Go Local Food fields are being held back by the lack of rain. The ground has dried so hard due to the sun and heat that nothing is growing well and the plough is suffering as it is used to complete the last of the ploughing required for planting out. Working the soil at the moment is rather a case of raising dust which is not good.
And of course, the water hungry squashes which need to go out now will suffer severely in the hot and dry conditions. Or they will have to be watered extensively which will take time out from other equally important tasks. There are leeks which also need to be planted out as soon as possible.
The fruit orchard that is being bought on at Temperley is having to be watered regularly with it being all young stock. No risks want to be taken with the investment that has been undertaken there.
So if you could all do a successful rain dance that would be good!
The bags of compost have appeared for the last of the tomatoes to be planted up in the working poly tunnel (Gardener’s Delight and Shirley). And the small herb pots of basil for Go Local Food members will soon be available and there will also be basil added to the herbs that members are allowed to pick free of charge to go with their crop share.
Go Local Food Ltd 
the bags of compost mentioned are recycled plastic compost bags half filled with a forkful of manure and 3 or 4 shovelfuls of recycled compost from chopwell