Spring is on the Way!

We’re now into mid February, not sure where this year has gone so far, but it has been slightly challenging from a vegetable point of view.

However, we’re delighted that the various kales which we grow are holding up well, amazing considereing how little rain they had when they were planted. Unfortunately the majority of our cauliflower crop was wiped out by the frosts, but the sprouts are still going strong.

Roots have produced well, except for the parsnips unfortunately, but the swedes, carrots and celeriac all taste great

Planting is now in full swing, both direct sowing of seeds outside, spinach, chard, beetroot and mixed salad and individual seeds in modules too. The leeks and onions are doing very well and we’ve also got tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and spring cabbage and calabrese looking good.

Don’t forget that we’re open every Friday morning until noon at the farm gate where you can purchase our freshly-harvested vegetables.

Christmas Details

We’ll be open on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd December for farm gate sales and collection of orders. Saturday 24th is collection only.

Please see our ordering page for vegetable availability noting that spinach/chard have been significantly afected by the recent cold weather.

Wishing all our customers, past, present and future a very Happy Christmas and Healthy New Year from the team at Bothen Hill

Newsletter 17th November 2022

Vegetables  for the coming weeks

  • Beetroot
  • Cabbage – green and Red
  • Carrots
  • Celeriac
  • Chard
  • Kale – Curly green and Red Russian
  • Leeks
  • Nero
  • Onions – red and white
  • Parsley
  • Parsnips
  • Potatoes – red, white and salad
  • Purple Sprouting Broccoli
  • Salad Bags
  • Spinach
  • Sprouts
  • Squash
  • Swede

That’s our plan – but some items may change to bring you what’s best on the day.

Don’t forget our own chickens’ eggs, apple juice and honey …and so much more!

What’s new

Sprouts

Available this week and ongoing until Christmas, at least!

Sausages

We have been asked for gluten- free ones, if you would some please let us know ASAP and if we have enough orders we will include a batch on 2nd December

Logs

Our own seasoned logs in bags £ 5, order in advance for collection on Fridays

COMING SOON

Squash – Crown Prince

Presently maturing, will be available later in the year

Pork and Sausages

Available 2nd December and immediately before Christmas, please order early to avoid disappointment

Thank you for all the feedback on the new-style Newsletter. We’ve had lots of positive comments so hopefully we’re doing it right!

The showers and warmer than usual weather are continuing – we’ve already seen both broad beans and sugar snap peas emerging which is really quick and the garlic is looking strong and tall.

During the showers we’ve finished sowing both red and white onions – the cabbage and tenderstem has germinated well and we’ll be sowing a tray of each of these regularly during the winter to ensure succession next year.

In the tunnels we’ve continued clearance, which takes much longer than we think. There’s plenty of salad growing there to carry us through the winter.

Christmas orders are coming in, please do remember to place yours as soon as possible to ensure you get what you want, and it helps us as well.

We’ll be having more pork and sausages on 2nd December – please order early to avoid disappointment.

Thank you for your support. Team Bothen Hill

Newsletter 10th November 22

Your weekly guide to what’s growing.

  • Order your box for collection
  • Visit us on Friday mornings, open until noon
  • You will also find our veg at Modbury Farm Burton Bradstock and Fruits of the Earth in Bridport
  • We are now taking Christmas orders for vegetable boxes, cakes,chocolate logs and mincemeat

Vegetables  for the coming weeks

  • Beetroot
  • Cabbage – green and Red
  • Carrots
  • Celeriac
  • Chard
  • Kale – Curly green and Red Russian
  • Leeks
  • Nero
  • Onions – red and white
  • Parsley
  • Parsnips
  • Potatoes – red, white and salad
  • Purple Sprouting Broccoli
  • Salad Bags
  • Spinach
  • Sprouts
  • Squash
  • Swede

That’s our plan – but some items may change to bring you what’s best on the day. Don’t forget our own chickens’ eggs, apple juice and honey …and so much more!

What’s new

Parsnips and Swede

Traditional tasty Winter root vegetables now available to see us through until the Spring!

Squash

Uki Kuri and Butternut to start with, limited harvest this year so get them whilst you can

Logs

Our own seasoned logs in bags £ 5, order in advance for collection on Fridays

COMING SOON

Squash – Crown Prince

Presently maturing, will be available later in the year

Pork and Sausages

Available 2nd December and immediately before Christmas, please order early to avoid disappointment

It’s definitely been a week for dodging the showers to try and stay dry; however still relatively warm for the time of year.

