Three times the amount of honey – Why?

by Kenneth Keavey

I met Gerry who looks after the beehives on our farm a couple of weeks back. He comes onto the farm once or so a week and checks on the bees. On the day we met there was two acres of phacelia (a beautiful purple flower) swaying in the wind behind us and it was covered in bees. Gerry looks after 6 apiaries and of the 6 the one on our farm produces three times more honey than any of the others. The bees are vibrant and strong, and they are in amazing health.

The reasons are not complex, they have an abundance of food, the phacelia being one major food source, but not only that, the early apple blossoms, the courgette flowers, the tomato flowers, the cucumber flowers and all the flowering weeds (good and not so good) that spring up between the plants. The bees are thriving.

The bees have little reason to roam further than our farm and as result they never encounter agrochemicals routinely used in conventional agriculture that can damage our pollinators. One class of chemical that is thankfully now banned were the neonicotinoids, these chemicals when used damaged bee health by affecting their immune system, navigation skills, capacity to forage and communicate, and ability to reproduce.

Without the bees and the other hosts of pollinators we rely on for our modern-day food system we would not be living such a life of food luxury. Our always on food system, the year-round availability is only possible due to a complex and precarious food system and a logistics chain that spans the planet. It is a system dependent on large scale production of crops, heavily dependent on agrochemicals and cheap labour in other parts of the world. We have seen this year that as the climate crisis deepens, climate shocks to our food system can be sudden and deep, the future effects of the climate crisis on our relatively fragile food system will be large.

Nature is a complex web of interactions, it is strong and resilient and can recover from manmade interference, but when we continuously damage nature, or change the climate that local ecosystems work in then we risk damaging nature and our ability to grow food immeasurably.

But, as with the bees on our farm, when we get it right and give a little back then the results can be startling, amazing and larger than anything we expect, and we reap the benefits too: as food producers we have a bumper courgette and tomato crop. The phacelia adds organic matter back to the soil when we cut it, and it allows us to grow something for nature while resting the land.

Something so simple as growing a strip of wildflowers or planting a small area of trees makes a massive positive difference to nature, surely instead of focusing purely on intensification of farming activities, it would not be so hard to weave this into our current agriculture policy as a critical requirement of all farms.

The bees are one of our constant companions here on the farm, but there is a myriad of other unsung heroes that quietly go about their business and never get the recognition they deserve. The flies and beetles, the butterflies and birds, the bacteria and fungi, this whole beautiful complex web of nature all working together help produce better food and make up a rich and vibrant local ecosystem.

Whilst there is much to be done, there is much that is within our power too. Removing chemicals from this chain of life is one clear step we can take to make an instant and recognisable difference to the diversity of nature we share this world with.  Choosing more local food strengthens our local food system and crucially reduces our carbon foot print too.

As always it is your support that makes it possible here on our farm and the farms of our other supporting farmers to do the right thing.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Kenneth

Lavender Shortbread Biscuits – Vegan version

by Lou Robbie

Beautiful calming lavender, the scent is so distinctive, even the bees can’t resist it. I have a huge lavender bush in my small front garden. It has grown so much in the last 3 years. I just love how natural it is and how much the bees adore it. This is my first time baking with its pretty purple buds and it won’t be my last.

These shortbread biscuits are delicious, yes they taste floral but thats the point. If you are not swayed by the lavender just use the zest of a full lemon or orange in its place.

We hope you try them, they are the perfect tea time sweet treat. Browse our baking aisle for the organic dry ingredients.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: Makes 18

  • 175g soft vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh, unsprayed, finely chopped lavender flowers (pick them off the stems to measure)
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 250g plain flour
  • Sprinkle of brown sugar

Method:

Step 1: Line an 8in x 8in baking tin with parchment paper. 

Step 2: Beat the butter and lavender together first to get the best flavour from the lavender. Beat in the sugar then mix in the flour to form a dough ball. 

Step 3: Gently press the dough into the prepared tin, use an extra square of parchment paper to smooth out the dough with your hands, get it right into the corners.  Remove the extra parchment paper and discard.

Step 4: Use a butter knife to mark the dough into 18 biscuits, cutting right to the bottom of the tin, see the photos.  Prick with a fork and sprinkle with brown sugar. Put the tin in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour. 

Step 5: Preheat the oven 170ºC. Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes until pale brown.

Let them cool completely then cut again along the lines to separate and enjoy with big mugs of tea. 

The climate crisis, our health and our food choices are interlinked…

by Kenneth Keavey

“We live in a remarkable world. Planet Earth is full of diverse wonders that nourish us in many ways. It is the place where we live out our lives, work, eat, love, play; in short, it is the place we call home. And it is our only home.”

