Maybe we are not as smart as we think we are…

by Kenneth Keavey

Honestly my grandad walked these fields, he farmed here with two farm horses one called Snowball, and he did not use chemicals. The idea struck me just before Christmas that we are the only species on the planet that will actively go out and cover our food with toxic chemicals to stop other living creatures from eating it and then eat it ourselves. That is an amazing forward jump for civilisation, don’t you think?

Using chemicals to ward off disease is as old as organised agriculture, and up until recently bluestone and washing soda, that is Cupper Sulphate and washing soda was used to help prevent blight on potatoes here in Ireland. This is now restricted under organic rules. My Grandad may have used it in the 1950s, and had it been available in the mid-1800s it may have saved millions of people from starvation during the great potato famine, using it would have been the right thing to do.

The key difference today is the scale, the toxicity and the ubiquity of pesticide use. Yes, the EU have been restricting the use of certain pesticides, but it very much looks like their ambition to clean up chemicals in our food will be put on hold for now.

There is also the argument that the dose makes the poison and for something like copper of course if you consume too much of it is toxic, in fact it is more toxic than Glyphosate, this may seem surprising.

But here are two key differences.

1. The use of Glyphosate worldwide is estimated to be 800,000 tonnes annually. For Copper sulphate reliable date does not exist but use is probably around the 10,000-50,000 tonnes mark. (note it is now severely restricted under EU organic standards). Glyphosate is everywhere.

2. Glyphosate is systemic, Cupper is not. Glyphosate gets into the plant and stays there; Copper sits as a barrier on the outside and is easily washed off.

Things are never as black and white as we may want them to be, the famine and the use of copper to protect the potato crop is a good example, if the option was there at the time it would have been the right thing to do to use it.

But today there are clear alternatives to chemical use in vegetable production. For weeding, mechanical and flame weeding are clear chemical free ways to control weeds. Using crops that are more disease resistant is a no brainer, and new varieties are constantly being bred (not GMO, but using natural techniques), take the potato “Connect” which has exceptional blight resistance and tastes great (the earlier Sarpo varieties had great blight resistance, but nobody wanted to eat them!).

For pests, well some crops will succumb that is the nature of nature!

We are often asked how we deal with slugs on our farm, and whilst at times we do use an organic approved slug pellet it is rare and we have virtually no problems. The ecosystem on our farm may be in balance and provides natural protection, as with any balanced system it just works.

So as always without your support we would not be able to continue to fight the good fight, so thank you for standing by us, and Happy New Year.

Kenneth

Chemicals in OUR kale, no chance…and a chemical free Christmas

by Kenneth Keavey

So, we had our usual annual organic farm inspection again this year, and our produce was once again spot-checked. A sample of our kale was taken away and tested for…., now I must preface this with even I was shocked this time.

The last time our produce was tested it was tested for 870 chemicals. This time it was tested for 1200 different chemicals.

Now to be fair, some of these chemicals are banned in the EU, some are banned in the EU and are still used in other parts of the world and are still found on conventional imported food, many that are banned in the EU are still used in the US.

Whatever way you look at it, it is a lot of chemicals.

In total the most recent estimate puts the sales of these toxic chemicals at between 60-€80 billion per annum.

All of this brings me back to the idea, that we as organic farmers and producers must prove our chemical free nature! We must demonstrate that we are following the rules, that we are complying with the organic regulations, that we are not using synthetic pesticides, not using artificial fertilisers, amongst other things. This in our current food environment is fair as it protects us the consumer, and certified organic produce is a crucial way to ensure these chemicals are kept out of our food chain and for us as consumers to know we are getting chemical free food.

But, what if the shoe was on the other foot so to speak, what if we still demonstrated that we were pesticide free, but conventional produce had to list all the chemicals used in its production.

