Home Farmer Magazine November 2016 issue Back Issue

The November issue of Home Farmer effectively signs off the 2017 growing season, with a feature on using and storing late-season root crops, a brief elegy about garden bonfires and the value of potash, advice on getting soil fertile for 2017 (including three simple projects to improve productivity), and tips for getting polytunnels and greenhouses ready for winter growing to make the most of their micro-climates during the cold season. In addition to some wholesome winter-warming recipes in our root crops feature – including some delicious root roasts ‒ our food menu this month includes breakfast muffins with healthy tweaks for a flying start to the day, bread and butter puddings including a delicious savoury take on the format, and a ‘sweets and treats’ masterclass focusing on fondants and chocolates ‒ including a heavenly custard cream white chocolate bar ‒ with Christmas stockings in mind. Our November livestock section tackles using the winter closed season to best benefit your bees, a feature on keeping a small flock of ducks, and a new series on keeping sheep, with an introduction detailing seven essential skills for any sheep keeper. And all this is held together by a selection of our usual Home Farmer favourites, including Dot Tyne’s smallholder diary, our seasonal foraging column, part three of our ‘How to Be a Smallholder’ series, and our regular winemaking feature, which this month includes a home-made Beaujolais-style red wine and a traditional ginger wine recipe.