Richard Reflects on 50 Years in Winsley

Last month, our local parish magazine, The Winsley Weaver, celebrated its 50th anniversary. My father, Richard, was invited to reflect on the changes in the village over the past half-century. For those who missed it, I’m sharing his piece in this week’s journal. So,...

Will it Make the Boat go Faster – Progress Over Perfection in our Business

One of the most common things people say to me when we’re chatting about the business is, "You guys always seem to be trying something new. Where do you get all your ideas?" The truth is, I’m a bit of a fraud. Nearly all of the ideas don’t come from me—they come from...

Finding Mindfulness in Nature

Did you know it’s World Mental Health Day next week? I didn’t either! But I’ve been wanting to write about the power I’ve found in nature to help keep my own mental health in check, so the timing feels perfect. These are just my thoughts and musings that I have slowly...

My Top 3 Quick and Easy One-Pot Recipes for Busy School Nights

That familiar back-to-school feeling is here; we all know how busy school nights can get. Cooking can feel like a chore between after-school activities, homework, and managing the rest of the day’s to-dos. That’s why I thought I'd share three go-to recipes in our...

Smoked Heritage Carrot and Green Bean Salad with Parsley and Caper Dressing

The end of the summer holidays is fast approaching and there’s already a hint of autumnal chill in the air in the mornings. There's no doubt that sentence will now trigger an Indian summer (we can but hope). The upcoming and much anticipated ceremonial passing of...

READ PAST ENTRIES FROM OUR FARM JOURNAL

Cobb Salad

Cobb Salad

This is a bit of an American classic and we thought it would be a great dish to kick off the spring with, all the health benefits of fresh salads and vegetables with a comfortingly rich homemade...

March

March

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb as they say. I can’t help thinking about this as I write this month’s blog just off the back of two bracing storms in Ciara and Dennis. The latter part...

Cock-a-Leekie Pie

Cock-a-Leekie Pie

This recipe is a bit of a play on the traditional Scottish Cock-a-leekie soup. Leeks are right in season in February and this recipe matches them beautifully with the smoked bacon and prunes. If you...

Roast Squash, Lentil & Blue Cheese Salad

Roast Squash, Lentil & Blue Cheese Salad

As the snowdrops start to appear the early signs of spring are here. It's best not to put all your eggs in one basket though and start dreaming of warmer weather yet, for February usually has a...

Delicious Homemade Chutneys for Boxing Day

Delicious Homemade Chutneys for Boxing Day

Christmas Day is all about gifts, spending time with your loved ones, and great food. And, quite often, so is Boxing Day! While we don’t often eat quite as much, everyone’s still picking, and that’s...

October

October

Well, here we are heading towards the end of another year already. This is certainly the business end of the year for us in the farm shop and all of the efforts in planning and preparation over the...

September

September

September at Hartley Farm Darkness has started to set in earlier in the evenings but the trade-off has been some picture-perfect autumn scenes at the beginning and end of the day. The sloes and...

August

August

Last month we bought a new (old) member of the family back to the farm in the shape of our 1953 Fordson Major Tractor. As a special feature, I thought I’d ask my father Richard to write this month’s...

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