If you go into any supermarket now and check any pack of oranges, or grapefruit, lemons or limes, in fact any citrus fruit you will see the list of chemicals that have been coated onto the skin of the produce. It is clear for everybody who looks to see, one of the most common chemicals applied is one called “Imazalil” this is a probable human carcinogen, and it is applied to nearly every single piece of conventional citrus fruit you will find in a supermarket that is not certified organic.

Now this is not to cause alarm, and there is a justified argument that these compounds reduce food waste by preventing food from rotting. But here is the thing, is it worth it? Would you choose it?

Now at least in the case of citrus fruit it is clear, it is labelled and there to see, but what if all those other pesticides, we have been tested for 1200 different chemicals, what if all of the compounds that were used in the growing of our food was labelled, what then?

It may cause us to at least stop and think, and maybe consider the implications for our health and the health of the planet.

As always thank you for your support, without which we would not be here.

Kenneth

PS As Christmas draws closer, we have had challenges this week getting parsnips harvested as it has been so wet, planning our harvest and harvest from other Irish organic farms can be tricky at this time of year. If you can get your order in now it helps us plan and understand how much produce we will need, remember the deadline for Christmas is less than 2 weeks away now, and we have a finite number of products and produce, so please if you can support us this Christmas, even if you get one or two extra organic groceries from us as well as your fresh produce, it will make a huge difference, the supermarkets wont miss you but we will. Support us to help support you in making it a chemical free Christmas. The little red hat on our products indicates which products you can order for Christmas

Celeriac & Sage Soup with Ciabatta Croutons

by Nessa Robins

Delicious and comforting, this celeriac soup with golden ciabatta croutons is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day. The subtle sweetness of the celeriac pairs perfectly with the crunchy croutons. The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, but the croutons are best enjoyed soon after cooking.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Celeriac & Sage Soup with Ciabatta Croutons

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 600g celeriac, peeled and diced
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Handful of sage, about 10 leaves, chopped
  • 750ml vegetable stock
  • 75ml milk
  • 75ml cream, plus 50ml extra for serving

Croutons

To serve

  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 10 sage leaves

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. When it begins to foam add the celeriac and onion stir to combine with the butter.
  2. Sprinkle with a little salt, a few grinds of pepper. Place a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper over the vegetables, to help them sweat. Cover with the lid of the saucepan. Sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes, making sure the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
  3. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured, and the chopped sage and stock, and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
  4. While the soup is simmering, make the croutons by heating the olive oil on a large pan, when hot add the diced ciabatta and fry each side until golden. Remove and leave to cool.
  5. Using a hand blender or a food processor purée the soup until it is smooth. Taste and season, if necessary. Pour in the milk and cream and stir well to combine.
  6. Add a teaspoon of oil to a small frying pan. Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry gently on each side for a few seconds. Place the leaves on some kitchen paper, to drain off the excess oil.
  7. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish each with two sage leaves, a little drizzle of cream, and a few golden croutons. 

Maple Glazed Root Veg

by Nessa Robins

Irish root vegetables are now in an abundance and there are so many ways to cook and enjoy these nutrient-rich vegetables. Carrots, parsnips, and beetroot bring a unique texture and depth of flavour when roasted. This Maple Glazed Root Vegetable recipe brings out their natural goodness with a touch of maple syrup and butter, making them caramelized and golden. They pair perfectly alongside any meal from a midweek dinner to a Sunday roast.

Enjoy!

Nessa x 

Maple Glazed Root Veg

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3-4 raw beetroots, peeled and quartered
  • 3 carrots, peeled and quarters lengthways
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and quarters lengthways
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4tbsp maple syrup
  • 50g butter
  • To serve – fresh thyme

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas mark 4.
  2. Place the prepared vegetable on a large baking tray. Add the thyme and rosemary. Drizzle over the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
  3. Roast for 30 minutes, taking from the oven a couple of times during cooking to give everything a stir.
  4. Add the maple syrup and butter, and stir well to coat all the vegetables. Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Serve hot from the oven with a sprinkling of fresh thyme. 

