did then see Bruce
leaving to collect the kids from school with his fantastical tandem bike
contraption which fits children and adult (I have attached a photo as it was
too good to pass up!)

Our veg production is slowing right down now that the daylight is reducing,
the cut and come salad crops in the polytunnel have been desperate for a
few warm days to promote growth. We are starting to run low, therefore I am
taking salad, chard and spinach off the product list for a couple of weeks
to give the plants a chance to recouperate. Don’t worry if you need some
salad though as we are currently buying some wonderful lettuce from one of
our suppliers in Llanwarne.

I have also attached a photo of one of Blackberrys piglets, and Bogdan… who
was found vacuuming the barn……..

So back in the real world – your tasty veg boxes this week will contain at
least 5 of the following:
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Cavelo Nero kale
Courgette
Purple sprouting broccoli
Aubergine
Cherry tomatoes
Celery