The food we eat and how it is produced can improve our health, increase biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions. However, the food industry today and vested interests would have us thread an increasingly well-worn path to ill health, environmental damage, increased carbon emissions and pollution of our planet and bodies.

These are some of the thoughts of Dr Sean Ownes, a member of Irish Doctors for the Environment and the chair of “The Climate and Health Alliance” who earlier this year launched a new and ground-breaking report examining in detail the connection between our food health and the health of our planet, he was kind enough to provide his thoughts below:

There is currently a syndemic of unhealthy poor diets and related chronic disease paired with climate change and critical biodiversity loss. The problems with the Irish healthcare system can be summed up in one word: capacity. The problems with Ireland’s food system might also be summed up in one word: sustainability.

This report is unique it is the first time that multiple healthcare institutions, such as UCD, RCSI, ICGP, RCPI, the Irish Heart Foundation and many more have all arrived at a consensus that the current Irish diet is causing great harm to people and planet, while also recognising planetary boundaries and the need to live within them.

Our shared food environment has completely changed in a single generation secondary to unfettered market forces and weak public health policies. The standard Irish diet now exceeds planetary boundaries by over 200%. This report highlights how our dietary habits of today are taking food off the plates of the next generation, while also undermining our planet’s fragile and rapidly declining ecosystems.

The food system touches all of us, be it consumers, primary food producers who work the land, those in retail or healthcare professionals who work at the distal end of the system i.e., chronic disease, and as a multi-level system it requires multi-level action. There has been a lack of joined up thinking to date, as well as a lack of any urgency commensurate with the threat of the climate crisis. Given that our AgriFood strategy is an export growth model, while there is now more awareness and urgency, it is unlikely that Ireland will make the necessary changes to meet our emissions obligations. 

The report seeks to highlight how sustainable diets are critical for not only our climate targets, but also a viable healthcare system going forward. Adding plants to your plate isn’t just a favour to the planet, it is a heath gain for your heart, your gut and your future self. It isn’t about the usual tired debate of vegan vs farmer, rather it is about rethinking our own diet as a health pension, and everyday there are many opportunities to pay in. As pensions go, there can’t be one of better value. The report wants our policy makers to know that we can’t ask people to swim upstream and chose to eat healthy foods when they are too expensive, inaccessible, competing with cheaper junk foods and more. We urge them to engage with healthcare professionals, especially dietitian’s, but also marketing experts, public health experts, policy experts and look towards other jurisdictions that have implemented meaningful changes with Just transition at their heart. The report also asks that all farmers be given the support they need to make a transition to meet our emissions targets.

The greatest challenge will be making forward progress free from the undue influence of vested interests and powerful lobby groups. We need to see this transition as a generational opportunity for not only health and a viable healthcare system, but also for the Irish economy and for rural Ireland now and in the future. Healthy and sustainable diets don’t need to be invented; we only need the policies to make choosing them the best option.

The report is a well-researched detailed document, and you can check it out here. Thanks Sean to you and your colleagues for the great work and for trail blazing the link between diet health and planet.

Kenneth

Link to report : https://climateandhealthalliance.wordpress.com/resources/

Courgette Tart – Scarpaccia

by Lou Robbie

We are always looking for ways to use our gorgeous homegrown glossy green courgettes. This is our take on an Italian dish called Scarpaccia which loosely means ‘bad shoe’ because its as thin as a bad shoe apparently! It does make a very thin courgette tart for sure. The courgettes are very thinly sliced and the juice is extracted with salt but not wasted as it goes into the batter. We love the zero waste here.

Most of the recipes I came across used cornmeal but I used dried panko breadcrumbs in their place and it worked out just fine.

This is a gorgeous recipe to try, let us know if you do.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 6 slices

  • 3 courgette(800g)- very finely sliced
  • 1 red onion – very finely sliced 
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • ¼ cup dried panko breadcrumbs or cornmeal – this ingredient is important to give a crisp texture not mushy.
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • Pinch black pepper 

Method:

Step 1: Use a mandoline if you have one to finely slice the courgettes and red onion, 2-3mm thick. Then add the slices to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the salt and toss through with your hands to coat in the salt, 2-3 minutes. Put a plate on top and a weight like a couple of tins to help extract all the liquid. Leave this for 2 hours. 

Step 2: Preheat the oven 180ºC and oil a baking tray really well, 9 x 13 inch is what I used.  After this time, use a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Add the vegetables and squeeze out the extra liquid. The courgette juice will be used for the batter. To the juice add in the flour, dried panko breadcrumbs, fresh thyme leaves, nutritional yeast and black pepper, whisk well it should look like pancake batter. Then add the vegetables back in and stir to coat.  **If the batter seems very thick add a small dash of water.

