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00:03Customers don't always know what they're getting. Years ago in my market stall I had a guy come
00:07back quite irate complaining because he told me the cucumbers were inedible and I explained that's
00:14because they were courgettes so you put them in a salad you know. It's early April and the veg box
00:25sales numbers are still very low but Mick has had a brainwave which means it's time for a meeting.
00:32This could be interesting. Hey how's it going? So I've been thinking about something. So you know
00:41we've a long history with Bloom in Phoenix Park so I think we should not only go to Bloom but
00:47I
00:47think we should do a show guard at the show. Can you go to me? No. I'm serious. Bloom is
00:55so soon.
00:57Well it's like eight weeks away. When Mick mentioned the word Bloom I thought here we go
01:06and this is going to be classic Mick. You know Bloom would be amazing. It is amazing. It's a brilliant
01:13idea. It's just you know how can we do it. We can't do everything and that's generally what everything
01:18comes down to is how do we actually get it done. In case you don't know what Bloom is it's
01:23Ireland's
01:23biggest gardening festival. Part flowers, part gardens, part food. But there would be thousands
01:28and thousands of people there and that means one thing in Mick's mind. It might even be an opportunity
01:34for us to flog some veg boxes. Mick, I, we've got to stop doing this to be fair. Like we've,
01:44it's a very small team.
01:46We can't keep doing this. Like I don't, I don't know. What do you think, like what are your concerns
01:53about it?
01:55Time, capacity, resource. Okay. There will be a budget associated with this. We need to bring a sponsor on board
02:01and then we can, you know, we'd be getting a designer.
02:04To do the work. We'd be getting a contractor to do the actual build of the garden. We will need
02:09to grow the veg.
02:10So I have to have a conversation with Richard about that. But otherwise I think like the impact on your
02:17team would be small.
02:20And I think this is like all upside. I mean, I've, to be fair, I've heard that before Mick. Do
02:27we have a choice?
02:29Yeah, of course.
02:34We're all in. Don't leave me hanging.
02:41Safe to say it started, it went down like a lead balloon, I think. But, you know, I think, I
02:46think eventually we came around to it.
02:48We are too stretched. And I think that's, that's a, it's definitely a common theme. We are a small team
02:54with incredibly big ambitions.
02:57I think it would be a missed opportunity if we don't do it. So I'm not saying no. And I
03:01know Jen isn't saying no. But yeah, it's just kind of been thrown at us now. And I think we
03:06just have to do what we can with it and just do it well.
03:09How can we get it done? And what needs to go to do this one? So it's, it's the constant,
03:14constant tension.
03:24With only a tentative commitment from the team, Mick heads off to Cara Moore for what could be an even
03:30tougher meeting.
03:30So a very important person I need to speak to today is Richard to see can I get him to
03:34grow the veg in a very short space of time with a very busy workload already. So we'll see how
03:41it goes.
03:49So basically, we're, we've, we've got a designer who's going to design the garden for us, but we need to
03:54grow some plants for it. So what?
03:57Six weeks?
03:58We don't have anything like that like lying around.
04:01What's it a grower to be if that things lying around with no purpose?
04:04Well, do you have some maybe that are not lying around, but like intentionally grown that we could take or
04:09borrow and bring back?
04:12Well, by the time you got them, they'd probably be this big, the tomatoes or courgettes, whatever, there'd be no
04:17flowers or anything exciting on them.
04:20So you can have lots of little things. You could have like the lily putty in garden, couldn't you, or
04:24something, you know?
04:25No. Okay, that's not quite a, quite the sort of abundant feel I'm going for.
04:31No.
04:32Okay, so what could you grow in six weeks?
04:35I could grow your trays of salads, maybe a few cut herbs, the annual ones.
04:40Yeah.
04:42All right, I can manage that for you, nothing else.
04:44Okay, thanks a million.
04:51With Mick, as a CEO, you expect these things all the time.
04:57Usually three impossible demands before breakfast, you know.
05:00It would have been lovely if Richard had all the stuff sort of waiting in pots for me, but as
05:05he said himself, like, you know, that's not his job to have stuff lying around waiting for my whims.
05:12So, at least we have a workaround, I think, that we can get stuck into now as well.
05:21On this farm, it's not all vegetables and flower beds. The team are also raring animals.
05:27Anya looks after the pigs, and Jolene keeps the bees in check.
