Filberts Bees have been on BigBarn for 3 years and produce wonderful natural products. I was very popular buying some for valentines day, but no need to wait that long. Here is more from Philada at Filberts.

‘After a harsh winter and a late spring, bee colonies on the farm increased quickly in size and look reasonably strong. An abundance of wild forage appeared in April, notably blackthorn, willow, dandelions and red campion. The bees then moved on to farm crops – oilseed rape, followed in late May by sainfoin, clover and phacelia. Swarms have been a feature this year, making regular inspections a necessity. We sold our first new season honey at Bridport Food Festival in June.’

‘We use our Dorset beeswax, honey and propolis to make Filberts skin care and home care ranges. New this year we have Lime & Coconut Lip Balm and Rose & Bergamot Cuticle Butter. Both of these contain farm-pressed sunflower oil from Fussels Fine Foods in Somerset.’

‘Two further natural beeswax salves will come out later this summer (Propolis Salve and Unscented Vitamin E Salve). Our illustrator Holly Clifton-Brown from Bristol will be working her magic to come up with lovely labels for these.’

‘In response to requests, we now offer Make Your Own Kits for people who want to have fun making their own natural beeswax balms, or who need to avoid certain ingredients, like nut oils.’

To buy Filberts products click for their shop in MarketPlace or to see and read more about filberts visit their website

To help more people find local food, our map and MarketPlace, we have teamed up with Archant and their 43 Life Magazines. As a friendly introduction all BigBarn registered members can enter their latest competition to win a fantastic BBQ or Patio Heater.

Archant have a ‘Life’ magazine for nearly every county and a website and newsletter for each. As local food is so popular having our map and MarketPlace is a natural fit.

We will be sending Archant features on local producers and running coupon promotions to encourage more people to try out their local shops.

So please keep an eye open for BigBarn features in your local Archant Life, and offers like the competition (click now to enter) And please tell your local producer or farm shop to call us if they would like to be featured, perhaps you could be part of the feature?

Our map is also being added to many other partners websites over the next few weeks bringing our readers more offers and interesting opportunities, like opening your house as a restaurant with Openfordinner, or a menu planner, wots4supper. Find out more in the next newsletter!

I did not expect Globe Artichokes to be in such demand through our MarketPlace and neither did the Clive, the farmer.

Clive is a traditional vegetable farmer growing potatoes, onions and sugar beet on the Cambridgeshire fens. Like many other farmers, with imports driving down prices and the very small percentage of retail prices paid to the grower, Clive made the decision to diversify.

So for the last 4 years he has converted 500 acres into the production of organic fruit and vegetables including a 14-acre field of blueberries. The organic production specialises in field vegetables, mainly asparagus, although also including Globe Artichokes, French Dwarf Beans, Rhubarb, Swiss Chard, Edamame beans and Pimento peppers

Clive set up a shop in our MarketPlace to sell some of his fresh produce online and was expecting the Asparagus to be the best seller. It seems however that, so far, there are a large number of people with a taste for Artichokes and especially organic. Perhaps they have medicinal qualities or your foodies love the ritual of peeling dipping and eating the fleshy leaves. Your feedback as always welcome.

If you would like to buy Clive’s produce online click to visit his online shop in MarketPlace or click here for an Artichoke recipe

Following my first effort at chicken keeping I have finally done the right thing and rescued some hens with excellent results so far.

Last time I had chucks I bought them at ‘point of lay’ for £6 each and allowed them roam truly free range. This unfortunately upset some on my neighbours as they raided bird tables and veg patches.

They did however make either, Mr Fox, Mrs mink, or a local dog or cat, happy as they disappeared one by one leaving a pile of feathers.

So now Mildred and friends have a pen beside the BigBarn office and a home 4 feet above the ground accessed from a chicken ladder too flimsy (I hope) for a fox, mink, dog or cat.

The ‘ladies’ have come from our local rescue centre who collect from local battery farmers who normally kill their stock when production declines when the birds are only 18 months old. Unsurprisingly, many farmers now give stock away rather than incur the cost of slaughter.

