Feeling a little disillusioned today…

by Kenneth Keavey

You know I discovered something this week, you can be very happy or at least have
a reasonably amount of happiness (whatever that is) doing what you do, but when
you enter financial considerations into the mix, it can change very rapidly.


A lady here at work said to me ‘retail destroys your soul’, and there is a point in that,
it is so hard to compete in the marketplace, especially when it comes to food. If the
truth be told I would be much happier down in an isolated corner of our farm doing
my own thing. That unfortunately will not pay the bills, the fact is farming does not
pay the bills.


This is exactly the truth we seem to have uncovered again this year, after what has
been without doubt the most rewarding growing season of our nearly 20 years of
growing vegetables. Rain when you want it, the best farm team you could hope for,
the best machinery, heat and light when you needed it, the right fertility, it has just
been 85% perfect, we have realised another loss on our farm.
Now let me explain, our farm is like an independent business it needs to be able to


“wash its own face” as it were, and it sells the produce we produce to our retail
business that then sells it on to you, our customers. We pay our farm fairly; it would
certainly be like shooting ourselves in the foot if we didn’t (and then trying to dig our
own parsnips with one foot). We don’t pay silly prices; we keep it in line with what we
would pay to other Irish suppliers. The reality is this though, that even with this
special treatment we lose money.


I am not highlighting this to be a ‘Moaning Michael’ but to outline what I see as a
bigger problem in our industry. We must at least try to compete with supermarkets,
and supermarkets have made it their model to devalue fresh food to entice
customers into their giant stores by making fresh produce dirt (no pun intended)
cheap. Just the other day I saw Irish carrots in a supermarket for 69c.
So how in the name of all that is Holy is this possible, there is an equation hidden in
there, and it goes a little like this. Either the farmer loses or the supermarket loses
and guess what? The supermarket never loses.


So, I have been racking my brains and a solution to our farming loss might look a
little like.
A. We specialise in one or two crops and sell wholesale.
B. We increase our farm prices beyond what the market allows and then end up
with our retail business losing.
C. We stop growing altogether.
D. We continue as we are and subsidise our farm with our retail business.
The only valid solution in my mind is a combination of B and D, it is sad that this is
the state of affairs, shouldn’t sustainable farming be profitable in its own right? We

are not alone, many farms over the years have closed up shop, there are only 60
field scale vegetable growers left in Ireland, we are one of them.
So, we will keep going, and we look to the next year with hope (Farming can have
this strange hold on you, that you always think things are going to be better next
year…).


Thanks for supporting us
Kenneth

PS The irony of all of this is we feel we need to reduce our prices on key staples to
bring better value to you our customers, because we value you and without you our
farm would not survive. Check out specials here.
PPS Your support this Christmas will make all the difference so please support us if
you can. The supermarkets I guarantee won’t miss you, but if you order with us it
will make all the difference, you can order one of our boxes or and get all your
groceries with us too, we have nearly 800 in stock that you can order for Christmas.

Oaty Apple Crumble

by Nessa Robins

A crumble is by far one of the easiest desserts to make, and this recipe is incredibly versatile too, as any fruit of choice can be used as the base. I’m using a wholemeal fine ground flour, but plain flour can be used in its place. While I’m also adding oats to the topping, but finely chopped nuts can be easily substituted. I find a crumble is best enjoyed warm from the oven, with a good serving of hot custard, but ice-cream or softly whipped cream also make for delicious accompaniments. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Oaty Apple Crumble

Ingredients

Crumble

Base

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas 6.
  2. To prepare the crumble, place the flour in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the mixture, followed by the oats, almonds, and sugar. Rub the mixture together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
  3. Place the apple pieces in a large ovenproof dish. Add the orange zest and juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
  4. Sprinkle over the crumble mixture and place the dish on a baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown. Take from the oven, cover with some foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream, softly whipped cream or custard.

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

A serious question, and a great bunch of people…

by Kenneth Keavey


It’s been an interesting week. On Sunday I went with a group of Irish organic farmers to the UK to see a bunch of British organic farmers, it was a great trip some truly lovely people so open and willing to share. The highlight was a visit to Riverford farm and packing facility, an inspiring operation centred on sustainable food and fairness.


The reality of this fair equitable and sustainable approach to business, one we also have embedded in our own farm and operation here in Galway is the struggle to be profitable. Profitability is an essential facet of any business that wants to survive and reinvest.


I spoke to one farmer who farms over 100 acres of potatoes and carrots, he is lucky he is a Riverford supplier and so has protection from the outside forces of supermarket buyers, but even in this relatively protected environment he struggles.


So how if a farmer like that or like our own farm which gets preferential treatment and pricing and is using all the latest equipment and mechanisation but is trying to farm sustainably cannot make ends meet, what chance does a supermarket farmer supplier have?


This is a serious question, and as long as I have been banging on about it here, there is little real progress being made. The fundamental problem is that fresh food is classed as valueless, it is used as loss leader fodder, something that is used as a ploy to get consumers in the door, and once in, the supermarket machine gets us to spend on ultra processed rubbish that has higher margins. It is wrong.
If we want a fair world, a world where we can eat well, a world where veg producers can continue in business, a world where farmers are rewarded for protecting the environment, paying fairly, and growing chemical free food, then we need to vote with our wallets, it is plain and simple I am afraid.


We have been doing all of the above for 20 years, and this may be the first year where we will not have ended the year further in debt. Ironically it looks very much like our farm again this year will not be profitable, or at the very best at a stretch we may break even. This after the very best growing season we have ever had.
The reality is wages have gone up and up, costs of production have gone up and up, delivery, packaging, all the other stuff Whilst veg prices have not. Sure food inflation is absolutely real and yes the supermarket shop has gone up, but not fresh food, no this has remained relatively static, it’s all the other processed products that have increased in price, hence the decimation of the Irish horticultural industry over the last 20 years.


