OUR GROWERS – ROSS HAZEL FARMS
Ross Hazel Farm is a second generation family farm in Clonard, Co.Meath run by Lyndsey Orton. The farm has transitioned from simply growing mushrooms to its current status as an artisan producer of niche quirky veg.
Lyndsey stays on top of developments and builds on her existing knowledge by liaising with the experts in Teagasc and attending courses at the National Botanical Gardens.
Green Thinking
Lyndsey is passionate about nature & the environment around and puts her MSc in Environmental Management to good use by:
- Upcycling fruit & veg boxes and re-using crates from ReadyChef
- Rainwater harvesting
- Re-using used coffee cups for tomato seed planting
- Re-using unwanted pots from local garden centre.
- Enriching compost with spent mushroom compost, used coffee granules, egg shells & veg peelings from Compass, ReadChef & Reilly Mushrooms
- Using nettles, grass cuttings & cow manure from our fields as fertilizer
Lyndsey was introduced to the Compass team by William Tallon of ReadyChef who discovered our crop in Summer 2016.
In 2017 Compass Representatives, William Tallon and Lyndsey say down together for the first time. A firm bond was established.
Collaborating together and discussing crop ideas that would work for Compass and the farm led to building on products such as our wide variety of tomatoes. There are currently 30 different types growing at the moment!
Other curious and unique vegetables were trialled last summer such as Patty Pan Squash and the results were very positive…more should have been sown!
This year Ross Hazel Farm has researched various squash varieties to expand on the success of last year.