MACALLA FARM BLOG
Climate Action at the Farm
Mentioning that Macalla is a farm is important because, as Dr. Jason Bradford points out, the future will be rural. As carers of the land and local producers of organic food, we are part of a sustainable system that help cut carbon emissions and preserve biodiversity,…
Wild Mead – A Delicious Fermented Drink
Mead, sometimes referred to as honey wine, may not be a popular fermented drink any longer, but it is one of the most ancient ones, and it’s very easy to make. It is made by fermenting honey with water, usually with some flavouring added. Depending on the…
Rhubarb and Elderflowers
We have several elders bushes on the farm, and they have just started producing their annual crop of creamy-white, musty smelling flowers— a bit later than usual. I love elder flowers. They have a subtle and light aroma and are traditionally used to make cordial. We…
Nettle and Wild Garlic Soup
Serves 4 4 large potatoes (about 1 lb) 1 large onion 1 large bag of fresh nettles tops 1 handful of wild garlic leaves 2 tablespoons ghee (or sunflower oil) Salt and pepper to taste This is a delicious soup to make in the spring, when the nettles are young and the…
Kombucha
Our love affair with fermented food is forever deepening and growing stronger! In the early days, it was just sourdough bread, and gallons of elderflower champagne in June. Then, in 2005, I discovered lacto fermented vegetables while woofing in the South of France…
Foraging in June
Foraging may be a bit of a dying art, for most people, it’s just blackberry picking in late Summer. But June offers some great foraging opportunities in the form of elder flowers. The elder bush is native to the British isles and is a very commonly found in…
Horsemanship and Mindfulness, the Epona Approach
Ever since I read The Tao of Equus, I have been very interested in the Epona approach to horsemanship and Equine Assisted Learning. Recently, I had the good fortune of attending a three day Epona workshop near Dublin with Yvonne Monahan and Rosie Withey. One of the…
Kids and Ponies, how (not) to get your kids riding
Ciara and I looked at one another worriedly as Suzy cantered out of sight with Maude, our six year old daughter, on her back. Uh oh, I thought, that wasn’t really the plan… Things had been going well so far. Maude looked perfectly in control as she walked and trotted…
Milking Sheep
Over the last number of years we have embarked on many a project to help build (to use the word favoured by Rob Hopkins and his Transition movement) resilience. And while some of these experiments have had dubious results, our foray into milking sheep has been a…