As you can see from the photo Mildred and Gertrude are a little pale and have lost a few feathers but who wouldn’t be after living in such hell. They were pretty nervous when I first opened the hutch door but are now clucking happily and laying more eggs than we can eat. And I hope continue to do so for another 3-5 years.

For more on keeping chickens try this site and to find your local rescue centre type ‘rescue hens and your county in to Google.

Or for you advice and thoughts please feedback below.

If like me your Mange Toute are ripening, your lettuce taking over the veg patch and your beans are climbing higher every day it may be time to think about making something from the excess.

Our Crop for the Shop initiative is designed to help you sell your excess crop, and local shops gain locally grown fresh produce. We like to call them Community Champions in the hope they become just that.

With so many villages and suburbs losing their local shop we hope that those that remain can gain the buy-in of local people. Some people will be attracted by produce that is cheaper and fresher than the supermarket while others will love to reduce their food bill by actually selling to, or getting credit notes from the local shop.

We have already flagged some Community Champions on our map with a rosette although I am sure many shops will be receptive to an offer if you talk to them about your carefully grown crop.

In time perhaps, you, and fellow local growers can supply a large percentage of what your local shop sells and by having such a great range of fresh produce your shop may encourage more people to shop locally.

If your local shop would like to become one of our Community Champions please get them to call us, or refer them to our Crop for the Shop page.

squisito (skwiz-eat-o) 1. exquisite 2. delightful 3. carefully chosen 4. delicious.

I was treated to a delicious lunch by Sara and Alex at Squisito, both obsessive foodies. Alex is a classic artisan food maker and with Sara’s help has become an expert in coffee roasting, pate & sausage making as well as smoking or curing meat, salt and herbs. He also makes pizzas for the local pub on a Tuesday with his mobile pizza oven, and still finds time to run Slow Food Warwickshire.

Sara is the cook, specialising in authentic Italian recipes with ingredients and methods typical to that area but grown or reared locally in England. Like many ‘home chefs’ Sara is becoming a Gorilla Restauranteur organising gastronomic parties called Secret Sqisito, next event 26th June.

To see and buy some of the their huge range of produce click their MarketPlace shop or to read more about Sara’s fantastic cooking visit her website.

Care about your food? We do! That’s the message from farmers across the country who are preparing to open their gates on Open Farm Sunday (13 June 2010).

The event in 2009 was a fantastic success. 140,000 visitors were welcomed on to 425 farms across the UK and got the chance to meet the farmers who grow their food and care for the countryside.

Open Farm Sunday is one day in the year when everyone gets the chance to understand the true story and value behind their food, and the dedication and skill of farmers who produce it.

Every farm involved in Open Farm Sunday puts on a unique and individual event. You get a real insight into how food is produced and the nature that thrives in the hedgerows.

You’ll find a whole host of activities, from tractor and trailer rides to pig-racing, a gentle farm walk and cup of tea to a full-on vegetable olympics!

To find your local farms taking part visit the ‘Find a Farm” section at the Farm Sunday website

I recently enjoyed a tour of the High Weald Dairy, a family run artisan cheese maker specialising in organic cow’s cheese from a dairy on site, as well as sheep and goat’s cheeses.  

High Weald have grown steadily as the growing number of people with Cow’s milk intolerance have realised they can enjoy sheep and Goat’s milk and cheese.

Apparently cheese is a classic product where quality of ingredients and careful production make a huge difference to flavour.  I learned for instance that the reason Goat’s cheese has that distinct ‘goaty’ smell is that unless it is quickly cooled after milking the Caproic acid starts to taint the milk.

High Weald get their Goat’s milk from a local farmer in Kent who supplies a very clean and odour free milk that Mark can make in to his award winning Sister Sarah.

Likewise the sheep's milk comes from a farmer friend and made in to Sussex Slipcote, a medium fat soft cheese, Duddleswell, a multi award winning full fat hard cheese, or Halloumi, a salty brined cheese hailed as the ‘vegetarian's rasher’ as it can be fried and added to all kinds of dishes.

To find out more visit the their website or buy a special Sheep and Goat’s mixed pack online in the BigBarn Marketplace