Tom Frost

Grower-direct organic produce. Veg nerd.

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

https://t.co/wqTRiSbaFi

[Dafydd O'Connor @dafyddoconnor]

I’m looking for Wales rugby fans’ videos and photos of themselves on international day for a Six Nations-related promo film. Small fee for any used. Please RT. Thanks.

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

@elonmusk 😂righto comrade

[Liz Webster @LizWebsterSBF]

🥔 The UK no longer has any small or medium farms growing new potatoes.

🥔 Guy Singh-Watson founder of @Riverford said this is the first year it has been impossible to source British early potatoes for his boxes. He called it part of a wider “tragedy” of smaller UK fruit and vegetable growers quitting in the face of low returns, post-Brexit labour shortages and extreme weather.

🥔 A Riverford survey found that 49% of horticulture companies fear imminently going out of business.

“Indeed, they are going out of business. Around the south and southwest, there were lots of small family farms, who grew 10 to 100 acres of potatoes. They just all got fed up with the returns and the work and they have given up. The last one who grew down on the ‘Golden Mile’ down near Penzance gave up last year and we haven’t been able to find [any],” said Singh-Watson.

A large number of the farmers who brought tractors to a protest in London in March are in the horticulture sector, and fruit and vegetable shortages in supermarkets last year were linked to declines in the sector.

Smaller new potato farmers have tended to be on the coast because they are frost-free and can harvest early. “These early [new] potatoes have traditionally been grown on family farms, originally dragging seaweed off the beach to fertilise the farms. Those are the ones that are particularly suffering. The whole middle of horticulture has been hollowed out,” said Singh-Watson.

Jersey Royal potatoes continue to be produced from the self-governing crown dependency. But in the UK, production appears now to be left to larger growers with thousands of acres in east and central England, Singh-Waton said.

Gerard Croft at the British Potato Trade Association said even bigger players had few new potatoes this year because the ground was so waterlogged in spring after months of rain.

“The southwest has been the worst hit, it’s had a torrid time. A lot of the crop went in very late. Supplies have been very, very hand to mouth: supply is tight,” said Mark Taylor from the industry group GB Potatoes.

But the area of land used for horticulture has shrunk by 6.3 per cent since 2022, to just 2 per cent of all agricultural land in England. Rebecca Laughton, horticulture campaigns co-ordinator at the Landworkers Alliance, said shoppers could help smaller fruit and vegetable growers by avoiding supermarkets and buying direct from farmers and box schemes.

Labour has promised to help growers with procurement rules for hospitals, schools and the public sector to get 50 per cent of their food from local or sustainable sources.

“But it needs to be enshrined into law. Because otherwise who is going to enforce it, who’s going to monitor it? There needs to be budget for it too,” said Will White from the charity Sustain, who was speaking at the Groundswell Agriculture Festival on June 26.

https://t.co/PMIxkb8Q0B

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

@perrywrikel I think I at was at this. It was after a Jools Holland special, they played for another after 30 minutes after broadcast. They relaxed and rocked out. A great night

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

@gossifer @PontcannaMarket Hi Jennifer, plants raised on Blaencamel farm. Photos are from last years crops, from different outdoor locations in Cilcennin and Cardiff

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

Some of this weeks tomato plant varieties Lithium Sunset, lucid Gem and Rebel Star fighter Prime. Available at @PontcannaMarket and through our veg boxes

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

The greenhouses being turned around for summer crops. Cherry and heirloom tomatoes and padron peppers planted. Radish almost ready and strawberries looking good

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

@dafyddoconnor He does seem a bit short for a stormtrooper

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

Christmas veg box deliveries in Cardiff & Penarth 21st of December https://t.co/qByN3uMHBs

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

@nottcardiff @WildBoarFarms Yes! We will have these next year plus some new ones

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

As another year winds down I’m starting a list of tomatoes for next years plant sales. This year wasn’t a straightforward growing year but had some successes including lucid gem, truffle king, rebel star fighter prime and Sargent Pepper. Amazing varieties!

[Chris Fowler @ChilliFowler]

These are all hot chilli peppers, my Antep Aci Dolma cross. I sell seeds for these here and always add free extras as thanks for the support 🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🌶️🔥
https://t.co/yDY73e8EP2

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

Richard Young obituary https://t.co/BOv8WNSzDt

[Gorse @gorserestaurant]

Due to a flurry of cancellations, we have a few tables available this Friday and Saturday (15th and 16th). We’re at The Potting Shed @insolecourt cooking a six course menu for £70. To take a look at the menu, or to book, follow the link below.

https://t.co/V7xS8C5hQt

[Tom Frost @blaencamelbox]

@ChilliFowler Looks magnificent 👍

[Chris Fowler @ChilliFowler]

@blaencamelbox 1st full size Sgt. Pepper toms. coming through from your plant 🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🍅

[Grady @GradyAtkins]

Menu for next Friday. One night only next week⬇️ link in bio.