05:30I've loved animals all my life. Any sick, lame dog or bird or whatever it was I brought home when
05:36I was young.
05:37So, definitely working with animals is a major advantage here for me as well. It's not just veg.
05:44My part in the animal welfare is to make sure they're fed, they're happy, and that's all we can do
05:51as part of keeping them well.
05:54Look, ultimately we know where they're going to and what we're farming them and raring them for,
06:01but our job is to make sure that they're happy and content and they have the best life that we
06:07can provide for them.
06:09Hello. How are you? Are you all sleepy? Are you sleepy? Oh, yeah. Want to come up and have some
06:16food?
06:17I'm sure they do think I'm crazy talking to the animals, but I mean, I love it and I talk
06:22to animals quicker than people usually.
06:26Come on, guys. Come on.
06:33Well, you never know whether they're going to be here in the morning or not when you come in because
06:37they are a little bit of escape artists.
06:39One morning we came in and there was like not a pig to be found and they kind of had
06:43broke out through the fence and they were just meandering along the riverbank loving life.
06:49So we got them back in there. They're kind of, you don't know, in general, they're very good, but they
06:55like to get into different things and, you know, cause chaos really and destruction.
07:02Good boy. I have a favourite pig, yes, that we named Aunt Vi. So she was a great character. She
07:11will come up to you in the mornings and she'll rub off you and she'll actually follow you till you
07:17give her her little ear scratch in the mornings.
07:19And she's just a super, super pig. And Vi took over as a nanny. So she was just absolutely super
07:27with them and they followed her everywhere. So give mom a break. But yeah, she's super.
07:34Hello. Oh, you love that. Oh, you do.
07:38Would there be a tear shed for that particular one? Tears. There'll be buckets of tears shed for that pig
07:45when she leaves. Yes, there will be. Yeah.
07:47We have heaps of photos and everything of her. So yeah, she'll definitely be a pig that will be remembered
07:54and in me heart for a long, long time.
07:58Good girls.
08:04I work weekends looking after pigs, chickens, anything else that moves in here I feed and look after.
08:10So I'm now the beekeeper since two months ago. There was a person who set them up initially last year.
08:18So they're very new bees.
08:20It's been a dream since I was a kid. I've always loved bees. So I jumped at the chance.
08:25They sponsored me to go do a course at the Dunhill Education Centre and here I am.
08:31I'm really excited that I get to produce the first honey, but it's also ever going to be the first
08:36harvest I will ever do because I've not been a beekeeper.
08:39So now I have the official title because there is honey there. I checked.
08:43So I'm an official beekeeper and hopefully all going well, GIY will be official producers of honey and sellers of
08:51honey.
08:55Everybody asks me, am I scared? And when I open the hive and they're all like there, all I feel
08:59is just elation and excitement and I love watching them work.
09:02I think they're a beautiful species.
09:04April is typically the time of the year that all beekeepers around the world will be checking their hives from
09:09winter.
09:10So you just check that there's a viable queen, that they're laying eggs, that everything's fine.
09:16There's lovely fresh honey cells. So that would be the, you can actually see the bees adding to it right
09:23now.
09:25Today I'm going to be adding supers. So in the bottom of a hive you have brood where the queen
09:30lays their eggs.
09:30Then you put a new layer on top with new frames in it and they're now, I'm giving them extra
09:35space to produce more honey.
09:38Hopefully all going well, there's going to be a nice bit of honey at the end of the summer.
09:41Even more exciting when I see people go into GIY and buy it and take it home.
09:46And you know, I know that my bees produce that and I helped the bees along with that.
09:54Back at GIY HQ, Mick has a meeting with Jen and it's not good news.
10:00Turns out some customers aren't loving having to collect the veg boxes at HQ.
10:05And cancellations are starting to creep in. It's the last thing the team needs.
10:09So can they fix it?
10:11We've had a couple of those.
10:13Many of those is now two or three.
10:16Yeah. In a reasonably short period. I think we had a bit of a kind of the novelty.
10:22I think now people are beginning to, as it becomes more often, it's becoming an issue.
10:27So it's something we probably need to solve.
10:28The one thing I've been thinking about is like, is there anything stopping us going with nationwide courier deliveries?
10:33Like get the boxes picked up here by courier.
10:37Couriers will kind of do a next day delivery anywhere in the country potentially.
