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The
spark of the idea for the chilli patch originated in 2005 when I caught
a tiny bit of a news item about The The
South Devon Chilli Farm. The idea of growing beautiful plants then eating
and selling their fruits was instantly appealing.
At the time I was teaching student homeopaths and running my homeopathic
practice in Gateshead, Tyneside. Terry was running a B&B business from
our home in Northumberland on Hadrian´s Wall.
The
idea of moving to Spain to a finca where we would open a retreat had been
simmering for quite a few years. In 2005 we took the decision to put our
dream into action. I gave a year’s notice of my resignation from the
homeopathy college and we began to look for an area of Spain where we could
put down roots.
Then followed quite a few “coincidences” or maybe you prefer
“synchronicities”. I was shopping in Hexham and happened to
walk past a shop displaying kitchens. There on the wall of the kitchen in
the window was a magnificent poster of chillis. I stopped in my tracks.
I can’t remember the exact feelings at the time but thinking back
it was like being shaken into remembering. A bit like when someone says
“You’ve just broken my dream”. That was the “wake
up” call, the spooky bit followed.
I’d
bought a local newspaper The Hexham Courant and there in the classifieds
was an advert for people to work on a chilli farm in Northumberland! Now
is that spooky or what! I had no hesitation in phoning Dan who I referred
to then and now as The Chilli Man. A few days later I went to see him at
Trees Can't Dance, his business in Coanwood.
He’d already met another interested person called Beckie who has since
become a main member of his team. Beckie had been intending to pursue the
path of homeopathy and turned up at college to attend some “sample”
classes. One of these was mine! The call of the chillis was stronger than
the call to homeopathy so she never did enrol. Before we moved to Spain
and just after she was incredibly helpful, organising chilli seed for me
to try in Spain.
The
South Devon
Chilli Farm was my first inspiration and without having met me Steve
and Jason have always responded to my questions related to chilli growing.
I continue to enjoy their newsletter and web site.
Trees Can't Dance was inspiring as I was able to see poly tunnels of beautiful
plants growing in a “difficult” environment. It was really exciting
to walk around the site of Trees Can’t Dance and to listen to Dan
talk about his vision. I will always be grateful that he gave some of his
valuable time. Without knowing it, he was the beginning of the path to The
Chilli Patch. I never did get to work for him but somehow I don’t
think that was ever part of “the plan”.
And
so to Spain, Andalucia, near Malaga in September 2006. Dan generously sent
seed and I promised to send some sample chillis. Chillis grow well here,
but I had a harsh lesson to learn. Planted in February I cosseted those
seeds and seedlings. I labelled them well and charted when they showed their
heads. I covered them with polythene each night to keep them cosy and sprayed
them through the day to keep them cool.
One morning we went into the pueblo to collect our post. It was a bit cool
so I left the seedlings snuggled under their polythene. We returned at mid
day and the sun was beating down so I peeled the polythene from the trays
to be surrounded by a cloud of steam. Peering through it I could see wilted
bits of greenery. Our precious seedlings had been steamed! Imagine the feeling
of devastation after weeks of carefully tending our precious crop. The following
day I planted most of the seeds we’d been sent from Northumberland
and brought them up in a harsh and neglectful way. This seems to be the
hallmark of Spanish living in the campo. Not long afterwards I transplanted
some very healthy Habanero, Jalapeño, Ring of Fire and Thai Dragon
which produced wonderfully fiery chillis.
In 2008 we had a good harvest of Thai Dragon, Ring of Fire, Habanero and from a gift of mixed Cayenne seed from our friend Irene.
The winter of 2008 was long and wet. Spring seemed a long time coming and our seed took a long time to germinate. The resulting crop for 2009 was interesting. Seedlings of Thai Dragon and Ring of Fire, plants which flourished in 2008 made a brief appearance then disappeared! The Jalapeños flourished as did various Cayennes which made a return and are now bushes. We found some fleshy round chillis which we don’t remember planting.
In January 2010 with cold wet weather quite unlike any experienced in Andalucia for 60 years we expected our little patch of unprotected chillis to be dead or at least hibernating but they went on producing even if at a much reduced rate.
The Chilli Patch Today –
We
were inspected by CAAE (Comité Andaluz de Agricultura Ecológica),
were accepted and joined the process of conversion for Organic Certification.We
were helped on our way by two lovely, supportive people who have joined
our journey of “synchronicities”. Malcolm and Conny grow herbs
at Cortijo Cornelio.
Some time ago I received an email from them advertising their lavender.
I meant to reply but time passed. I had little twinges as I was prodded
to do something about their email. It felt important to contact “like
minded” people who grow beautiful plants with as little intervention
as possible and definitely without poisonous sprays! Somewhere along the
way I lost their email.
One day I was at the computer and I decided to see if I could find this
lavender farm. Thanks to Google, Cortijo Cornelio appeared and I sent an
e mail. A phone call from a very enthusiastic Malcolm gave us the boost
we needed to develop our patch.
Today we have what is literally a patch of chillis on our farm in Andalucia. This little patch produces so many chillis that even after making sauces and jams and using them in cooking we still have jars full of dried chillis and a freezer full of fresh chillis.
We made the decision this year to discontinue the organic certification with CAAE. We still grow our chillis as we did when we started, with no chemicals but we felt that the yearly charge made by CAAE was too great a price to pay for our little patch.
Our gallery shows our harvest of 2011 chillis.
The first batch of chilli salsa is made,bottled.... and sampled.... Delicious!
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