I know I bang on about this a lot but…

by Kenneth Keavey

I know I bang on about Glyphosate a lot, in fact I get a bit tired of talking about it. But it just keeps raising its ugly head everywhere I look, and I mean that quite literally.

Thankfully after a year of not being out cycling I am back cycling again, and I see a lot of the local countryside. I don’t know if it is in the budget or something, like the local councils using up their financial budgets before the end of the year, so it is not cut for the next year, of if there are just loads of half empty Roundup cans lying around the place and people feel they need to use them, but there seems to be a proliferation in the use of Roundup on the side of the roads here in Galway. Is it the same where you are? Is this an Irish tradition (one we need to drop may I add) or does it happen in your country too?

Anyway, recently on a relatively long cycle I came across a patch of roadway, up until this point I was really enjoying the countryside, the boreen I was on was beautiful, wild green and just all round lovely, but then all of a sudden, bang, everything was dead, everything. Iridescent horrible yellow, dead grass, trees, bushes, flowers all dead or dying and this wasn’t just a patch in a gate this was I would reckon a good kilometre of roadway maybe more on both sides. It was nothing short of devastating.

So, I ask you why in the name of God, would you do this? I could maybe half understand the logic of trying to increase visibility around a dangerous bend (but surely strimming would be a much more effective method, certainly would be much more environmentally sustainable, and you are much less likely to get cancer) but why on a straight road? Why?

There is no reason on the planet that I can think of to do this, it is just something I cannot get my head round. This is public property so what right does anybody have to go out and spread a probable carcinogenic chemical on our land?

Glyphosate is toxic to land, it is still being pushed by its manufacturers (it is worth billions), it is still being used as standard in tillage and non-organic horticulture, it clears the land prior to planting. This is not ok.

Did you know up until 2023 this systemic (this means it gets absorbed into the plant and stays in the plant) probable carcinogen was sprayed on wheat prior to harvest, prior to milling wheat into flour, prior to using flour in our bread. Thankfully this desiccation of wheat crops has been banned by the EU, thank the EU for that one. This practice is still commonplace in the UK, thank Brexit for that one.

Roundup or Glyphosate is sprayed on Soya, in fact 82% of the worlds soya crop is GMO, and get this, and this is mind blowing, it is genetically engineered to be more resistant to roundup, so more and more glyphosate is sprayed on soya, and guess where all this soya ends up, and no the answer is not vegans!

No, it ends up as animal feed mainly to feed cows, and Irish cows are not immune to munching on GMO, glyphosate drenched soya pellets either. Unbelievably all the packs of nuts for cow’s state if the product is GMO or not, as they say it pays to always read the label, it’s a pity the cows can’t read I guess.

Anyway, on that note if it wasn’t getting too dark (the evening not the blog that is) I would be off for another cycle, but maybe it would be better in the dark, and I wouldn’t see any of those Roundup destroyed verges, and my mind could find peace! 😊

As always thank you supporting our organic family farm and others like us.

Kenneth

Squash & Leek Pie

by Nessa Robins

This squash and leek pie, packed with in-season Irish vegetables, would make for an indulgent yet wholesome midweek meal. I’ve used butternut squash in this recipe, but any squash of choice can be used, even a little pumpkin, if you have one intact from your Halloween celebrations. The pie is topped with a pastry cap, but creamy mash would work equally well in its place. Serve with steamed greens, this is a delicious meal to try this week.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Squash & Leek Pie

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • ½ roll puff pastry
  • 1 small or ½ large butternut squash, peeled & diced
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 5/6 sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 250ml vegetable stock, hot
  • 75ml cream
  • Egg wash/water

Method

  1. Take the puff pastry from the fridge about 30 minutes before using.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6.
  3. Place the diced squash on a large baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil. Toss to combine. Place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  4. While the squash is cooking, add the butter to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once melted add the leek. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and turn down the heat to low. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
  5. Stir through the sage and garlic and add the cooked squash to the pan. Add the stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Stir through the cream, simmer for a couple of minutes, before adding the mixture to a small-medium sized casserole dish.
  7. Cut the puff pastry to match the top of the casserole dish. Pinch the sides to press the pastry into place and make a small hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape while cooking. Brush with either a little egg wash or water. 
  8. Place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. 
  9. Serve hot with some steamed broccoli.

farm washing … Not again!

by Kenneth Keavey

I was at Food on the Edge here in Galway this week. This is a food festival that champions transparency of our food system, and the fight to put good food on people’s plates, from fine restaurants to farms across the country. There was such positivity and a genuine feeling of solidarity.