Step 3: Pour the mix into the baking tray and use a spoon to smooth out evenly. 

Step 4: Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.

Slice and enjoy with a fresh seasonal salad.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

by Lou Robbie

We are spoiled with beautiful organic Irish blueberries in the summer and autumn. They are gorgeous to eat fresh as they are but if you are looking for a recipe to bake try these delicious crumble bars. They do crumble so keep one hand under to catch those crunchy crumbs.

We were paying a friend a visit so make a batch of these to have with tea and a catch up. My kids adore them, they are just sweet enough with lovely pops of jammy berries.

Shop for the wholesome organic ingredients in our shop.

Let us know if you make it, we love to hear from you.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: Makes 12 bars

  • For the crumble base and topping:
  • 120g oats/1 ½ cups 
  • 65g brown sugar /¾ cup
  • 180g plain flour /1 ½ cups
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 90g butter
  • For the filling:
  • 230g/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 40g granulated sugar 
  • ½ tablespoon cornflour 
  • Juice ½ lemon 

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a 8in tin with parchment paper.

Step 2: Measure the flour, oats, brown sugar and baking powder into a bowl, mix well. Then add the butter and work it into the oats and flour with your fingers until it starts to clump together and feels like wet sand, this will take a few minutes.

Step 3: Tip HALF the mix into the tin. Push down into the tin until its spead out and even, make sure to get into the corners. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime mix the blueberries with the granulated sugar, cornflour and lemon juice. 

Step 4: When the base comes out of the oven top with the blueberries and scatter over the other half of the crumble mix.  Put it back in the oven to bake for another 25-35 minutes. 

Leave it to cool for an hour to set and then cut into bars. 

What is growing in the fields of Ireland?

by Kenneth Keavey

What is growing in the fields of Ireland?
We produce lots of meat and dairy products and grain to feed this industry, but what about our vegetables?


Only 1% of farms in Ireland now grow vegetables.
We have been focused on just this issue for the past 18 years.
If anything, July onwards represent the months of Irish plenty on vegetable farms, but where are our vegetables growers?
More and more Irish vegetable producers are going out of business due to the loss leading practices of supermarkets, and in the long run this will not be good for you or I. There is no such thing as cheap food, there is always a price to be paid somewhere.
Carrots for 49c may mean that more Irish farmers go out of business, they can’t run a farm for these returns.  This year farmers were closing their doors for good, shutting down their vegetable operations, those skills are lost for ever and are not easy to replace.
A food model based on the cheapest food possible is not sustainable, either the environment pays a price or the people producing the food do, or the end consumer (you and I) do, it is as straightforward as that.
Cooking from scratch can prove so much cheaper than buying overly processed packaged goods, plus you know what is in your meals and you will generally get better quality ingredients.
There are so many options right now especially for vegetables, these are the months of Irish seasonal plenty.
On our farm alone and many of the organic farmers that supply us there is a fantastic array of Irish seasonal stars. We have started harvesting our own onions, amazing tomatoes, we are getting fantastic cucumbers from Joe Kelly in Mayo and the best spinach and chard from Padraig Fahy in Ballinasloe.
We are harvesting lettuce, and salad, and kale, and broccoli, there is courgettes a plenty and the best Irish organic mushrooms from McArdles mushrooms right here in Ireland. Our gorgeous early IRISH potatoes taste amazing (just boil them gently!)
Or how about Ralph Haslam’s fresh organic milk, yogurt, and cheese from Offaly, you may know it as Mossfield organic farm. David Butlers organic eggs are delivered fresh in each week. All amazing Irish producers.
We truly have so much Irish organic produce and now is certainly the time to support it. The bonus of course, is fresh, organic, Irish food on your plate that is better for you and crucially you are supporting truly Irish businesses.
Here’s to an amazing Irish July and August.
Kenneth

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich

by Lou Robbie

The weather hasn’t been the best for BBQ’s this July. But worry not you can still get that bbq hit from these delicious BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches!

Jackfruit is a wonder fruit that works perfectly in this recipe. All you need to do is add heaps of flavour to the sauce and your sandwich will taste amazing. We are also enjoying piling in the green leaves from the farm, lovely grated Irish carrots and cucumber slices.

