Glorious Asparagus season again

Asparagus season is here again, time to celebrate and gorge! We have many recipes for cooking ideas, if you have a favourite not listed please email us with your recipe and we will include your name in our recipe section.

Asparagus is the champion of local food. It should really be eaten within 2 hours of picking as once picked it begins to go 'stringy' as the sugars turn to starch. And the more local the better, if you can buy direct from the farmer it should be fresher and cheaper as the middle man and retailer margins are cut out.

To find your local Asparagus click here to search our Asparagus map or if you want really fresh Asparagus for the next 20 years (starting in 2 years) grow your own and plant some crowns in the next 2 weeks.

Asparagus is now up on farms from west to east, so we can all buy local for a delicious everyday feast.

BigBarn supports National Beanpole Week 17-25 April

First held in 2008, Beanpole is an annual event which supports the coppice sector and is run by the Small Woods Association.

It celebrates Britain's traditionally managed coppiced woodlands, the animals and plants that live in them and the coppice workers who look after them.

Numerous special events are run and gardeners and growers are urged to buy beanpoles and other coppice wood products - a directory of suppliers can be found on the www.coppice-products.co.uk website. Another useful directory can be found on the Allotment Forestry website at http://www.allotmentforestry.com/direct.

National Beanpole Week 2010 is calling on gardeners to support Britain's coppiced woodlands by choosing eco-friendly, locally-grown coppiced beanpoles instead of imported bamboo canes.

By switching to British-grown coppiced beanpoles, gardeners and growers will be doing their bit to support the environment, wildlife, rural jobs, ancient skills and traditions - and their beans.

Traditionally managed coppiced woodlands are a really important part of our countryside because they supply us with truly sustainable wood, provide an incredibly rich wildlife habitat, support hundreds of rural jobs and keep many ancient skills and traditions alive.

Britain lost 90% of its coppiced woodland during the 20th century - and to protect what remains, we need to support the coppice workers who manage these woods by buying their excellent eco-friendly coppiced beanpoles.

And once you have your beanpoles plant some beans, climbing cucumber or courgettes and enjoy the produce or even crop for your local shop.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter and don't forget to get some real eggs. In the shell from happy chickens and in foil from true chocolateers!

It was great to hear about the crook who was locked up recently for buying in battery eggs from Eastern Europe and re-labelling them with a free range mark. Mind you I don't trust many of the free range labels you see in shops and only buy my eggs from places i know the chucks are free range. To find your local eggs use the BigBarn map or ask about the eggs at your local farm shop.

As for real chocolate eggs, for your health, and taste sensation, go for quality not quantity. And for the very best, search our MarketPlace for a selection of artisan producers.

British Bacon Connoisseurs Week

If you like bacon you must have noticed the varieties of bacon on offer. From cheap imports to organic free range slow cured.

Demand for cheap means the worst bacon is from intensively reared pigs that are then quick cured by pumping salty water in to the meat to also add weight. Demand for quality coupled with producers who care about their animals and the quality of their product means that there is some really great bacon available. And the best way to find out about it is ask.

Bacon Connoisseurs Week between the 22nd and 28th March is designed to help producers shout about their bacon and encourage you to ask questions about the bacon in the shop. So please use the BigBarn map to find your local bacon or browse the BigBarn MarketPlace to buy online.

Best Mothers Day Gift

I know, you look after your mother all year so why do 'they' try and make money out of us by organising a special 'Day' for mothers.

Well if you love your mum and would like to give something different try some of these unusual products from the BigBarn MarketPlace. To get to the producers shop simply click on the underlined products or search results.

Natural lip balms and bees wax products
Natural soaps and botanical products
All kinds of chocolates
Natural and unusual teas
Home made real fudge
Cookery Courses Great tasting Coffee
Unusual, biscuits, flapjacks, cakes

Or go to MarketPlace and search for any other products your mum loves.