As I am writing this article the heat wave is on its way. Will the heat record of 2019 of 38.7 degrees Celsius be broken this year? The chances are very good as we carrying on pumping CO2 in the atmosphere, chopping off ancient trees for HS2 and don’t really change our life style to […]
Read More A hot summer’s day at Rails FarmThe War on Weeds The last two weeks have demonstrated how much an impact warmer nights and overall higher temperatures have on photosynthesis and therefore the growth rate of vegetation. Unfortunately, the winners are the weeds. Being organic makes it so much more labour intensive to free up the newly planted trees and vegetables to […]
Read More Spring 2022 at Rails FarmOur owl population is struggling, one of the reasons being lack of dry nesting sites. To try and help, we invited Alan Wells from Pitcombe Rock Falconry. They rescue and rehabilitate owls and birds of prey, but they are also on a mission to increase the dwindling numbers of breeding pairs in the wild. As […]
Read More Owls at Rails FarmAfter the dullest December 2021 since 1956 with only 26.6 hours of sunshine and record high temperatures of 14.2 degrees Celsius on New Year’s eve in Yeovil, the Christmas break was a bit of a home bound imprisonment. The log burner was running almost permanently, the wine bottle was opened earlier than usual and chocolates […]
Read More Rails Farm’s new resolutions for 2022Only a month and a bit, when writing this article, and winter knocks at Rails Farm doors. After changing back to winter time, light is rather sparse in the evenings thus one gets inside rather early. I guess that is what we should do, slowing down and taking more rest. However, this year’s COP 26 […]
Read More Thoughts for the winter and the new yearHow quickly the summer passed and autumn arrived, at least from the meteorological point of view. The stars will follow on the 21st September, solstice, when day and night have the same length. What did Rails Farmer achieve? The pond has been finished and the first organisms have moved in. With a few donated plants […]
Read More A chilly September 2021 update from Rails farmNew natural pond What an odd year: first the long cold spell of April, then the rainy and cold May, and now for summer lots of heavy rain fall and a heat wave are predicted. Looking beyond our borders already shows extreme heat in British Columbia, Siberia and Washington State where they measured a 10 […]
Read More Summer at Rails FarmSpring is one of the most beautiful times of the year, and perfect for hedge laying. Everything starts to blossom and new immaculate leaves are sprouting on branches and twigs. This applies not only to trees and bushes but also to hedges. However, observing miles and miles of hedges butchered by brutal machinery along my […]
Read More Hedge-laying versus hedge cuttingWinter is always the time to enhance biodiversity, laying existing and planting new hedges, harvesting willow and poplar cuttings and planting hundreds of new trees. This time the range of trees does not only include fruit specimen, but also: Mischievous Animals Having sheep and alpacas and the odd rabbit and deer, makes planting small […]
Read More Biodiversity at Rails FarmHornets divide opinions. They are big insects, related to wasps, but growing to almost 1.5 inches (3.5cm). (Notice my thumb holding the pint glass) However, hornets are not deemed to be aggressive, and are important pollinators and pest controllers, so are a gardener’s friend. Hornet’s nests only last one season; in autumn the young queens […]
Read More Hornets, our experienceYou can find a list of all our products on the produce page