Twice voted the BBC Farmer Of The Year, he writes on farming, food, cooking and his search for better ways of running a business
Last week we were visited by some of our growers from Andalucia. For years they’ve produced tomatoes, citrus, peppers, beans and aubergines for our veg boxes – produce which we can’t grow at home without heating them with fossil fuels. As I approached Pepe, who this year has grown the spinach and asparagus which precedes the UK crop, I extended my hand with typical English reserve, only to be pulled into an extended Andalusian embrace.
After six years, what started as a trading relationship has developed into a lasting friendship; one that has benefited both of us and our box customers. He has grown some great vegetables and made our lives easier; we have paid our bills on time, only complained when justified and balanced negative with positive feedback. When things have gone wrong we’ve not sunk into blame and retribution, but have worked together to sell the excesses, deal with the shortages and work our way around quality issues.