10:41We're about local, right? So we're about kind of that local supply chain.
10:46And again, if we're starting to go into courier, we're starting to go nationwide, we're kind of losing a little
10:50bit.
10:50Yeah.
10:51So it's a balancing thing.
10:54Yeah. And we were trying to, like, we're trying to prove the points around short supply chain and all that.
10:59And, you know, food that's grown within X miles of where you live and all of that.
11:03So what, but like, if we're going to keep it in Waterford or close to Waterford, and we still need
11:09to get to the 150 boxes.
11:12But like, what are the levers we can pull if we're not going to go national delivery?
11:16So it's trying to get the best of both worlds, right? So I think, can we try and find some
11:21additional pickup points as a starting point?
11:24Okay.
11:25I think it's a step piece. We move out of GROW HQ, GIY, and then we move out maybe Dungarvan,
11:32Kilkenny.
11:33You know, these are areas that we know we can find, you know, customers who are interested.
11:37Okay.
11:38I think so. And let's see how that goes. And then if that doesn't work, next time.
11:42Oblivion.
11:42Oblivion.
11:43Okay. All right, so let's try it.
11:46Okay.
11:47Okay.
11:47Are you happy with that?
11:48All right. Yeah.
11:48Cool. All right. See you later.
11:49Thanks mate.
11:57With cancellations creeping in, Katie's on a mission to find alternative pickup points.
12:03And has decided on Dungarvan.
12:06It's just 45 minutes from HQ and could make life a lot easier for customers outside Waterford City
12:11when it comes to picking up their veg boxes.
12:15So she has arranged a meeting for Ali in a shop called Cass & Co, who may just want to
12:19be a new distribution point for the veg boxes.
12:23Yes, I'm feeling the pressure from the commercial side of things. Yes.
12:28Dungarvan is a perfect location for a distribution site because it's, you know, halfway between.
12:33It's a really good catchment area, a very foodie place.
12:37So we thought that this would be a perfect place to start.
12:41So we're here today. We're going to meet, we're going to meet the guys inside.
12:44And it's up to me to sort of, yeah, get it secured and get this distribution site set up.
12:50Every single box counts. Yeah.
12:52You know, if you, if it's a, if it's a, you know, you see a ladder, you see the target,
12:56you see the goal.
12:57And it's a, you know, you're going up the ladder. So you need to see progression. That's the only way.
13:01We don't want to just jump ahead and get 50 boxes. You know, we want to build it gradually.
13:06With the pressure on, it's down to Ali to get this one over the line.
13:10Can her powers of persuasion convince this shop owner to be part of the scheme?
13:16As the meeting continues, Ali seems to be making progress in selling the concept of the veg boxes.
13:27So I'm delighted that we have it done today.
13:29And now we have to find the next one and start the build.
13:33But this is key for starting the subscriptions and, you know, waiting for our van to come so that we
13:38can progress further.
13:45It's four weeks since we've checked in on the hens and we're heading back out to Curramoore to see how
13:49things are going.
13:51The mandatory housing order is still in place with no end in sight.
13:56And now Mick's starting to worry because if this keeps up, it could affect more than just the eggs.
14:02So there's literally nothing we can do. It's a mandatory housing order from the Department of Agriculture.
14:07So it's not quite the nightmare scenario. We can keep producing eggs and things like that.
14:12But like it's, if it goes on long, it question, puts the whole hen enterprise into question.
14:20Because like, do we really want to keep 200 hens permanently housed inside in a dark house here?
14:27Probably not. So like, that'd be a disaster if we were, if we weren't able to have our own eggs
14:33and have hens free ranging around the place.
14:35So like, whether it's a complete disaster or not depends on how long it lasts.
14:42With questions piling up about the eggs, Katie heads out to Curramoore to chat with Richard.
14:49Customers are starting to notice that the egg yolks are not as yellow anymore. So answers are needed.
14:54So they're not going to come to any harm, but they won't be as happy and they won't be laying
15:01such tasty eggs, unfortunately.
15:03When Katie returns to HQ, a marketing meeting is called. The goal? Get ahead of the complaints and figure out
15:10how to spin this story before it scrambles any more nerves.
15:13Richard was saying there's a migration season. So maybe at the end of May, when the birds have stopped kind
15:18of moving around, there might be a chance of us being able to let the hens out and let them
15:21roam free range, happy hens.
