Keep on ROKing!

Alla puutarhurin terveiset lomaltaan.

Hei!

Greetings from sunny Helsinki.

I have just started my holidays, so want to wish you all well in the gardening and ROK work for the next two weeks.

We met some friends here yesterday and were telling them about ROK. They were amazed that such an innovative enterprise could be happening! This is also the view of many people I meet day-to-day while working. Older people in particular marvel at the tomatoes and cucumbers and say how it reminds them of their own gardens of old. I think we should all be aware of the positive impressions ROK is creating.

I am now roughly mid-way through my contract and the ROK season is likewise half in. Looking back on photos of the glasshouse and field just a few months ago and how we have created such a verdant venture, I think we should all be proud of the achievements. I know some of you are worried about the weeds on the field, but believe me this is not bad for a large, organic, field crop. If we can just keep it well managed for the next few weeks, then it will begin to get easier. At the same time, all our hard work will be paying off with ever more vegetables being added to the share.

The buzz and activity on a Thursday is extraordinary! Last Thursday, for example, in answer to the call for more help, there must have been 20-30 people helping in the shed and field. The share has now grown so much, a small team is busy all afternoon just to get it weighed and sorted. As I left for home, there were still people arriving to help. It´s this kind of cooperative spirit that ROK is all about, in my view.

So, happy gardening. Best wishes,
Noel