New Leaf Urban Farmers

01/10/2025

Parsnips... I don't normally grow these. But I found the length of the tap root interesting. It is indicative the soil structure we have here. Also some of these had one or two partners we forgot to thin out. We decided to grow them through mypex on 6" centers (15cm for you younger folk).
Worked a treat. No wedding. Clean beds. Sown very late but they worked out just the same. The soil here is fantastic. Will be worthwhile to discover the difference in taste both now and after a frost.

31/08/2025

Limerick-grown grapes. Great quality from 40+ year old grapes vines. Nestled in a self-built glasshouse. Not our own, but the owner assured us they were naturally grown.

20/08/2025

And so the commercialisation of beneficial soil microbes is fully underway. As a practitioner of natural farming over the last six years, it's good to see that conventional operations are now beginning to understand the importance of soil health and its effects on crops. However, one can do all this yourself.
It's easy to do and pretty much free. All it takes is your time.
Consider natural farming as the future of farming. Biological farming is here to stay, but ensure it's in the hands of the independent farmer rather than larger commercialised entities.
Why pay the middleman when you can do it yourself?

06/08/2025

Aubergines coming into full swing. They worked out well this year when compared to last year's disaster. However, we're still setting up the place, and it will take another season or two to finish. We took one lot over the last two seasons and are just about past the 'threading water' stage. Market gardening in Ireland is so fickle in a business sense. Each season is completely new. Nothing is taken for granted, notably customers. Especially in this economic climate of uncertainty.
The hospitality sector is rocky, with cuts to spending in all facets of their businesses. The small producer is usually first off the menu to be replaced with imported substitutes, which are inferior both in freshness, taste, and quality.
The government doesn't recognise us as farmers or the value we add to local communities. It's an EU model of industrial farming with economies of scale at its heart. No subsidies, grants which are completely infeasible and a real lack of foresight in terms of small-scale, ecologically sound agriculture.
We could produce the best veg in the world here. We have it all, yet... Even worse, there are few if any younger people coming up. There is no dedicated market gardener college/school in Ireland. No school that harnesses our knowledge and skills. Maybe it's time we set up one?. A market leading school. Maybe there is someone out there who has the vision?

24/07/2025

Nice... Our produce is really flourishing with this weather. It is really nice mix of sun and rain over the last few weeks. Although courgettes are getting some powdery mildew in spots and the leeks have some rust. So we will have you attend to those areas soon.
It's expected in some ways as we are still learning the nuances of crops planted in different areas.

22/07/2025

Some squashes and aubergines beginning to take form. Autumn is almost upon us. Where did summer go?
All veg is very healthy at the moment with bumper harvests.

14/07/2025

Enjoyed this podcast from the Unoversory of Linerick and their EU programme . This is about their commitment to trialling the use of NPK fertilisers manufactured through common waste materials. It's an excellent initiative, and I'm glad to be a part of it.
The podcast covers what we have been doing over the last 6 years. Natural farming methods through the KNF and JADAM methodologies.
We do not claim that it is the perfect system, but it sure does come close.
Coupled with fertilisers made from sustainable and natural sources, farmers now have a toolbox to combat a wide variety of issues, from infertility to pests and diseases. Moreover, farmers can decreasing their dependence on the middlemen of the industry.

12/07/2025

So this will be our mobile honesty box. Here you can buy our produce. The horse box was kindly loaned to us by Matthew & Eliza, our landlords. It's a beautiful horse box built sometime in the 1960s or so. English engineering quality when things were built to last.
We painted it and added a raised floor with shelving units and, later, some lights. The cost was zero so far (Temu solar lights are cheap 😁). We will be looking for local florists, hopefully bee keepers in the limerick area as well as milk and bread suppliers. I'm not sure who would like to supply us yet, but anybody who reads this and knows of anybody, please contact us.
We will have the same veg as the veg boxes.
More to follow...

05/07/2025

A beautiful display of out mixed leaves and hakurei turnips. Made by

Fit for any restaurant.

05/07/2025

Jadam Microbial Pesticide. Made from soil biology cultured at 31c for about 21 hours or so.
It's like JMS except Decyl Glucoside is added
This kills the biology, and they release toxins that kill pests but is safe for human consumption.
The Decyl Glucoside is a plant based product used in cosmetics and baby shampoo.
It breaks down easily in the soil and is non-toxic to humans.
This will last for about a year if stored correctly.
Foliar application directly. You can add JS for added fungicidal effects and JWA as well to increase the adhesion properties.

Microbial pesticide products are on the market and are available, but they are expensive and are a cost to the farmer. By taking control of inputs such as making your own natural fertilisers and pesticides, the farmer increases their independence. Creating farm and food sovereignty for local communities. This is the future of farming.

We will be trialling it out on cabbages and hardier plants first. Another tool for small-scale farmers to be independent and use materials mainly secured from local land or farm.

03/07/2025