We found a groggy bumblebee in one of the polytunnels, barely able to move. As it happens, Penelope had just seen a video about this on FaceBook which said you should feed them on a sugar solution, from a spoon.
She did that, and the bee drank and drank. It soon recovered enough to fly around, and then landed on Penelope’s back.
We are only have workdays every few weeks, now, in the depth of winter, but today it was half term, so we had a couple of children for the first time in a long while. After some early rain it was a bright sunny cold day.
We are in very good shape for the winter, with not very much to do. We are beginning to plant broad beans in the polytunnels, and onions outside. We still have lots of leeks, some cabbage, kale, and celeriac. We are covering lots of areas with black sheeting, laying out a new 5 course rotation, with permanent walkways between the beds.
We had our coffee break in the big new polytunnel. The compost is doing well. We closed off one pile and opened a new one. They are only taking a couple of months to rot down to good, usable compost.
A hardy bunch turned out yesterday, for our last working day of 2015. The emphasis was on preparing for the winter and next year. We did a major tidy of the shed, including cleaning of many of the tools. The third polytunnel is just about ready for use. We still need to make one more door. We put straw down between the rows of strawberries, after thinning them.
We still had a good harvest, with stalks of brussels sprouts, lots of leeks, Jeruselum artichokes, various greens.
Our new member, (a second Gary) sells speciality coffee and has been bringing down a couple of flasks for our breaks, and Anya brought lovely little Christmas pies.
Another ‘all hands needed’ task this week when we put the cover on the new polytunnel.
An important part of gardening is the tea/coffee break; a time to consider, discuss, plan and as here, enjoy the sunshine. 
And just look at the produce, growing and harvested; super celeriac and enormous onions.
Celeriac growing at DCF
Wheelbarrow full of Sturon onions, produce of Diss Community Farm, September 2015.
Yesterday was a day of freak weather in this area, and at about 4 pm a huge rainstorm and gust of wind blew down our rows of beans, heavily laden and ready for picking.
Today, at our work day, that was the main focus, and so we all worked together, raising the poles, putting in stakes and ropes to hold them, putting back those plants that had been ripped out of the ground.
We had a huge harvest of beans from the plants that had been damaged.
Thursday was a perfect day for working at the Diss Community Farm, bright and sunny and not too hot. We are now well into big harvests, and also big weeding. The newest engineering project is our third polytunnel. The frame is now completed and ready for the covering to be added.
Jobs done since 7th May
• Planted Hispi cabbage seedlings through mypex and covered with enviromesh
• Prepared seed beds for more turnip & swede sowings
• Sowed more carrots for succession
• Removed outer blades from rotovator and rotovated between rows of strawberries in area C16-E17
• Removed spent broccoli plants to compost
• Rotovated area C22-E22 for planting of brassicas
• Continued weeding of onions, garlic and Broad Beans
• Strimmed weeds around poly and path near caravan
ToDos
• Plant remaining Hispi cabbage seedlings in Polytunnel 1
• Clear straw from area A17-B17 and rotovate for salad leaves
• Erect poles for Runner and French Beans
• Sow more turnip and swede seeds in area C21-E21
• Sow leek seeds in prepared area C9-E9
• Rotovate area C23-E23 for planting of brassicas
• Plant expected Kale seedlings through mypex in area C22-E22
• Continue strimming dandelions, nettles and other weeds before they form seed heads
• Prepare for erection of new polytunnel frame
Harvested
• Broccoli tips
• Lettuce
• Salad leaves
• Chard
• Spinach
Monitoring
• Hydration of crops, particularly in polytunnels
We’ve been through a long winter and have come out the other end in very good shape. Our harvest is relatively small this week, as we enter the ‘hungry gap’, but we are well prepared for the busy season. All is clear and tidy, with lots of beds prepared for planting, well dug and manured. The compost bins are well managed, and will be used mostly in the polytunnels. We have two now and have a larger third one coming soon.
Diss Community Farm 