Morsels: Harvest Special, Magic Beans, Pedal Power, Wrinkled Peas, Food Standards
Nourishing nuggets form recent weeks.
There is No Silver Bullet
This evening, along with Henry our chickpea grower, we’ll be featured on BBC Countryfile. It’s a harvest episode and the section we’re in sees Adam reflecting on a poor oil seed rape (OSR) harvest then traveling out to find alternatives. Who knows quite how it’ll come out in the edit, but our aim was to explain that there is no alternative. No single crop that can be dropped into a rotation to solve the problems that come with a reductive, commodity focused system of supply.
Milling Offal - let’s eat more of it!
We only sell stoneground whole grain flours, these are made by milling the whole cereal seed and not sifting the flour. We do this because we know that wholegrain flours taste better and are better for us. But we've started selling bran and semolina, the by-products of white flour production - Josiah explains why.
Wimpole Home Farm - progressive farming on an historic estate
The National Trust began converting its Home Farm at Wimpole Hall to organic production methods in 2009. Farm Manager Callum Weir explains how this aligns with Wimpole's long history - and sustainable future. The Home Farm at Wimpole grows rye, naked barley, carlin and blue peas for us.
Black Lives Matter
In common with people around the world we were moved and troubled by the killing of George Floyd and have been deeply affected by the subsequent outpouring of grief and outrage. We wish to express our solidarity for the black community and all those who rightly demand justice and an end to racism and oppression.
On bread and resilience
We’ve started selling bread from the Penny Bun Bakehouse. Just one ‘Hodmedod’ loaf for now, you can find it here, but if it works maybe more in time. Here's why:
In the pink: Our newly named Flamingo Peas
It goes without saying that we #Loveulses, but we have a particular soft spot for peas. Not only versatile, delicious and well adapted to our climate, but beautiful in the field and after harvest. We're certain these fabulous new pink Flamingo Peas will win many more fans for peas.
Changing climate, challenging weather
The 2019/20 winter must have been one one the most challenging UK farming has had to endure for many years. We've recently had the wettest period of weather on record with particularly severe flooding affecting the North and West. But even in the South East farmers have not been able to get on the land as it's been so wet.
Food for Thought: an essential earful, a knead to read & more
If you haven't caught up with them yet you really mustn't miss the new Cereal podcast series from Farmerama Radio and Wendell Steavenson's Guardian long read Flour Power. Pus more food for thought we've digested recently.
Bread of Heaven | Casting back 10 years
A little over 10 years ago Nick, William and I began working with Transition City Norwich on the Resilient Food Project, a community initiative that asked whether the city could feed itself in a low impact, low input way from the fields around its walls and that was the catalyst for Hodmedod. One of the many things we needed to get to grips with was grain, flour and bread (we're still on that journey). Here Charlotte Du Cann, writing in 2009, records one of our early explorations into fields and bakeries.
Home mill and bake with whole grains
Learn to bake with fresh-milled grains such as our YQ wheat. Expert home-baker Sue Hudson, who runs Bread Workshops in East Anglia, has begun offering courses where you can mill our grains with a Mockmill and then bake with them. As Sue explains, there's nothing quite like the flavour of a loaf made with fresh-milled flour.
Why we're supporting Extinction Rebellion this October
From the 7th of October and for 2 weeks Extinction Rebellion is calling an International Rebellion. The aim is to use peaceful direct action to persuade governments to act on the Climate and Ecological Emergency many have already declared. We’re supporting the London Rebellion by supplying food for their kitchens. Josiah explains why...