Some cool drone footage, and my thoughts on food waste…

by Kenneth Keavey

First, I want to show you something: Darragh Wynne from the charity Goal Ireland was here a few weeks back and invited me to talk for a video, if you want to learn a little bit more about and see some cool drone footage of our farm (and even catch a glimpse of George and Florence check this video out.

George and Florence are happy pigs, they couldn’t actually have a better life, I really don’t think they could. Not only do they get to roam around nearly 2 acres of old and newly established forests, they have a dry straw lined shed to sleep in and probably best of all they get fed waste organic veg once a day. They are as happy as two pigs in muck could be. 

But they fit into this story very well, as they are the last step in our grandly termed food waste reduction strategy, we don’t have a formal document or anything like that, but we do have a belief system around food waste. 

So here is a crazy fact, one third of all food produced on the planet is wasted.  The area required to produce that food is 16 million km2, which is roughly an area the same size as Russia, which is a very big place. 

We all know we need to take urgent steps to reduce our impact on the planet, no surprise there, and as we pass yet another mind boggling climate record with September being the warmest month ever by a long way, that action is critical. 

So wouldn’t it be an amazing if we could cut the land used for agriculture by 16 million square kilometers and instead grow forestry? Of course, it would. 

But where is all this wasted food coming from? Well, that is where I will tell you the second part of my story, last week we took a delivery of carrots, we weren’t very pleased with these carrots, they were Irish, they were organic, but they were massive, and I mean they were big but we got our heads together and figured out how we could prevent them ending up in the bin. 

So, we set about trying to use them to sell them, to make sure we wasted as little as possible. There is one thing I can absolutely guarantee had these carrots landed at the door of a supermarket they would have been rejected, sent back, or wasted. 

Herein lies one of our bugbears, supermarkets insisting without remorse on unforgiving specifications and when produce does not meet them refusing to sell it or accept it. We have been there many moons ago, once upon a time having supplied supermarkets.  In the growing season we have had this year, produce may come out maybe a little smaller or bigger or twisted or forked and that in our view is the beauty of nature.  We wont grade out twisted parsnips, or forked carrots. 

Of course, there is still the possibility that produce will not meet our quality requirements, and this is where we do have a very well-defined system and we put a fair amount of effort into it to make it work. 

Maciek our quality manager has done amazing work creating his “Rescue boxes” each week these boxes are filled with “Class II” produce.  If we can’t use the produce in the rescue boxes our team get it, and if it is unusable it ends up in one of two places, actually one of three places! 

It either A. Goes to one of our three compost bays, or B. go to George’s belly or C. goes to Florence’s belly! 

(Interesting fact: We have to make two separate piles of food when feeding the pigs because Florence always bullies George and tries to keep all the food for herself!) 

So that is the end of the story for this week, just know you are supporting a little business that manages in our own way to keep the food waste mountain from growing at least on our watch and continues to step by small step help build a better food system. 

You are making it possible, thank you. 

Kenneth

PS Darragh Wynne from the charity Goal Ireland was here a few weeks back and invited me to talk for a video, if you want to learn a little bit more about and see some cool drone footage of our farm (and even catch a glimpse of George and Florence check this video out.

Spicy Beetroot Crepe (dosa)

by Lou Robbie

Blushing beautiful beetroot so vibrant and sweet. They are a nutritional powerhouse, good for your heart and blood and gut. We’ve increased the nutrient value by adding some wholesome ingredients to make these delicious dosas. Eat them as they are, add a sandwich filling with roast veggies or eat along side a spiced dahl. My kids called them pink wraps and thats a good description too.

I love to steam all my beets and then use them in various ways like roasting with balmasic vinegar for a salad, slicing to eat in a sandwich, grated to add to chocolate muffins etc.

How do you like to cook with beetroot?

Lou 🙂

PS – it may not be an authentic dosa recipe but it is really tasty all the same.