And here is the other bugbear of mine, we from next week will only have Irish apples on sale, from Richard Galvin in County Waterford, we pay much more than imported for these but will support him over imported, the same as we do for Irish onions from Beechlawn organic farm. (See how many Irish onions and apples you see on supermarket shelves).

I went into a supermarket yesterday and all I saw was imported apples on the shelf. The reason: they are cheaper to buy, we know as we import produce also, we know the pricing and how it works. (We will always grow/buy or support Irish over imported when Irish is available)
So, I would like to say the outlook is hopeful, the future is bright, and God knows we need hope and a positive outlook now more than ever with all the issues in the world.


There was a definite sense of positivity on our trip to the UK earlier this week, hopefully the positive energy will keep flowing.


As always thank you for your support, without it we would definitely have gone by the wayside a long time ago.
Kenneth

Chocolate Orange Pumpkin Brownie

by Nessa Robins

These Chocolate Orange Pumpkin Brownies make for the ultimate autumn treat. They are rich, fudgy, and bursting with flavour. Made with wholesome ingredients, they’re gluten-free, vegan, and come together in minutes. This seasonal snack is packed with flavours of deep chocolate, zesty orange, and velvety pumpkin in every bite. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Chocolate Orange Pumpkin Brownie

Ingredients

  • 175g peanut butter
  • 100g pumpkin purée (see below)
  • 100ml maple syrup
  • 50g ground almonds
  • Zest of 1 orange 
  • Juice of ½ orange
  • 25g cacao powder
  • 1tsp baking powder

Topping

  • 50g chocolate, of choice, roughly chopped

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6. Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
  2. Add all the ingredients, apart from approx. 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin purée to a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add to the lined tin. Dot the saved purée on top and using a skewer combine with the chocolate mixture.
  3. Place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  4. When hot from the oven, scatter over the chopped chocolate. Leave to cool fully before cutting. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Pumpkin Purée

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas 6. Cut one small pumpkin into half. Place the pumpkin pieces on a large baking tray, skin side up, and place in the hot oven for about 40 minutes. Take from the oven and once it has cooled a little, scoop out the seeds, peel away all the skin, and any bits that may have charred, and pop the pumpkin pieces in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool before using. The pumpkin purée will keep well for 3 days when covered in the fridge. 

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.

Noodle Soup

by Nessa Robins

This vibrant noodle soup is packed with fresh, nutrient-rich, seasonal vegetables such as mushrooms, courgette, and purple sprouting broccoli, all simmered in a light, flavourful stock. Once all the vegetables are prepared, this dish comes together in minutes, making it the perfect meal for busy weeknights or cosy weekends. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Noodle Soup

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

  • 1tbsp sesame oil
  • 200g mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ½ courgette, diced
  • Pinch chilli flakes
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1lt hot vegetable stock
  • 1tbsp ketjap manis or soy sauce
  • 150g fine egg noodles
  • 150g purple sprouting broccoli
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped

To Serve

  • ½ red chilli, finely diced
  • 1 scallion, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and courgette. Add the chilli flakes and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.  
  2. Stir through the garlic. Add the stock, ketjap manis, noodles and broccoli. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  3. Take from the heat and stir through the scallions. Serve straight away, topped with fresh chilli, scallion, and some sesame seeds. 

Curried Parsnip & Apple Soup

by Nessa Robins

With the weather turning colder and the evenings drawing in, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot, homemade soup. I’m using freshly harvested parsnips from the farm which are sweet, earthy, and at their peak right now. Both parsnips and apples are in season here in Ireland, making this the perfect time to bring them together in a warming, autumnal dish. The gentle heat of curry spices pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of the parsnips and apples, creating a soup that’s both nourishing and full of flavour.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Curried Parsnip & Apple Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 50g butter, dairy or plant-based
  • 275g parsnips, scrubbed and diced
  • 150g onion, diced
  • 1 cooking apple, peeled and diced
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1tbsp curry powder
  • 1lt hot vegetable stock
  • 50ml cream or milk, dairy or plant-based 

To serve

  • Drizzle of cream
  • Fresh chives, finely chopped

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. When it begins to foam add the parsnip, onion, apple, and garlic. Season with a little salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir to combine with the butter.
  2. 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, stir through the curry powder, and add the stock. Turn up the heat a little and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
  4. Add the cream and using a hand blender or a food processor purée the soup until it is smooth. Taste and season, if necessary. 
  5. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with a little drizzle of cream and some finely chopped chives.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

by Nessa Robins

At last week’s farm walk, I set-up a beautiful display in the middle of the farm shop, using the best of fresh produce. Tucked in-between the prepared fruit and vegetables, I included a tray of mini energy balls, and some scrumptious dips. This sun-dried tomato pesto was by far the most requested recipe, and for good reason. It’s rich and flavoursome, and makes for the perfect accompaniment to crudites, but it can also be served with pasta, roasted vegetables, or as a delicious sandwich filler. 

To ensure this dish is as tasty as possible, use a good quality jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Some tend to be quite salty and will ruin the overall taste of the pesto. Also, organic garlic will always taste superior too, so seek it out when you can.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients

Method

  1. Whizz the tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic, and basil for a few seconds in a food processor. 
  2. Add the oil and blitz again.
  3. Add the parmesan, and pulse for a few seconds.
  4. Store in a covered sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.