Food for the soul !

The only photo of the day , the vegan GF soul cakes made from a recipe from Harling Darling which I adapted . I added in several spices including anise and have already munched through several . I have been trying to eat small and simple meals in the hope that by taking the pressure off the digestive system I will get shut of the virus that seems to reside in both the guts and respiratory system and is reluctant to leave . It’s tiring to have been carrying it around for several weeks or so .

On a more interesting note we had a fascinating encounter in the garden centre that we visited in order to purchase some suitable potting mix to start seeds off in . There were few customers ( just the two of us) , a cold , windy showery day and the owner had time to engage us in conversation. After a bit of chat , I don’t really do small talk , so it was serious from the outset it transpired that we had met a kindred spirit.
There were many facets to the conversation which centred on the environment but the main take home part for us linked to using coir as an alternative material to peat in compost.
You might know this already but it’s not a good product to use as it comes from places as far away as India and Sri Lanka . It has to be washed which uses precious water , already scarce in these localities and then the washings leave toxic chemicals in the runoff. The workers are exposed the these chemicals , to dust and are working in poor conditions. As the coir would usually be used as fertiliser in the regions where it is produced the exportation means that the farmers have to buy agro chemicals for their land . Does it sound a familiar tale of exploitation ? I have spent the last few hours trying to find useful sources of information on the internet about coir and also about alternative forms of compost to use . I will post the least biased link which I found just in case it’s of interest.
I have always been interested in soils , so I have enjoyed perusing whilst sitting in front of a blazing fire .

https://www.pomona.edu/farm/blog/posts/organic-farming-are-our-alternatives-actually-sustainable#:~:text=Despite%20the%20fact%20of%20coco,exposed%20to%20an%20unhealthy%20environment”