Ingredients: makes 4

  • 75g oats
  • 100g chickpea flour (gram flour)
  • 1 small cooked beetroot– steamed is best (125g)
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 small green chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 150ml-200ml water as needed 
  • oil to cook

Method:

  • Step 1: To a powerful blender add all the ingredients apart from the water. Blend the ingredients and add the water a little at a time to make a batter. The consistency of the batter is really important it should be pourable like crepe batter.
  • Step 2: Heat a frying pan on a medium heat. Drizzle with oil and carefully wipe with kitchen paper to coat the pan.
  • Step 3: Add a ladle of the batter to the pan, use the back of the ladle to thin out the batter and form a round shape. Cook on a low heat for a few minutes then use a spatula to carefully flip over and cook for a further minute. Repeat.
  • Enjoy

Date and Peanut Butter Bark

by Lou Robbie

We are huge fans of easy homemade snacks and it doesn’t get easier than this! Just 3 ingredients plus sea salt if you have it! Make it with 100% organic ingredients and it can be vegan too if you like! It takes just 5 minutes to make and a wee while to set. This has been a viral sensation recently and we can see why. It really ticks all the boxes with toffee notes from the dates, creamy peanut butter and glorious chocolate to finish.

We feel its best stored in the freezer, just chop off a chunk as needed. Find all of the best organic ingredients needed in our groceries.

Enjoy this one, as always let us know if you try it.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes enough for 16 big pieces

Method:

  • Step 1: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Open the dates and lay flat on the parchment paper, make a rectangle shape with them. Lay another piece of parchment paper on top and push down with a rolling pin or glass to flatten.
  • Step 2: Spread the peanut butter all over the dates. Use a pallet knife if you have one.
  • Step 3: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave. Pour over the peanut butter and smooth over with a pallet knife. Sprinkle with sea salt if you like.
  • Step 4: Put the tray in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour. Chop the bark into pieces of shards. Store the pieces in a box in the fridge or freezer for 1 week.

Reflections and the future

by Kenneth Keavey

This week has seen another reasonably dry week on the farm which has made life that little bit easier, our harvesting machine for parsnips has worked well, and we are pulling them out of the ground fresh and clean, the kale is vibrant and amazing and we are harvesting lovely sized heads of broccoli. The tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes have nearly run their course, our weekly harvest of courgettes is down from a near high of 500kg a week to just over 100kg now, soon they will be finished for the year. 

It is at this time of the year I often reflect on our food system as a whole and whilst there is plenty of good I find myself wondering that there must be a better way to grow our food, there needs to be a better way. The planet simply cannot sustain business as usual. Amongst other things, our food system as run by giant food corporations is crippling out planet, not only that it is destroying biodiversity. Loss leading of fresh food by supermarkets, simply does not leave enough on the table to allow farmers to protect the land, to work with nature, it is a road to nowhere.   

What will we do when we have exhausted the soil, when we have polluted the rivers and lakes, when we have pumped enough greenhouse gases into our atmosphere to cause the planet to warm up beyond critical tipping points. We will not be able to sustain ecosystems never mind a healthy balanced food system. 

What then? All that profit and greed, and short termism will mean little. Where do we look then for fresh water, for healthy food, how will we feed 8 billion or more people? How will all the other life we share this planet with be sustained? 

Can we continue to consume resources and food as we do now? Do we not need to consider what we are eating (and how it is produced) now.  The animal industry consumes a disproportionate amount of our land mass and contributes relatively little relative to grains and plants to our calorie and protein intake:    

Of our habitable land, 46% is used for agriculture, of that land area 77% is used for animals, and this only produces 18% of our global calorie supply and astoundingly only 37% of our protein consumption. (Source: UN Food and Agriculture association) 

And that is without even beginning to talk about animal welfare in the large factory farms that produce the cheap meat? When did chicken literally become cheaper than chips?  

Clearly this is not just unsustainable, you can imagine that future generations may look back and wonder at our insanity. Using land to grow more vegetables and eating more plants allows us to reduce the land mass required to produce our food. This is not an argument for not eating meat or dairy it is simply a fact that we need to use our land wisely and cut down on the consumption of foods that have a high land high carbon footprint, low calorie output. 

Would it help to approach our living world with a little more empathy, for the land, for the creatures we share the planet, for the environment? Things could and would be so much different if we were all to be a little more mindful and showed a little more respect for our one home. 

We all can make a difference; we can all take steps that will help. Of course, bigger stuff needs to happen, governments need to act, net carbon zero needs to occur, policy and infrastructure and systems needs to change, and they are changing but the speed of change needs to increase. 

Can our mindset around food change? Embracing the idea of eating more plants, understanding that cheap does not always mean good value, these are the things that will help save our health and that of the planet. 

