Despite the rather unusual weather we are having recently, the allot-

ment is well underway with potatoes,

We are even beginning to harvest some fruit and vegetables (logan-

berries, carrots and lettuce for example).

As the bedrock under the farmland is mostly limestone, swallow holes

gradually form in some of the fields and animals sometimes find their

way in, but not necessarily out. We had to use the tractor to make a

decent path out of this swallow hole for a heifer that managed to get in.

We had a mixture of weather again, with some sunny days, and quite

a few damp cloudy days. Occasional thunderstorms brought some rain,

the total we collected in the rain gauge being 74 litres. We really do

need more rain both for the allotment and to keep grazing available

for the cattle. Temperatures rose to a high of 38ºC but also dropped

to only 9.9ºC. The unusually high temperatures were very bad for

the animals, the allotments and grazing during those few days. We

had quite a few rainbows this month

Once again the major hospital for Greater Bilbao, Cruces, provided an

organic menu for its patients on 5th June, International Environment

Day. This menu includes Vista Alegre Baserria mature cheese and yogurt.

Recipe of the month: Elderberry sauce with natural yoghurt

As elderberries are in flower and will soon provide fruit we have decided to

include a very simple but seasonal recipe.

Gather about 250/500g elderberries (depending on how much sauce is

wanted), remove any stalks and place in a sauce pan. Bring to boil very

slowly, stirring to make sure the fruit doesn’t stick until it releases its own

juice. Leave just on the boil for about 15 minutes. Add 250/500g sugar

(according o the amount of fruit used) and boil for a further 20 minutes,

adding a little lemon juice to help thicken. Leave to cool and then use as

a sauce over natural yoghurt.

Flower of the month. Elder (Sambucus nigra)

This is another species that has no forage value but had many medi-

cinal uses, is still used to make jam, puddings or wine and has ob-

vious value in the local farm agroecosystem.

This little bird spent quite some time warming itself and ignoring us

completely.

We also spotted this tiny black snake, but were unable to identify it….

(Although it was not a viper!)

On June 28th a representative of the Basque Organic Farming Council

carried out their yearly inspection of the farm and dairy.

The animals grazed most days and we also gave the milkers dried

forage, grass silage, a little feedstuffandsome freshly mown grass.

During the exceptionally hot weather we had in th middle of June

the cows took themselves back into the barn preferring cooler tem-

peratures.

An exchange group visited the farm on the 24th, with students from

both the US and the Basque Country. The visited was in Castillian

(Spanish) but with a little English now and again!