Pick up some good quality BBQ sauce for this recipe. You are going to love this one. Make organic Jackfruit a cupboard staple.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 4

  • 1 onion– diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
  • I tin jackfruit – drained 
  • ½ tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cumin
  • 1 heaped teaspoon paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 100ml water
  • 2 tablespoons good quality BBQ sauce
  • Juice 1/2 lime
  • To serve: leaves, burger buns, mayo, cucumber, grated carrot

Method:

Step 1: Finely dice the onion and garlic. Warm a frying pan on the hob with some oil and cook the onions and garlic, slowly, until they are completely soft. This takes about 10 minutes.

Step 2 : Tip in the cumin, paprika, chilli, salt and pepper and cook for a minute or two. Add the half tin of tomatoes. Cook for a minute and then add the drained jack fruit along with the water. Stir and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Step 3: Use the back of the wooden spoon to squish the jack fruit piece. Stir in the bbq sauce and lime juice. Check the seasoning and serve on the burger bun with mayo, leaves, cucumber and carrot.

Enjoy.

Chocolate Nut Slice- No Bake

by Lou Robbie

Summer snacking has become a new event in our house. But rather than picking up the individual plastic wrapped treats from the shops we are making the effort to make our own. The results are very tasty!

We did a bit of a cupboard raid for these and added some peanut butter and pecans. You can add any chopped nuts you fancy to the chocolate topping. Raisins would work here too!

Save this recipe to try. And please let us know if you do, we love to hear from you. As usual, find all the organic ingredients you need in the shop- most are in plastic free packaging.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 8 big slices

  • 2 cup oats
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2-4 tablespoons water (depending on how dry the mix is)
  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped (or what every nuts you fancy)

Method:

Step 1: Line a small tray or lunch box with parchment paper 15cm x 20cm approx.

Step 2: Add the oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter and honey to a blender. Blend until combined. Check the consistency of the mix, if its dry add a small spoon of water and blend again. And add more water if it’s still dry. Then mix should stick together when it’s ready, test a piece with your fingers.

Step 3: Tip the mix onto the tray and smooth it into the corners using a second piece of parchment paper.

Step 4: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. When melted add in the chopped pecans. Pour this over the base. Then put it in the fridge to set completely, at least 1 hour.

Slice into bars. Enjoy

Blueberry Nice Cream – 3 Ingredients

by Lou Robbie

Purple, creamy, simple, quick and tasty! We have been stocking and selling Organic Irish Blueberries they are selling really well this season. This recipe is a nod to our friends at Banner Berries (Co. Clare), keep up the great work.

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that are great for our bodies and skin. Blended with bananas this makes a delicious healthy treat and a super substitute for regular ice cream.

Check out our organic blueberries and add them to the cart along with your fair trade bananas and give this a whiz.

Enjoy,

Lou 🙂

PS- We made this in a Ninja nutri blender – any smoothie blender will do.

Ingredients – 1 big serving

1 cup organic blueberries, frozen

1 big or 2 small organic bananas, frozen

dash of milk – (dairy or non dairy)

Method:

Step 1: Peel, break up and freeze the fresh bananas and blueberries for 4 hours.

Step 2: Once frozen add the banana pieces and blueberries to the blender cup.

Step 3: Pour in a dash of milk, not too much and blend until smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Scoop and serve straight away. Enjoy.

Courgette & Cheddar Fritters w/ tzatziki

by Lou Robbie

Courgettes are part of the squash family that originate in North America. But did you know these tasty dark green beauties were only grown and developed in the second part of the 1900’s in Italy! And now they have adapted to Irish soil and grown happily in our fields.

Home grown courgettes taste delicious with cheddar cheese. These fritters take just minutes to prepare and minutes to cook. We made garlicky tzatziki sauce to serve with them. Eat them warm from the pan.

Drop a couple of Irish courgettes and cucumbers in your basket for this one.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: mades 8

For the fritters:

  • 1 small Irish courgette 250g approx
  • 1-2 tablespoons self raising flour, add more if the mix is very wet
  • 50g grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper

For the tzatziki:

  • 1 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 inch piece of cucumber
  • zest 1/4 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Method:

Step 1: Coarsely grate the courgette and put it in a bowl. Add in the grated cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Give it a mix, whisk the egg and add that too.

Step 2: To make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber put it in a sieve and squeeze out the extra liquid. Use this cucumber liquid for smoothies and juices. Add the grated cucumber to the yoghurt along with the finely grated garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper, mix.

Step 3: Warm a non stick frying pan, medium heat, on the hob. Drizzle some oil to coat. Add a tablespoon of the courgette mix, fit 3-4 on the pan. Cook for a few minutes, flip and cook for another few minutes until golden brown. Lift them off onto kitchen paper, repeat with the next batch.

Serve warm with the tzatziki. Enjoy.