We here on our farm find ourselves struggling to standstill, it is always a tough battle to compete in this supermarket dominated landscape. It is difficult to continue to support local organic Irish farmers including our own farm, it costs more, but that is the course we have taken, and one we will never deviate from.   

Your support is making a difference. You are making a difference. 

Thanks for your support. 

Kenneth

PS The autumnal winter crops are definitely creeping in now, with the harvest of swede and parsnip truly beginning, we are also delighted to have the first delivery or Irish organic carrots next week. It has been a tough year for root crop growing, but finally we are getting there.

Veggie Loaded Lasagne

by Lou Robbie

Totally worth all the effort, this veggie packed lasagne is a meal in itself! I ordered a rescue box of veggies this week and was spoiled for choice. With a big head of cauliflower, peppers, aubergine, spring onions and Irish courgettes (and lots more) there was only one thing for it!

Add this to your meal plan. Feed a gang or portion and freeze for future dinners. **This can definitely be dairy free and vegan, just make a couple of swaps.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 6

  • For the roast veg: 
  • 2 courgette, sliced
  • 2 aubergine, sliced
  • 2-3 peppers, red & yellow, sliced
  • 20g baby spinach, washed
  • For the cauliflower bechamel sauce: 
  • 1 head cauliflower, small florets
  • 300ml milk (of choice)
  • A pinch nutmeg 
  • 80g ground almonds 
  • For the tomato sauce: 
  • 2 tins plum tomatoes (400g each)
  • 8 spring onions, 
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • a handful fresh basil leaves and stalks chopped
  • Oil to cook
  • Salt and pepper 
  • To construct:
  • 12 lasagne sheets (230g)
  • 70g grated cheese to sprinkle

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC.

For the veg: Slice the courgette, aubergine and peppers into flat strips. Put them on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper, drizzle oil all over and roast in the oven for 40 minutes until soft.

Step 2: For the cauliflower bechamel sauce: Put the cauliflower florets in a pot of boiling salty water and cook until soft. Transfer to a blender with the milk, nutmeg, ground almonds and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper..

Step 3: For the tomato sauce: In a wide pot add a tablespoon of oil, add the sliced spring onions and chopped garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the chopped basil stalks, give the sauce a quick blend with a hand blender. 

Step 4: Construct the lasagne: in a large baking tray spread a tin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom, top with pasta sheets, layer roast veggies, spinach, and then the white sauce. Repeat finishing with the white sauce and topping with the grated cheese. 

Step 5: Bake in the oven at 180ºC for 50 minutes. Allow to cook and set then slice and serve.

Pickled Courgette & Carrot

by Lou Robbie

Homemade pickles are lovely to make. This is a great one if your a beginner. It doesn’t make a massive amount just enough to get you started on your pickling journey. Pickles are sweet and sour and go great with sharp cheese or deep rich tomato sauces or slow cooked bean stews. It adds a pop of zing and excitement!

Pickling is a great way to preserve vegetables for the winter, this pickle will keep for up to 1 month in the fridge. It’s also a nice gift for a friend.

Grab your peeler and give this a go!

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 1 large jar or 2 small

  • 1 small courgette, washed
  • 3 small carrots, washed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 200ml apple cider vinegar
  • 45g brown sugar 
  • 1 tsp turmeric 
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds 
  • cold water to top up if needed 

Method:

Step 1: Using a peeler, peel lengthways to make ribbons with the courgette and the carrots. When you get to the point where the vegetable is tricky to peel you can stop and use these bits for soup. Put all the courgette and carrot ribbons into a sterilised jar.

Step 2: Make the pickle liquid. Add the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard seeds, bay leaf to a small pot. Warm on the hob until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool. Once cool pour into the jar. If the liquid does not cover the vegetables add some water. Seal the jar and store in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Recipe Roundup – Soups

by Simone Kelly

What’s better on a rainy day than a hearty bowl of soup? Not much!

Here’s a roundup of delicious homemade soups. Perfect for freezing for an easy mid week lunch too! Click on the bold text to go straight to the recipe.

enjoy x

Baked Chocolate & Banana Oats

by Lou Robbie

Warm baked oats on an autumn morning are a real treat. We’ve added chocolate for extra indulgence and they are just lovely with baked bananas and sticky dates.

