Lining up for the square dance

Before going to the regular Friday market in the Shambles today, I decided to go up to the top of the hills, to my local farm shop at Stancombe Beech Farm in Bisley. It is owned and run by at least three generations of the Dickenson family. I asked elder statesman Jim, for permission to photograph the current residents in the new barn.

Ashley, who is one of Jim's sons, has been very kind to me over the last couple of years since we first met. I love going up to see them and talking with him and Sally and anyone else who is there. They bring a very warm approach to their life's work, and you can somehow taste it in everything they produce. It is very grounding.

Today I bought a huge fresh cauliflower, some curly kale, purple-sprouting broccoli and Melody and Desiree potatoes all grown by them. Their fresh eggs are reared by one of the next generation who is aged fifteen; his chickens live in the adjacent wood and by day are free-ranging in the shop's yard. They are all very nearly organic and the potatoes are such good value, and the most tasty tatties I have had since my childhood.

Jim specialises in producing Dickenson's Honey, with many hives scattered around the local countryside, whilst his jars of honey are in all good shops as well as here!

The new barn they are slowly building was today home to the one product I didn't buy which is a pumpkin. I thought I will have to bring Helena up here so we can buy a really special one for Halloween. You may see that in a couple of weeks time.