Rising Awareness.

It is high time that supermarkets have their wings severely clipped, they have had far too much power for far too long. A quarter of crops grown, never make it to the supermarkets because of their unrealistic standards, a carrot with a curve tastes every bit as good as a straight one. Maybe the bosses of Morrison's and the rest of the supermarkets bosses  need to take a look at what is happening else where in the world of marketing, and take a leaf out of the Australians book.

It seems as though Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has stirred up some public awareness about waste, with the  two programs that have been aired on BBC One in the last couple of weeks. In the latest program Morrison's supermarket eventually gave an interview to H.F.W, in terms of PR they did themselves no favours, they came over as arrogant and cavalier. However, I'm am sure that had the interview been with any of the other supermarkets the end result would have been the same.
 It seems that the supermarkets in the UK and Ireland consider that their customers are different from

Marketing down under style.
Thank you Lynda ,
 Living In The Land of Oz.blogger.com 
 for the use of these photos.

people who live in Australia. There it appears that the supermarkets are prepared to sell misshaped fruit and veg.
UK supermarkets are also prepared to sell misshapes when it suits them, as happened when there was a shortage of potatoes a few years ago, they were happy enough to sell what the farmers gave them, and guess what? the customers bought them. The supermarkets tell us that people only want perfect looking produce, is this really true? Surely taste is more important but that is something you don't get with supermarket bought fruit, picked before it's ripe so it looks perfect in the store, you bring it home and try to ripen it , you seldom succeed, it's rotten before it ripens, and it's probably come from half way around the world, produced in a country where people are starving. Kenya is a very good example, exporting green beans and peas out of season to the EU markets, yet over fifty per cent of the population suffer from food poverty.

Yesterday, even our local radio station mentioned the hold that supermarkets have over the farmers, and apparently the I.F.U (Irish Farmers Union) are calling on Irish supermarkets to relax their rigid cosmetic standards. As this statement was made in the last couple of days, I can only assume that someone within the I.F.U was watching H.F.W's programs

I suppose supermarkets do have their uses, we were told that a micro brewery had stated up just four miles away from us, the last place that I would look for a local beer would be a supermarket but someone mentioned that they had found this beer in an Irish owned supermarket, so we went looking and found that they have a good selection of Irish craft beers as well as my favourite, Speckled Hen.

Sheep stealer and Buck It, the very local craft beer, Galway Hooker is always a favourite, but you cant beat Old Speckled Hen. 

We have now tried the first of the local beer, they make three different types, it is good, similar to Worthington White shield, it has yeast sediment in the bottom, so a steady hand is required. We  seldom drink but it is nice to have some beer around just on the off chance that we fancy one.

They still keep coming.

This has been a very extended growing season, we are still picking tomatoes and there's still more to come, the French beans have finished though, so the garlic has been planted where the beans were, the mange tout are still producing and also the Physalis. It is forecasted for colder weather this weekend, so that might end the last of the summer crops, then we can concentrate on onion planting.

First lot of marmalade done.

As Christmas approaches the craft fairs start up, I have been busy making marmalade for the first of these fairs, we will also make some Christmas puddings, I'm not sure how many fairs we will do, but I guess it helps to get into the Christmas spirit.
In the latest edition of the Permaculture Magazine, Ben Law, the well known woodsman has shared his plans for a rustic seat, we both liked the design.  Simon went missing for a hour, he had gone wood hunting, five hours later, hey presto, one chair, Ben Law style. Total cost 1.25 euros. and five hours work. If you buy one of these chairs from Ben you will have to pay £225. Ours might not be quite as good as Bens, he's been doing wood craft for years and he has access to good coppiced wood, but I'm very please with ours, all we need now is some decent weather, to sit in the garden and try it out for comfort, ( says she, looking out of the window to rain lashing down, driven by high winds.)

Basic frame work done.

Getting there.

Finished chair.

Finally I have found someone local who gives pottery classes, unfortunately she is off to New Zealand for the next two months,

so I have managed to get just one lesson before her departure, hopefully I will be able to have a full course when she gets back.

I wonder what it will look like after firing?

The one small bowl that I made has yet to be fired in the kiln so I don't know exactly what it will look like, I will have it back from her before she leaves for her Xmas break.