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A polytunnel and a coolroom walk into a farm…

by Alice Warner |  | 1 comment

August 9, 2017

This week was a big one on the farm. It felt as though things really started to get serious and we were transformed into the real deal. In the same week, we finished constructing a 30m x 5.4m polytunnel and the coolroom was installed in the shed.

The tunnel has had many incarnations, coming from a farmer friend who got it from another farmer, so it is at least third hand to me. Missing pieces were replaced with other odds and ends of metal, hoops that had to be cut for transport were joined back together with inserts, and a new plastic skin and ropes to hold it all in place completed the picture. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without the help of Roshan – CSA member, farm neighbour, awesome volunteer and soon to be my first employee. His generosity and perseverance meant that the pumpkin, tomato, capsicum, eggplant, asparagus and basil babies all went to sleep on Tuesday night in a warm blanket to avoid the frost (by the way, my fingers found it on Wednesday morning while picking baby spinach at 5:30am but that’s another story). The tunnel also would not have been possible without the friendship, kindness and Aussie mateship of my farmer friend Tim. Not only did the tunnel come from him to begin with but he transported it over to the farm in his truck for me as the pieces would have been far too big to fit in my van. It is a tunnel with a story of teamwork, and one for you to consider when you visit the farm next and marvel at its long white caterpillar bumps.

The second big project of the week has been the installation of a coolroom in the shed. In the spirit of the farm the panels are second-hand, to reuse resources and it will have a new motor. The coolroom is a much-needed investment as we come towards the warmer months of the year. It will allow me to pick some items the day before delivery, rather than rushing to harvest everything on Wednesday morning as we currently do. My thanks go to those who picked up boxes yesterday and waited patiently as I weighed out their salad mix at the last minute. The coolroom will also be vital for summer crops such as zucchini and cucumber, which need to be harvested every few days as they are ready rather than once a week. This avoids the gargantuan zucchinis which I am sure every home gardener has experienced at some time or another.

So, as we move forward with new equipment on the farm, we do so mindful of reusing precious resources, minimising waste and stepping as lightly as possible on the Earth. A good recipe for life really.

Yours in veg,

Alice

poly tunnel interior Five Serves Produce Richmond NSW CSA farm

Comments (1)

  • Frances Warner on August 10, 2017

    Congrats – what a lot has happened in a week – 350 rhubarb seedlings -wow! Love and green dreams.

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