May in Full Force
May has arrived with full force at the farm, and suddenly everything feels like it’s happening all at once. The tunnels are filling, irrigation is running almost 24/7, and despite conditions feeling more like August (so dry!) than spring, the crops are responding beautifully.
Last week we welcomed a fascinating visitor from Dejex – one of our key farming supplies providers – who spent the day with us diving deep into pest, disease and fertility management. We walked the fields scouting crops, discussing integrated pest management strategies, fertility balancing and biological controls, from parasitic wasps to aphid prevention. It was wonderfully nerdy, hugely inspiring and exactly the kind of knowledge sharing that helps us scale up as the season gathers pace.
The first strawberries are now only a couple of weeks away and courgettes are close behind, followed by cucumbers and then tomatoes as we move properly into summer production. Across the farm, spring produce is at its absolute peak. Flourish Salad is tasting especially vibrant right now – heirloom lettuces, rocket, spinach and wasabina bringing freshness and bite to the mix. Heirloom lettuce heads are also in full swing – find a mouthwatering selection in the Farm Shop right now.
This month, fellow organic growers at Riverford launched a campaign calling for the UK government to ban the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant – a practice where crops are sprayed shortly before harvest to dry them down more quickly and evenly. The method was banned in the EU in 2023, but is still permitted in the UK.
As an organic farm, this is something we care deeply about. Organic growing works without synthetic herbicides like glyphosate, relying instead on healthy soils, biodiversity, crop rotations and ecological growing systems to manage weeds and fertility naturally. While we know many conventional growers are working within difficult economic pressures, we also believe farming systems should protect soil health, waterways, wildlife and long-term human health wherever possible.
Riverford’s campaign highlights growing concerns around glyphosate residues in food, alongside wider environmental impacts on biodiversity and soil ecosystems. If you’d like to support the campaign and learn more, you can read more and sign the petition here.
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