Out in the fields, Chip has managed to work up some ground which isn’t too wet and Steph and Tanya have sown both broad beans and sugar snap peas to over winter. Chip’s drilled some carrots outside and is planning on drilling some in the tunnels if we have sufficient room.

In the tunnel we’ve started on sowing onion seeds, both red and white into modules; whilst it’s early it will give them a good start when they are planted out next year. In addition we’ve sown both tenderstem and cabbage which have both germinated well. In due course these will be planted out in the tunnels so that we have an early crop of both.

We’ll be having more pork and sausages on 2nd December – please order early to avoid disappointment.

Thank you for your support. Team Bothen Hill

Final Week of Asparagus Picking

We’re now entering the final week of asparagus picking. The local shops, Modbury Farm Shop, Fruits of the Earth, Washingpool and Fruit N 2 Veg in Beaminster will all receive their final box this week, if they’ve not already. We’ll still have asparagus available at the Farm Gate on Friday 10th June, but that will be the end for this year.

However, the new season’s vegetables are coming apace, so do come along on Friday to sample:-

Broad Beans – young, tender and juicy

Sugar snap peas – delicious either cooked or raw in salads

New potatoes – Rocket – amazing taste

Hispi cabbage – great either cooked or in salad

Lettuce – green little gem, crisp and crunchy

Carrots – bunched full of flavour

Tender Stem Broccoli – tender and delicious

Calabrese – full of flavour

French Beans – straight from the tunnel and very flavoursome

Courgettes – tunnel grown and delicious

Rhubarb – great in crumble or jam

Asparagus Update 30 May 22

The recent weather has made asparagus picking, and predictions, rather difficult. Whilst a week ago we thought that we’d finished picking, last week’s warmer weather has woken the crowns up again and supplies have increased. Currently we’re still supplying our wholesale outlets as and when we have availability and are trying to ensure that they have sufficient to meet demand.

The Asparagus Station here at the farm is still stocked and we’ll have plenty available on Friday morning (3 June) when we will be open as usual until noon.

As things stand we won’t be at Bridport Market on Saturdays now as we don’t have sufficient stocks.

Where to buy our Asparagus in West Dorset

We’re now picking asparagus on a daily basis, weather permitting, so can finally supply local shops. We also have our asparagus station open here at the farm 24/7 with an honesty box if you can’t make it to the shops.

You can find Bothen Hill asparagus at Modbury Farm Shop Burton Bradstock, Fruit & 2 Veg in Beaminster, Washingpool Farm Shop and Fruits of the Earth in Bridport . Additionally, we’re at Bridport Market, courtesy of Bridport Town Council, junction of East and West Street on Saturday mornings from 8.30 until we sell out (normally just before lunch). If you’d like to treat yourself, or someone else, to something special check out https://furleighestate.co.uk/collection/all-wines/ and indulge in their award winning Bacchus and our award winning asparagus package.

Asparagus is here!

We’re pleased to announce that we’re now picking asparagus and it’s available direct from the farm at the Asparagus Station outside the house (DT6 4ED) 24/7.

Enjoy an easter walk onto Bothen Hill and drop by for your Easter treat of asparagus on the way up or down.

Update on Vegetable Availability

Hungry Gap is upon us! The blackthorn is well out, signifying the Blackthorn Winter. Last year’s root vetetables are rapidly running out, the brassicas are going to seed following the warm spell a couple of weeks ago and whilst new season’s vegetables are doing well, it’s early days yet!

Recent frosts, which were somewhat unexpected bearing in mind how warm it has been, have not helped and as at today, 11 April, whilst we have picked a very small amount of asparagus, it doesn’t look as if we’ll be picking any quantity in the short term, once it starts to appear we’ll update the web site and twitter.

Meantime, the vegetables which we have available are still available at the farm gate on a Friday morning until noon – please see our ordering page for what we have this week and come along – if we have any asparagus you’ll be sure to find it there!

Opening Information for New Year

We’re closed from noon on Christmas Eve and wil be taking a well earned rest over the next few days.

We’ll be open for Farm Gate Sales until Noon on Friday 31st December 2021 and normal service will resume from Friday 7th January.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and safe and healthy New Year.