Best recipes for bonfire season
Bonfire Night is approaching, and with it, the perfect occasion to whip up some easy, warming comfort food. If you can, eat outdoors, light a fire and watch the sparks fly up. Enjoy the contrast of...
View ArticleWaiting for my wave
Sat on my surfboard off Devon’s most southerly beach, I am struck by how much the use of the land above the cliffs has changed since my first visits here as a child. Enclosure of these small, exposed,...
View ArticleA short pause before a new beginning
Dear reader, You are probably aware that we are in a period of transition here at Wicked Leeks as we await the arrival of our new editor. As the nights draw in, we are winding down into a brief...
View ArticleThe silence of the supermarkets
Hedgerows can be superficially tamed with the brutality of a modern flail hedge trimmer. But without the care and renewal of occasional laying or coppicing, these historic boundaries and wildlife...
View ArticleGovernment covered up abuse on UK farms, new report reveals
This piece is part of the Exploits series, from Wicked Leeks and Live Frankly, aiming to highlight the systemic poor conditions faced by people working in food and fashion. Find out more here. The Home...
View ArticleLaying hedges for the future
Having moved from the London commuter belt to south Devon as my children flew the nest, I have become more and more interested in the interplay between people and land. I am also interested how much we...
View ArticleDefending against climate change from the ground up
On the 30th November, over 30,000 people will arrive in Dubai for COP 28. The UN’s annual climate conference is a huge event, on a huge topic – but it rarely results in huge action befitting of the...
View ArticleSearching for the next generation of farmers
It’s 50 years since I first laid a hedge, taught by a farming veteran who claimed to have ploughed every field in the parish with a horse. With half a mile to lay this winter, I have to pace myself;...
View ArticleSparing or sharing the land?
On his organic farm in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, Willem grows, presses, and bottles wonderful extra virgin olive oil. My wife Geetie and I visited in October, to see if his ‘shake and...
View ArticleWeathering the storm: a year-round commitment to banana growers
Bananas are a cheap, staple item for most households. They are such a regular feature that it can be easy to take them for granted. But when you reflect on the work that has gone into growing and...
View ArticlePlanning a future together
It has been a grey and soggy descent into winter, giving us very few opportunities to cultivate the soil, or even travel over it without causing damage. Most root veg have been safely harvested and...
View ArticleProud to be a “fresh chef”
A good friend of mine has been looking for work that befits his 30 years of experience as a restaurant chef. It has been a struggle, which was puzzling – until someone at the recruitment agency...
View ArticleLearning from Lacey
If I need to sort my head out, the best company is my wife’s horse, Lacey. I’m too scared to ride her, but a walk around the lanes and fields seems to be good for us both. The secret is not to rush,...
View ArticleHope springs eternal
After three dark, sodden months, the sun is out and the fields are draining. The main casualties of the waterlogged ground have been winter wheat and barley, and, for veg growers, the Brassica family –...
View ArticleStill searching for vegetable utopia
Since selling Riverford to its staff, I spend half of my time as one of the 1000 co-owners who have collectively made the business so much more than I could alone. For the other half, I have gone back...
View ArticleA fair fight on our hands
In September 2023, organic veg box company Riverford sent an open letter to the CEOs of the ‘Big Six’ supermarkets, warning them that ‘British farming is on its knees.’ The letter was supported by the...
View ArticleA long way from my hedge
Monday’s dawn broke on Victoria Gardens, outside the Houses of Parliament, to reveal 49 scarecrows. They stood stark, silent, and anonymous, like the 49 per cent of farmers who fear they will be driven...
View ArticleWinter prep for the season ahead
You might imagine that January would be a quiet time on the farm, settling back into routine after Christmas. But in fact, it sees us working flat out! In the office, we’ve spent the month busily...
View ArticleWhat’s next in the fight for a fair deal for farmers?
Despite unanimous cross-party support, Riverford’s #GetFairAboutFarming Parliamentary debate on January 22nd ended on a less than reassuring note with Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State for Food,...
View ArticlePitchforks at Parliament – the rise of revolting farmers
Eggs thrown at European parliament, tractors blockading motorways, manure sprayed over supermarkets, bales of straw set alight – these are the actions of tens of thousands of farmers across Europe who...
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