It was clear that there are many people doing great work to put real food right at the heart of our small country. But the backdrop was less rosy, working in the food industry is tough, plain and simple, whether you are producing, growing or cooking food there are many challenges.

Why is this the case? Why is it that when it comes to food, good local sustainable food that we mostly look for the very cheapest option. There are many reasons for this I guess, but the cheapest is best, a food culture that the supermarkets have carefully curated is a race to the bottom where nobody is a winner. We recognise the need to provide value, but how do you define value, is good wholesome fresh organic food, grown without chemicals where people are paid fairly and nobody is exploited, does that represent value?

There is no denying that value is embedded in the price we pay, and we are no exception and are not exempt from the unrelenting pressure of supermarkets. To give you our customers more value we have reduced prices on some of our fresh lines. But it is impossible to compete with the large supermarkets, they are the gatekeepers and control our food system. In the race to the bottom here are two examples that highlight what is happening: Supervalu just this week are selling organic leeks all the way from Poland.

This is shocking, I know for sure that there is at least one large organic leek grower that they are not stocking, why is that do you think? We know it is more expensive to buy Irish apples, or to grow Irish leeks, we could easily stop growing leeks and just import, or buy imported apples over Irish, but we don’t! Surely it is a great thing to support locally grown sustainable food, it is our business model.

What do you think of supermarkets who create FAKE or PHANTOM farms as a marketing tactic to make us believe they are doing the right thing, greenwashing, or farmwashing spring to mind. Next time you are in Aldi, have a look at the “Egans” brand, what does it suggest, well very clearly it suggests a family farm called “Egans” but “Egans” as a farm does not exist, it is a misleading brand. What are your thoughts on this?

This supermarket culture, and price wars have brought us to a place where fresh food is continuously discounted and used as loss leading fodder. We could certainly be forgiven for thinking that fresh food is worthless, this is extremely disheartening as any grower will tell you.

Of course, this is a race to the bottom which has put the very future of the Irish horticultural industry in jeopardy. Our farm and business model is built on sourcing and growing chemical free sustainable food, we will always support other Irish organic farms and continue to grow local Irish food on our own farm.

Only through your support is this possible,

Thank you.

Kenneth

Protein-Rich Veggie-Loaded Pizza

by Nessa Robins

This delicious pizza is packed full of flavour and nutrients. The base is simply some self raising flour with yogurt and a little salt, which comes together with ease, and pairs so perfectly with the veggie-loaded topping. I’m using mushrooms, pepper, and courgette, but any soft vegetables could be used in their place. 

These pizzas are best enjoyed straight from the oven but can be saved in an airtight container in the fridge to enjoy the next day, either cold or heated through.

Enjoy!

Nessa x 

Protein-Rich Veggie-Loaded Pizza

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 150g mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 1 pepper, deseeded and diced
  • 1 courgette, diced
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 350g self raising flour, sieved
  • ½ tsp salt 
  • 350ml full fat Greek yogurt
  • 4tbsp pizza sauce or passata
  • 1 ball Mozzarella

To serve

  • Hot honey
  • Basil leaves 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.
  2. To a medium-sized ovenproof dish, add the mushrooms, pepper and courgette. Drizzle over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt and add the yogurt. With your hand or a fork, bring the mixture together to form a ball of dough. Cut into two halves.
  4. Transfer to a floured board and roll each ball out to make the pizza bases.
  5. Gently make a border for each pizza by gently folding the edges over. Divide the pizza sauce between the two pizzas. Top with the roasted vegetables and dot over the mozzarella. 
  6. Place in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until it is cooked through, golden and bubbling. 
  7. Serve straightaway with a drizzle of honey and a scattering of basil leaves. 

