Rob Amato (He/Him/His)

This gosling hatched earlier today. The first to be born here in a few years.

As before, there is no mother in sight. Instead the two ganders have stepped up to care for the gosling. I gather this is not the norm but it is how it always works here.

#gosling #geese #spezet #bretagne #farmlife

It was through reading some of Martin Crawfords' publications that I got interested in agroforestry/food forests and started experimenting, first on an allotment in the UK, now on a farm in France.

His site is an important living reference and should not be lost in pursuit of a quick profit. 2/2

Save the Dartington Forest Garden - The Agroforestry Research Trust

Please take a look at the link below and sign the petition.

The Agroforestry Research Trust inspired me to walk the path I am now on and in a rapidly changing world their work is ever more relevant for our collective future. 1/2

www.agroforestry.co.uk/save-darting...

#agroforestry-research-trust

Our poor boy trying his best, but the wind made it difficult. This is his first year with a full tail so it is still a bit thin. Crossing fingers and toes for a few peachicks this coming summer.

#peacock #peafowl #paon #countryliving #spezet #bretagne #france

International Women's Day - Wikipedia

Wishing everyone a Happy International Womens Day today.

It feels more important this year given the erosion of hard won rights in so many countries around the world (alongside the persistent inequality).

#internationalwomensday #spezet #bretagne #france

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...

The flowers are stunning.

Sometimes it is the small victories that matter. I have been trying to grow Christophine (Sicyos edulis) for four years, and could never get it to sprout. This year was to be my last attempt and guess what? Success!

#growyourown #smallwins #christophine #chayotte #spezet #bretagne #france

Bring your pet to work day...unplanned of course but she is in for a few days for some tlc as she has injured her foot.

#chicken #silkie #pouledesoie #spezet #bretagne #france

I do not have the hand-eye coordination to attempt that and am rather fond of having feet... :-D

I have two this year:

A very practical and necessary one for me - daily exercise. I need to move more. Starting with 10 minutes on a rebounder and will build up from there.

The second is meditation. Always wanted to try this but never started. So now I have six weeks of making time for it.

Today is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent for those who observe this.

I started whilst living in Ireland, and more recently turned it on its head: Instead of giving up something, I now use it to develop a new positive habit or skill.

#lent #ashwednesday

Congratulations and welcome to the club. 🙃

In the UK (West Sussex and south London), it was rampant and fruited well. Did not taste great though so I have not grown it since (8 years or so). I will try the giant achocha this year as my cooking skills may have caught up enough to make something tasty from it 😄

I am not aware of a truly local cultivar, though both Kokopelli and Graines Baumaux offer seeds. Like lentils I think they are probably not worth it for home growers.

Wow, can you grow these outdoors? They are strictly a tunnel crop here.

How did chickpeas do for you? I have read that they tend to be low yielding.

Ooh, I have a grex population of cowpeas to trial this year as well (likely to be very marginal up here). The Dieta lupin cultivar grows well here, so will hopefully do well for you. I am growing black turtle beans again as well. They yield well in any weather.

I am very pleased to have been accepted to participate in this citizen science project. I look forward to finding out what I will be growing this year.

You can follow them here:

@pulsesincrease.bsky.social

Full details can be found here:

www.pulsesincrease.eu/about

#citizenscience #increase

In a way yes. She lambed about two weeks earlier but did not bond with her lamb (we brought the lamb in for hand rearing and she is with friends now). She ignored the next lamb to be born but then latched on to this one for some reason.

Today's work challenge. 🙃

#cats #wfh #Spezet #Bretagne #France

Lamb no. 11 arrived on Thursday evening. I think she is going to be the last of this years lambs. Another ewe tried to steal her, and is still lurking outside their pen, so they will stay isolated from the flock until she loses interest.

#lambs #sheep #countryliving #Spezet #Bretagne #France

Bonjour. I don't know if you are on Instagram but if yes, check out this profile. He is working on breeding cold hardy passionfruit amonst other things.

www.instagram.com/imperatorpla...

For now this will be the last of the French pepinieres that I feature. There are others I use but they are very niche. Mes Arbustes is a nurserys nursery. They sell very young plants to other nurseries and to the public.

www.mesarbustes.fr

#growyourown #agroforestry #permaculture #mesarbustes

I love it here so can only encourage you to consider it 🙂

They are worth the detour. The family that owns it all speak good English as well, which really helps.

Locally the Pepinieres de Port de Carhaix is very highly regarded (for good reason). They do stock a wide range of plants suitable for agroforestry. Best visited in person. Their website is basic.

#growyourown #agroforestry #permaculture #pepinieresdeportdecarhaix

pepinieresdeportdecarhaix.fr

We're ready for it :-)

Passiflora Breizh Tehani, passiflore bretonne Cette nouvelle passiflore est une obtention bretonne très innovante pour sa très grande productivité, de mi-décembre à janvier, avec une densité incroyable de charpentières restant vertes l'hiver. Les...

It is Passiflora edulis 'Breizh Tehani'. I have tried 'Frederik' here but last winter killed that.

www.achat-vente-palmiers.com/fr/passiflor...

Make sure you start them early and keep the soil surface clear around them (zero obstacles in the way of other plants, stones, bark, etc). If your soil is on the loamy or sandy side, harvesting will be way easier. Good luck!

They aren't cheap so I have only bought from them twice. I am currently debating buying the locally developed cold hardy (hardier at least) strain of granadilla/passionfruit that they sell.