The negative effects of the Corona Virus are plain to see and we all hope we

can learn from their causes and consequences. We would, however, like to detail

some examples of ways by which people are trying to help local farmers and thus

local consumers by keeping local food production viable. A group of ladies from

Karrantza are making and distributing free face masks. A local business is making

and distributing face shields free of charge to those farmers involved in door to

door sales of their produce. A forty strong group of consumers have formed a

group to provide an outlet for local farm produce that can no longer be sold in

markets and fairs, with no delivery charges. And, thankyou Urko, for getting the

website back in order after a technological crisis, insisting on waiving any charges.

These are small examples of solidarity that mean an awful lot to us.

The third week of April two of our team were put into self isolation in their house

as they had a slight fever and headaches, both symptoms of Corona Virus. However,

as in many other cases, they are being treated over the phone and we thus have no

confirmation as to whether they are or are not suffering the virus. We have, evidently,

been in touch with the Health Authorities and are following their instructions regards

the rest of the work team (basically, carry on taking our temperature at least twice a

day and making sure we all use our masks, gloves and gels when appropriate).

Flower of the month: Loganberry. (Rubus loganobaccus)

The loganberry is a hybrid of the Californian blackberry (Rubusursinus) and

raspberry (Rubusidaeus). The plant and the fruit resemble the blackberry

more than the raspberry, but the fruit color is a dark red, rather than black

as in blackberries. Loganberries – which were an accident of berry breeding

by James Harvey Logan in 1881 in California (USA), for whom they are named

– are cultivated commercially and by gardeners in temperate areas and used

mainly for making jellies and juices.

The cows a bit of everything this month. When the weather permitted

they grazed outside and other days we took them freshly mown grass.

They also ate some grass silage, dried alfalfa y a little feedstuff.

The heifers grazed outside everyday.

We continued to clear nettles and brambles from field

edges and the orchard.

Makes 12 cakes

Ingredients:

• 160g SR flour
• 100g butter
• 140ml milk
  
• 20g chocolate powder
• 160g sugar
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 spoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• three crumbled "oreo" biszcuits
  

Cream togehter the butter and sugar and then add and mix in the beaten eggs.

Add the vanilla and mix, followed by the flour and salt, blending thoroughly.

Finally, mix in the milk.

Divide the mixture into two :

Mixture 1. Add 25g more flour and mix

Mixture 2. Add the chocolate powder and mix. Then divide this mixture into two,

and mix in the bits of oreo biscuits in one half.

Make 12 cakes:

3 with vanilla

3 with chocolate powder

3 with both chocolate powder and vanilla

3 with chocolate powder and biscuits

Bake in pre-heated oven for twenty minutes.

The unusually hot spells of weather mean that from the start

of the month we have spotted creatures we would not normally

expect to see until the end of April or May. For example, a wasp

building it´s nest,

cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) caterpillars on our cauliflowers

(which we harvest around now and do not usually net in the winter/spring

as such butterflies are not normally around),

and an unusual number of reptiles, such as this small viperine snake

(Natrix maura) eating a lizard

numerous slow worms (anguis fragilis) and this Seoane or

Cantabrian viper.

The viper can be distinguished from the viperine snake by its

vertical pupil, whereas the pupil of the latter is round. However,

it is worth remembering that vipers are both aggressive and

poisonous and should not therefore be approached.

We took these photos with a zoom lens.

What was the weather like?

Once again we had very mixed weather with hot, sunny days, usually with

south winds, when the temperature reached 25ºC and damper, cooler days

with a lot of misty weather. We had quite a few thunderstorms towards the

end of the month. In total we collected 107 litres of rain in the rain gauge

and the grass in the fields we mowed is already growing again.