Fake Farms, what do you think…

by Kenneth Keavey

What do “Egan’s” and “Farrell’s” have in common?

They are all brand names used on supermarket packed own label fruit and veg. They give you the impression that they are family farms, BUT THEY ARE NOT.  They are marketing mechanisms, to make us feel warm and happy that we are supporting these assumed lovely family farms.

We are working hard on our Real farm to get the autumn harvest out and the conditions are favourable; this is the same in the remaining Irish vegetable farms up and down the country the likes of Beechlawn Organic farm, or McCormacks Family farm, or Philip Dreaper’s farm in Offaly where we get our Irish carrots, or Richard Galvin in Clashganny organic farm who supplies our organic Irish apples, and many, many more.

These family names used in some supermarkets give the impression there is a real farm with a family name behind the carrots, or tomatoes on their shelf. I recently went to check this out in a large Retailer.

In their fruit and veg section I was convinced that “Farrell’s” which was labelled on much of their Irish produce was a family farm and this family were producing a wealth of produce. At least at first glance that was my impression. I’m in the veg growing business I am a grower and understand a little of how these things work and I was taken in by the misleading advertising.

As I looked a little closer it seemed that my original assumption was not at all correct. “Farrell’s” is not a real farm; it is a marketing tool created by the supermarket to give the consumer that warm homely glow of things being done right.

Does it matter?

Well, I think it does, firstly, this is misleading, you are led to believe the produce is coming from “Farrell’s”, and it is not.  

The second interesting point that is worth considering is that this brand allows supermarkets or more frequently large pack houses and distribution centres, to take in produce from multiple farms and blend it into packs, so the carrots may be coming from multiple suppliers and you or I will never know.  This practice is now frequently called “blending”.

This is very helpful for large retailers as it gives it them the balance of power when it comes to price negotiation, and the ultimate flexibility to choose whose carrots or apples to put into their bag.

When the grower is hidden, he has less power to negotiate a fair price and as with all own branded products on supermarket shelves they are cheaper. It is this pricing structure that has done the damage to growers all over Ireland over the last twenty years.

As always with your support our real Farm continues to grow and our support for other REAL growers can be fair and transparent.

Thank you.

Kenneth

PS Thank you to everybody who donated to our Gaza appeal during the week, I am waiting on final confirmation but the total donated is looking like it was €2380, so thank you so much to everybody, we will be topping this up with the 50% of €1190 making the total donation we will make to the UNICEF Gaza appeal €3570. We will confirm this early next week and be making the donation straight away.

Caramel Apple Galette 

by Nessa Robins

If you are looking to treat yourself or loved ones to a delicious, autumnal, easy-to-make bake, this Caramel Apple Galette is the dessert for you. The star ingredient is our in-season Irish apple, and few other ingredients are needed to make this impressive dish. 

This galette is best served straight from the oven with a good dollop of ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel.

Enjoy!

Nessa 

Caramel Apple Galette 

Serves 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 roll puff pastry
  • 2 large or 4 small eating apples, thinly sliced 
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1tsp cinnamon 
  • Squeeze lemon
  • 75g butter
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1tsp cinnamon

To serve

  • Icing sugar
  • 2tbsp caramel sauce
  • Ice cream

Method

  1. Take the puff pastry from the fridge 30 minutes before using.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
  3. To a large bowl, add the apple slices, caster sugar and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and cinnamon.
  5. Unroll the pastry onto the tray. Spread an even layer of the butter mixture, leaving a border around the butter mixture. Top with an even layer of the apple slices. Bring the edges of the dough up and overlap a little over the filling to create a border. 
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 
  7. When hot from the oven, dust with icing sugar and drizzle over the caramel sauce.