15:23But at the moment, we just have to sit tight, follow the guidelines and just hope it doesn't last too
15:27long.
15:27So it's going to affect our eggs. If you have any ideas, like how we're going to like spin the
15:31story a little bit, like even like a leaflet going out to people.
15:35Yeah, it definitely sounds like the easiest, most straightforward way to do it, to let people know what's happening and
15:41why they might notice the difference in like the eggs that they're getting from us.
15:45That's it. Decision made. It's flyer time. And Katie's been tasked with getting the message out fast.
15:51We haven't really communicated with any of our customers yet. And it's kind of the first time we're putting the
15:56information out there.
15:57The eggs don't look the same. The rules have changed. And the flyer tells to customers why.
16:02It's for the hen's safety and that they don't have the flu. This is going to prevent them from getting
16:06it.
16:06The most important thing, yeah. Exactly.
16:09Obviously, we need kind of the facts as one of the main things. It's an informational leaflet.
16:17The file design is just about to be checked. It will then be sent to Jen for a little check
16:21as well, making sure it's all okay.
16:22It looks nice, has the right tone of voice. And then, please God, we'll get it printed in time to
16:27go at Richard in about 20 minutes' time.
16:29And off it goes in this week's Vegebox. The team's done everything they can, so hopefully the customers understand.
16:38As the team deal with the egg situation, the CEO, in his wisdom, has had a bright idea.
16:44What if they could prove with actual data that the soil at the farm is packed with life and nutrients?
16:50That kind of story could be marketing gold. But, of course, not everyone's sold on that idea.
16:56So it's, yeah, I mean, Miclach looks at it from one way, which would probably help pay my wages. I
17:01look at it from another way.
17:06So, in true Mic fashion, he's called in an expert. This is Mike Walsh, soil scientist from SETU.
17:12And he's not here just for a quick look around, but he's here to start the process of testing the
17:17soil.
17:18First up, a visual inspection.
17:20If we just look at the very surface first, before we do any digging or heavy.
17:28So that's Matt, like, as soon as you do that, you can see lots of things, little creatures stirring for
17:33cover.
17:34Yes, there's an abundance of wildlife right here on the surface.
17:38Why is all that insect activity good?
17:41Because there's plenty of life in the soil and on the soil.
17:45So what would you expect to see, then, when we dig into this, Mike?
17:49Well, let's dig and see.
17:50Yeah, let's dig and see, then.
17:55Very satisfying crunch noise as well, Mike.
17:58There's nice structure there.
18:00There's good root formation, and the roots are getting right down.
18:04Yeah.
18:05It's exactly what you want to see.
18:07It's amazing, isn't it, Richard?
18:09It certainly is, but I've been trying to get that into you for eight years,
18:12and you just run away and leave me alone.
18:15Now that I've heard it from Mike, though, I'm totally on board.
18:17Maybe if I had a PhD, maybe you've listened to me, yeah.
18:22Visual inspection done, but don't worry.
18:24Mike and his team will be back to collect more samples.
18:27Because the real test, well, that happens in the lab.
18:30Soil samples, microscopes, nutrient reports, it's all on the way.
18:41Earlier in the episode, Mick had yet another bright idea, this time for Bloom.
18:46And he wanted Richard to grow herbs and salads for their big show garden.
18:50So let's check back in with Richard at HQ and see how he's getting on with Mick's latest deadline.
18:56Mick's given me the very short notice for Bloom, so I'd better get cracking now.
19:01So it's a bit of rocket going in into a tray.
19:06Head gardeners have always had the lord of the manor getting overexcited and coming up with crazy schemes.
19:13So I guess I'm just in a long tradition of long-suffering head growers, really.
19:23It's three weeks later and it's full steam ahead for Bloom.
19:26Jen from Marketing has made the trip to the Phoenix Park to check in on Mick and meet the garden
19:31designer as the show garden build gets underway.
19:34Let's see how things are shaping up.
19:38It's two weeks before Bloom, so I'm really, really excited to go in and see how our garden's faring up,
19:43how they're building all the other gardens.
19:44I've seen some of the designs that have been set up, but again, it's all on paper and I really
19:51just want to see what it looks like in real life and kind of see it come to life. So,
19:55exciting.
19:57Except that Jen arrives only to find an empty plot. No plants, no building, no sign of a show garden.
