August was dry, hot, and book-ended by music. The month kicked off with a magical and intimate performance by Tom Bright and wrapped with a raucous open mic session that saw the courtyard invaded by musicians from across the capital. The use of a smaller portable amp meant that we could hear the music from the bar, which we normally can’t do when performers are tucked into the corner on the current stage. The infectious energy and enthusiasm of Stix and Rowan (and perhaps a tequila laced cocktail) inspired me to follow the farm band to Signature Brewery over in Tottenham on the final Sunday of the month too.
A short set of four original songs by “Into the Vale” was well received by the metal community and we got to jump around to “Fury” before gobbling delicious Turkish food and debating the place of religion in healthy modern societies as we were ferried back across London in an uber.
There has been much less conservation work on Horsenden this month with plants, trees and all wildlife struggling to simply survive the drought. Our gardening teams have been spending all their time watering, and are quite keen to get on with planning and planting and weeding instead. Please note that despite a little bit of rain, there still is a risk of fires in Horsenden fields so it is important to continue to remove all litter and not to light any fires or BBQs on the hill.
Work has continued on three of our ponds, with the aim of improving them as wildlife habitats. Two ponds currently have open access and you can see that a fair quantity of scrub and overhanging branches have been cut down and removed. This is to open the canopy and allow in light. A healthy pond should only have 30-40% of shade. The third pond was completely full of bullrushes. Most of them, including the roots, have been removed. Open water is essential for healthy pond life, especially newts.
Come autumn there will be more changes to the first two ponds and access will be restricted. We know that dogs (and humans) are always drawn to water but as we are establishing wildlife ponds for smaller and more vulnerable creatures, we do need to make sure that these spaces are as undisturbed as possible…
One of our lovely volunteers had an enjoyable afternoon on a mini digger filling in a rather large and less successful pond next to the hoarding around the house, leveling a space for potential chicken housing. This is a plan still in development because we have experienced repeated heartbreak as foxes have taken geese, ducks, and several flocks of chickens from the farm. A new chicken run would need to be quite like a chicken Fort Knox before anybody was happy to home new hens on site. The area could also house a fresh set of Hügelkultur beds for even more lovely produce to stock the farm shop next year so debates are ongoing to decide what to do with this new area.
Early in the month we were excited to be joined by some of the Trailfinders Men’s professional rugby team who came along to volunteer for the day. They spent the session mending the holes in the farm’s event gazebo’s, of which there were many, helping us to get ready for Apple Day. Apparently this was thirsty work and they also requested that the brewery bar be opened so that they could celebrate their patchwork! The team have also donated a signed shirt and a family ticket for a game for our Apple Day raffle – so if you’re a rugby fan make sure you come along and get your ticket.
August has been an incredibly challenging month for the market garden team. The prolonged heat and drought have put enormous pressure on the farm. And yet, despite everything, the market garden has continued to produce a fantastic range of vegetables, while the flower beds have somehow kept bursting with colour throughout the month. In fact the team have been experiencing their best cucumber harvest ever!
This is largely thanks to the extraordinary dedication of our volunteers. Through some very hot, dry weeks, the team has relentlessly watered, weeded, harvested and tended the growing areas, often putting in extra time to keep everything alive. It has been a huge collective effort.
Of course, adapting to increasingly extreme weather doesn’t stop here. We are now in an El Niño year, which increases the likelihood of wetter and stormier conditions in the UK during late autumn and early winter, while 2027 is currently forecast to have a very high chance of becoming the hottest year on record globally.
So, somewhat ironically after a summer spent desperately trying to find enough water, one of our big priorities this winter will be capturing as much rain as we can. We’ll be looking at ways to improve our rainwater harvesting, storage and irrigation systems so that winter rainfall can be put to good use during the increasingly hot and dry periods we are experiencing through the growing season. You’ll be able to learn more about how we do this at some walk & talk sessions at Apple Day on 12th September.
In the meantime, the cucumbers just keep coming, along with aubergines, tomatoes, courgettes, and french beans that have also been prolific. The team have been sowing more seeds to continue the harvest into Autumn, with chard, beetroot, spring onions, radishes, kale and winter lettuce all coming along nicely. September will bring harvests of winter squash and celeriac, which are just delicious in stews and soups but one of my favourite ways to enjoy both vegetables is sautéed and stirred through pasta.
A huge thank you to everyone who has helped keep Horsenden growing this summer.
Wednesday volunteer sessions are increasingly popular because of the delicious lunches that are provided to fortify the working groups. For a few pound coins, you can be presented with a large baked potato with assorted toppings, a superb soup or stew, often including freshly foraged ingredients, or even a lasagne or pie! There are often puddings and always plenty of tea to go around. The food preparation is also a volunteer activity, which goes to show the diversity of ways in which people can get involved and help to make Horsenden the great community asset that we all love and enjoy being part of.
Milly Mills ran a workshop introducing people to the art of printing using recycled Tetra Paks. The focus of this beginners session was on learning how to create your own illustrations, getting the best from a printing plate and a good result with the ink. Most of the items used during the workshop were things participants would likely have at home, to ensure that it would be easy to continue. Both the morning and afternoon sessions were completely full and everyone enjoyed creating their own beautiful prints. There will be more workshops to explore printmaking with Milly in November when it will be time to print Christmas cards! Dates will be coming soon.
You may have noticed that the brewery also has some smart new artwork. Our new branding now features the contours of the hill, tying us even closer to the geographical place where we make our beer. Owen Gildersleeve is the artist who created the original papercuts, and he will be visiting the farm to showcase the physical artwork and talk about the design process on Saturday September 5th. There may well be some new merch available for purchase, and there certainly will be some beer to drink (and take home). There will also be a walk and talk around the hill to explore the contours that Owen has been working with. Find out more.
Coming up in September…
- There will be a Horsenden stall at the Boston Manor Farmers Market on Saturday 05 September. Do come along and say hello.
- Apple Day on 12th September, 11am to 5pm is set to be huge this year, with a wide variety of craft stalls, family activities, music, morris dancing and more. Check out the programme for more info.
- If you haven’t visited the farm shop yet this season, we’d still love to see you up at the farm on a Saturday morning, 10.00 – 12.30, to enjoy the very best of what’s growing at Horsenden. Let’s redistribute some of those cucumbers!
- Horsenden Loaf opening hours: Fridays 11-2, Saturday/Sundays 10-6 with pizza available between 12 and 6pm. (except for Saturday September 26th when there is a private function at the farm).
- Horsenden Farm Flowers will be available for purchase on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from the flower shack next to the Loaf’s counter.
- Perivale Brewery opening hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12-7pm. (except for Saturday September 26th when there is a private function at the farm).
- The Cut From the Hill event with Owen Gildersleeve is on September 5th, Disco is hosting his Extraordinary Quiz on Sunday 13th September from 2pm, there will be a Games Night with Kirk on Friday September 18th, the Acoustic Jam will be Saturday 19th September, and we will conclude the month with the usual Open Mic Sessions on Sunday 27th September.
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