Olive blossom

The olive trees finally produced fruit this year it is particularly rewarding after such a difficult time keeping them alive in the early years.

Spring time flowers on the olive tree are white and quite insignificant but each tiny bud holds the promise of a fruit maturing in the winter sun.

Our neighbours tell us that a major pest which can prevent the tree fruiting is the ant.

If you look carefully you can see the tiny olive blossom.

In this part of Spain nurserymen often quote the price of olive trees as €1 per year of growth; they will happily show you trees (they estimate) of 1000 years of age at the corresponding price of €1000.

We chose to grow our own from seedlings and now have small established trees.

Apple harvest is counted

Local farmers have produced over 4,500 metric tons of apples, despite a difficult growing season, which should be enough for christmas stockings this year.

Sooner or later

Having planted a young lemon tree we have high hopes of being self sufficient in lemons one day, though it may be quite a while till we have fruits like this fine example, which was a gift from Noellia who had picked it from her own mature lemon tree.

EuroAgro Fruits - 2009 Valencia

   EuroAgro Fruits   (3rd International Fair of Fruit, Vegetables, Technology and Services) will be held at,

Feria Valencia from 27th to 29th April 2009

The objective of this event, is to become the top fair in the international fruit and vegetable sector in Spain. To achieve this, we base ourselves on the main principles of the project, Innovation, Internationalization, National production, Personalization and Education. 

April, from 27th to 29th, 2009

                  

           

What Katie did next - Organicismo

"Generally the produce you can get in Spain

 is quite good,

 and much of it is from somewhere in the country,

 but it’s not always easy to know where it’s coming from,

 or how many pesticides have been used to grow it." 

  Katie

España Profunda

Welcome relief for farmers

Fruit Farmers of the fields that surround the medieval village of Sant Pere Pescador escaped much of the hardships of the ongoing drought because the River Fluvià retained rather more water than the nearby River Murga. However on September 11^th 2008 a series of severe hail storms damaged much of the ripening fruits thereby decimating the farmer’s incomes. In recognition of their resultant economic hardships the rural tax levy will not be applied this year.

The agricultural land was reclaimed from marsh and bog back in the 17^th and 18^th centuries at which time it was being used for the growing of rice. The rich fertile soils and abundant waters make this an important area for fruit production, as well as providing a scenic landscape for the campsites of the Mediterranean northern Costa Brava.

One crop that has survived the drought and hail is the sunflower, the fields of  heliotropic sunflower blooms following the light from sunrise to sunset along the roadsides of the region are an uplifting sight.

Cherry ripe

My cherry tree is vigorous though hardly fruitful the single fruit you can see near the centre of the photograph is the entire crop for this year. It equals last years less than abundant crop, though it is at least carried on a different stem searching for the fruit is half the fun. There are abundant cherry trees in the neighbourhood and the tree was covered in blossom in early spring, maybe the late cold spell made the blossom drop a little to early for fruit.  I really raised this tree because of its foliage, and intend to propagate others from it in the future. In fact the solitary cherry from last years crop was tasted by Carol and promptly dispatched to the spittoon because of its bitter taste. Possibly one cherry is all you need.

Yesterday I posted about celery being of benefit to Gout sufferers well cherries too are beneficial helping purge the uric acid from your system. 

National stroke awareness day - spread the message.

                                      

What is FAST?

 

FAST requires an assessment of three specific symptoms of stroke.

 

Facial weakness - can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?

Arm weakness - can the person raise both arms?

Speech problems - can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?

Test all three symptoms

 

If the person has failed any one of these tests, you must call 999. Stroke is a medical emergency and by calling 999 you can help someone reach hospital quickly and receive the early treatment they need. Prompt action can prevent further damage to the brain and help someone make a full recovery. Delay can result in death or major long-term disabilities, such as paralysis, severe memory loss and communication problems.

 

What if the symptoms go away?

A Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), which is sometimes called a mini stroke, is similar to a full stroke but the symptoms may only last a few minutes and will have completely gone within 24 hours. Don't ignore it. It could lead to a major stroke. See your GP as soon as possible and ask to be referred to a specialist stroke service. This should happen within seven days.

Healthy eating

 

Here are some tips on how to eat healthily and reduce your risk of stroke

 

• Snack on fruit and vegetables: Don’t fill up on junk food. Instead, eat as much fresh fruit, vegetables and dried fruit as you like.

 

• Aim for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. A portion is about 80 grams (3 ounces) – for example, an apple, an orange or a glass of orange juice, a large carrot, two broccoli florets, a handful of grapes or three tablespoons of peas.

 

• Choose low-fat proteins. Don’t eat too much red meat – choose fish, poultry (with the skin removed), game or vegetarian alternatives instead. Most red meat is high in saturated fat, which contributes to the arteries furring up.

 

• Reduce your salt intake. Salt raises blood pressure. Don’t add salt to your food and avoid processed foods which contain a lot of salt.

 

• Eat more fibre. Foods high in fibre help control blood fat levels. Try wholegrain cereals, porridge, brown rice, whole-wheat bread and pasta, and grains such as couscous.

 

• Limit the amount of fat you eat. You need some fat in your diet, but too much can clog up your arteries and add to weight problems. Try to limit the amount you use and stick to vegetable, seed and nut oils rather than margarine and butter.

 

The main food groups

 

Choose a variety of food from the main food groups:

 

• fruit and vegetables
• bread, cereals, pasta and potatoes
• meat, fish and protein alternatives
• dairy food such as milk, cheese and yoghurt

fats and oils (but don’t eat too much of these).

Mist and mellow fruitlessness

‘tis the season of mist and mellow fruitlessness. Autumn has arrived and once more morning mists roll down the mountain sides. As midday approaches those vapours melt away under a still warm Spanish sun, revealing hedgerows which are be-jewelled with sparkling berries and fruits.

Irrigated agricultural land spares just enough precious water to allow the wild shrubs to prosper. In the orchards immigrant workers have toiled long hours in the sun to harvest the year’s crop. Apples, peaches and nectarines are picked, packed and ready to begin their long journey to far away lands. Our immature fruit trees have on the other hand yielded nothing but the odd spider’s web!

The first fig

The figs are much smaller than last years crop, due to the lack of water. Still they will provide enough fruit to keep us both going though the summer, though I don´t think there will be enough to dry for later eating. 

Dried figs have become a favourite of Carol and her friend Fazia, their lunch time fruit snack is fast becoming a banquet for two!

Spring is springing

Fruit trees have arrived in the supermarkets of Figueres, last year their arrival coincided with the start of a spell of extreme cold weather. Hopefully this year will be a little kinder to us gardeners. With temperatures now hovering around 12 degrees and spring maybe just around the corner.

The fruit trees are selling at 10€ each for a two year old grafted plant. Apples and pears do well towards the coast which is just a few miles away, so I should be able to grow them here with a little more work on the soil.

Oranges need a more sheltered spot than I can supply on my wind swept site, although I have been told that clementines are a little more robust than oranges. Last year I saw snow on the fruits of a mature lemon tree in nearby Navata, I must go and see how the tree was affected by last years climatic merry go round.

Kiwi fruit plants and various nut trees are also plentiful.

Mulberry fool

The Mulberries are cropping well despite the lack of rain water. The berries are very sweet and they are attracting the attention of the builders as well as the wasps. Not sure yet which will sting me the most!

Frequent gusts of wind shake the over ripe fruit from the branches littering the ground with decaying pulp. This black gunge is walked into the house staining the newly laid tiled floors.
I pick as much as I can use and freeze and leave the rest to the birds, bugs and builders.

The trees grow well here, and I see the fruit being sold in the local supermarkets at 4€ a kilo.
Mulberries have a short season and I am not sure how many people would be needed to pick and market the fruit if I plant more trees.

Just found this button - €, probably going to have to use it a lot from now on! Isn't technology wonderful when it works?