20:04This isn't just behind schedule, it's barely started. And Jen, she's speechless and that's never a good sign.
20:11This is what kind of happens when we come up with these mad ideas with weeks to spare.
20:16You know, it's a bit worrying, to be honest.
20:19The garden opens in two weeks' time and I'm standing on a pile of stones.
20:25So, yeah, it's a little bit worrying, to be honest.
20:29We're meant to be having a chat here at 10 o'clock.
20:32It's an hour to be seen, so I'm just hoping he gets here quickly because we have a lot to
20:37do.
20:41Hey Jen.
20:43What is this?
20:45This is lovely.
20:45It's a pile of stones.
20:48Yeah, but sure, it's ready for the magic to happen.
20:50You're joking me.
20:51Look around you, everyone else is half built.
20:54We have nothing. We've literally got a pile of stones and it's two weeks.
20:57Are you worried?
20:58I'm worried.
20:59Seriously?
20:59Yeah.
21:00I'm sure we have loads of time.
21:01Two weeks!
21:02That's what today's all about.
21:04All the magic happens today.
21:05Yeah.
21:06It starts.
21:07I want to see it before I believe it.
21:10Don't look so worried.
21:11Come on.
21:12It'll be good.
21:15At least Mick's staying positive.
21:18And right on cue, the first signs of progress.
21:20The garden frame arrives and the build finally kicks off.
21:24Now, with a shell in place, it's time for Mick and Jen to chat with the designer
21:28and figure out how this thing is actually going to come together.
21:32I mean, it's...
21:34Yeah, I mean, I can see the designs hopefully will come into something now.
21:39It's a footprint, but like...
21:45So, Barry, I think it's great that we've started.
21:48I know poor El-Jen is a bit freaked out there, but you've done this before.
21:51You know what you're doing, right?
21:52I've done it many times before.
21:53Don't have to be too freaked, Jen.
21:55Sure, I'll walk you through and we'll have a quick look.
21:56This is your typical balcony space.
21:59You go in there because you need to be most reassured, right?
22:02Under planting, I should say, we're going to have woodruff,
22:05you know, which is also edible strawberries,
22:08which is the Alpine strawberries,
22:10and a fern, believe it or not, osmunda.
22:13Really? A fern?
22:14You can actually eat the fronds on it.
22:15Oh, wow.
22:16So, it's a woodland, but everything is edible.
22:19So, on the wall here, we're going to have a herb garden, a vertical one.
22:22So, it'll be a series of planters all the way down,
22:24and plant it up with all the herbs you can require for culinary uses in your apartment, you know?
22:31So, that's quite cool in its own right.
22:33And then over here, we're going to have an entertainment area,
22:37because I don't think anybody, you know, would garden,
22:40would have to sit down and enjoy what you're doing, you know?
22:41So, that's what we'll have.
22:42A couple of seats over here,
22:44and beside it there, we're going to have what I classify as a mini orchard.
22:48Cool. So, we have a plan.
22:49Yeah, it's looking great.
22:50It is.
22:51Yeah.
22:51Next time you see this, here we go.
22:53Showtime.
22:54Showtime.
22:54Excellent.
22:55Right, let's do it.
22:56Cheers.
22:57Mick generally does, a lot of the time, turn out to be right, unfortunately.
23:01So, I think he, when he said, don't worry, I won't worry.
23:06I think it was really reassuring to listen today, to kind of see, to hear about that vision,
23:11and to really kind of be able to picture it coming to life.
23:14I think because it is a balcony garden, that's, you know, it's a lot of container work.
23:21It's, you know, so we can bring it in and hopefully will happen really, really quickly.
23:24So, I'm feeling a lot better, I think, now, and really excited.
23:31Coming up next week, we meet the real engine of the farm,
23:34the growing team of Áine and Gary.
23:36As the sun finally shows up, the problems follow.
23:39Drought hits Coramore, pushing the young crops to their limit,
23:43as Richard battles heat, pests, and the clock.
23:46The GI team heads to Bloom, Ireland's biggest horticultural festival,
23:50to see if their hard work can shine on the national stage.
23:54Meanwhile, back on the farm, the hens are still stuck indoors,
23:57thanks to avian flu.
23:58And Mick faces a very personal challenge.
24:00This could be really, really bad.
24:02That's all next week on Our Farm.
24:34The
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