We spent last Saturday in Monterrey. I was part of a panel on farm mentorship a ECO Farm. It was good to get away from the farm and something we try to do every so often. It helps me think which is sometimes more difficult in the 'thick of things' here on the farm. I love my work but it is intense at times. We deliver boxes 50 weeks a year so there is no real down time of any significance.

Lorraine an I spent some time walking along the beach at Asilomar where the conference was held and then went to the Aquarium.

If you have been reading this blog for the past year you will have noticed that I have been talking about 'going pastoral'. Meaning that we will use pasture and the chickens to rest and fertilize the fields ready for the next crop of vegetables. The epiphany, if you could call it that, over the weekend was that if I spent time growing a really good pasture with lots of diversity then the chickens would always have fresh pasture and their yolks would always be bright orange. Furthermore the vegetables that would grow on the accumulated fertility would need little help from me as their fertility needs would be met and weeds would be diminished by the pasture also. In a nutshell, get the pasture right and everything else falls into place.

I thought I was a vegetable farmers, little did I know.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings... Nigel    organic@eatwell.com