Harvest

“You must give to get, You must sow the seed, before you can reap the harvest.”

-Scott Reid

Upcoming Events

Permaculture Design course - deadline to sign up is this Wedneday 15th September

This is the second year of this course, taught by Suzie Cahn and run by Wicklow VEC.  It is for anyone interested in Practical Sustainability, and is given one evening per week over 22 weeks.  Modules include Permaculture design, Permaculture Principles, Intensive Food Gardens, Green Homes, Sustainable Community & Sustainable Land Use.  It was very well-received by last year's participants and the course was fully booked.  If you would like more information or to sign up, the deadline is next Wednesday 15 September; contact Mary Mooty and Wicklow VEC on 0404 32574 / mmooty@wicklowvec.ie

There are more details on the course in the Permaculture Design Course flyer , please post it up or pass on to people  who might be interested.

Organic Food Growing for the Complete beginner - Wed 15 Sep

This one day course taught by Suzie Cahn & Wendy Nairn lets you dip into all the relevant topics in the world of growing your own food: ground prep, compost, planting, pricking out, rotation etc.

It will cover the basics of gardening and is ideal for giving confidence and knowledge for enthusiastic amateurs. It is hands-on and participants will learn by doing, gain basic theory and find out how to get started and what vegetables and culinary herbs are good for beginners to try.  This is the course that was recently mentioned in the Irish Times

Cost €90 including organic lunch & teas/coffees/biscuits.  Please book asap through The Organic Centre

What to do with Harvest - Sat 25 Sep

Coming during the harvest, this day, taught by Suzie Cahn & Wendy Nairn, focuses on what to do with the harvest, storing and processing vegetables and fruit and seed saving. All participants are welcome to stay on after the course ends to join in the harvest celebration (see below).

Cost €90 which includes organic lunch & teas/coffees/biscuits.  Booking through The Organic Centre

Harvest Celebration - Sat 25 Sept from 4-6:30pm

Our second harvest celebration will be held again at the OOOOBY Store in Glenealy from 4-6:30.  This is a family friendly event.  More details to follow.

Beginner's Food Growing from the End of the Season -  Sat 23 Oct

Coming at the end of the season, this new one day course taught by Suzie Cahn, gives you the basics of food growing, and the confidence and knowledge to plan your garden next year.

Topics covered include winter soil care and autumn ground preparation, making and using compost & why it's so important, which vegetables and herbs to plant, how to plant, pricking out, rotation etc.  The style is informal, allowing you to ask questions during the day.

You will gain basic theory, find out how to get started and what vegetables and culinary herbs are good for beginners to try.

The course starts in the glasshouse at the OOOOBY Store in Glenealy at 10am, and later we will carpool up to Carraig Dúlra organic farm.

To help introduce new people to food growing, we are offering this course at a special price of €75 (most of our day-courses are normally €85-95).  This includes a light organic vegetarian lunch.

Contact us for more info or to book. 

GIY (Grow it Yourself) Group - MEETING CANCELED

The GIY meeting schedule for 18 sept has been canceled to allow people to attend the national GIY conference being held the same day.  We would encourage all GIYers (and others!) to come to the Harvest Celebration (see above) and bring your produce to show off!  GIY goes back to its regular meeting on the 3rd Saturday of each month on 16 October.

Food boxes

Thanks for David, Jan and Suzie for supplying the produce that has gone into the recent food boxes.  These are still available every week until there's nothing left to harvest; the cost is €5 for a generous helping of whatever is being harvest each week.  Order by Thursday and collect on Saturday after 10:30am at the OOOOBY.  We have gotten lots of positive feedback about how fresh and tasty the veg is, all of which is grown locally and without chemicals.  Recent food boxes included carrots cukes courgettes kale beetroot runner beans turnip tomatoes onions and cooking apples.

Limited quantity of local pork from organic-fed pigs

The pigs that have been resident at Carraig Dúlra are moving on today; they will continue to be fed organically for the next couple of months until they are killed at a small family-run abbotoire in Camolin.  We're coming to terms with seeing them go and slaughtering them, but are thankful they have lived happily and in the open air at Dúlra. 

If you would like to get meat from these pigs, they will be available to buy as half a pig, butchered.  The cost will be between €200-250 per half pig (approx €6-7 per kg), exact prices will depend on final weight & costs.  Please note that although they have been fed organic feed, they are NOT certified organic as they did not come from organic stock.

Winter planting

Last chance to order your overwintering garlic and onion sets

We also have in stock new organic seeds:

• Winterkeef peas
• Early pickly seed fast grow spinach
• Lambs lettuce
• Rocket
• Land cress
• Green in snow mustard
• Stir fry green
• Cabbage red drumhead
• Turnip
• winter salad mix

These aren't on our web catalogue yet so please contact us to get some.

Private notice

We have 2 extra tickets to Christy Moore, playing at Ballwaltrim Community Hall in Bray on 24 September.  Selling for face value €40.

Thanks & hope to see you on the land soon,

Mike & Suzie Cahn
www.dulra.org - info@dulra.org - 0404 69570