Porridge oats are a great start to the day, they are a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. We love to add chopped dates to add fibre and natural sweetness.

My kids just love these baked oat pot and top them with yoghurt for an extra serving of protein.

Let us know if you try them.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 3 pots – or 1 small loaf

  • 100g oats
  • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 7 dates – 50g – pitted and chopped
  • 1 banana plus extra to finish
  • 100ml milk of choice
  • 1 egg
  • 1 flat tsp baking powder
  • 50g chocolate, chopped 
  • Slice banana 

Method:

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven. Put 3 ceramic pots on a baking tray. Or use a lined and greased loaf tin.
  • Step 2: To a blender add the oats, cocoa powder, dates, 1 banana, milk, egg, baking powder. Blend until smooth.
  • Step 3: Add a spoon of the mix to each pot, then top with half the chopped chocolate. Spoon the rest on top and sprinkle the remaining chocolate and a slice of banana to each pot. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Enjoy warm.

First Prize! Well done Gerry and the bees…

by Kenneth Keavey

First prize in the Galway honey competition, what a fantastic result and testament to the amazing work of Gerry who looks after the bees who have been residents on our farm for close to 10 years now.

Gerry has a deep understanding and respect for the bees and is constantly checking in to make sure they are alright and by all accounts they are certainly that! In fact, they are a level of magnitude above alright.

A couple of weeks back while having a chat with Gerry he mentioned that out of the 6 apiaries under his supervision the hives on our farm are producing 3 times the amount of honey compared with the others!

We all know we need to look after our pollinators without them the world would be a very different place, our apple trees, the courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers and many other flowering plants rely on our flying friends to produce food. So, it’s only right we keep an eye on their welfare too.

It seems that the wildflowers and the weeds and the general high level of biodiversity on our farm has had a very positive impact on bees and the honey they make. A great example of a healthy environment leading to healthy food. The honey was judged on colour, texture and flavour.

This year though the impact of a changing climate has had a negative effect on the bees and the professional judges all said the same thing, in show after show there was a lack of honey due to the wettest July ever recorded.

Gerry and the bees did extremely well, but we won’t be handing out little mini trophies to all the queen bees on our farm just yet though, as it seems there was one rogue amongst all the hard workers.

One of the queen bees turned rogue.  Apparently, it does happen and when it does it is not at all pleasant. For some reason one of the queens became extremely aggressive and as a result the whole hive followed suit. It really wasn’t nice, these bees were chasing people out of the fields, and Emmanuel and his farm team were stung on multiple occasions and as a result the harvest had to start before the bees came out!

Gerry stepped in and removed the rogue queen and rehoused her to a far way bog where hopefully she will live out a long angry life away from human beings!

The amazing thing is once the belligerent queen was removed everything settled down almost immediately, seems all groups are the same…..

I am delighted that the judges held Gerry’s honey in such high regard and I am also delighted to have nice calm bees back buzzing around again and that our nearly always happy bees are happy again.

Kenneth  

PS We are seeing the change now in the weather and are moving more heartily into the autumnal crops, you will see our first harvest of parsnips fresh from the fields, and we are excited about the first main crop floury potatoes coming soon, lots of cauliflower and broccoli too, as always thank you for your support. 

Spiced Veggie Fritters- GF/no egg

by Lou Robbie

We love these fritters! In fact I made them twice at the Farm Walk and I was asked for the full recipe so here it is. This is especially for Kenneths mother Maureen, who I promised I would share this, so she can make them at home herself.

This September we are making a conscious decision to eat more Irish produce, the carrots and courgettes are from the farm. While the other ingredients are from further afield we are happy knowing that these came from Irish soil. And I tell my kids that when we eat these fritters. Oh and my daughter had these in her lunchbox for school and loved them.

Let us know if you try them.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 18

Method:

  • Step 1: Using a machine or box grater, grate the courgette, carrot, sweet potato and red onion, mix well.
  • Step 2: In a separate bowl add the chickpea flour, curry powder, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, mix well.
  • Step 3: Pour the seasoned chickpea flour all over the grated veggies and using you hands mix really well, this will take a few minutes. Really give it a good squeeze and work it almost like a dough. The liquid from the veg will help to form a batter with the flour.
  • Step 4: Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add tablespoon of oil. Shape the mix into small patties fry for a couple of minutes, flip and fry again until cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat.