The Belly Awakes
There’s something about January that makes you stop and take stock. The days are still short, the fields are quiet, and the polytunnel is doing its patient work keeping things ticking over. But beneath the surface, quite literally, things are stirring. And so are we.
It’s been a busy winter here at Yellow Belly Farm. While the beds have been resting, I’ve been anything but. I’ve spent the darker months building new systems, refining workflows, finding new people and carving out time to think properly about where this farm is headed. Running an organic market garden on a part-time basis while holding down a full-time job isn’t for the faint-hearted, but I’m more committed than ever to making this place not just work, but thrive.
And this year once again, I’m not doing it alone.
New Hands on the Farm
We’re delighted to share that we’ve brought two skilled growers onto the team. Both bring years of experience and a genuine passion for organic growing, and I couldn’t be more delighted to have them with us. It’s a big step for a small farm, and one that’s going to help us do more of what we love, growing good food and sharing it with our community. The new team will help run the day-to-day growing operations, prepare for the big plant sale and contribute to a new landscaping project for the farm Retreat – see more below on that. They’ll also help bring up our new fruit-cage which will be about 90m³, and we hope to churn out factory loads of beautiful juicy organic berries and fruit in the coming years.
The Veg Box Scheme is Coming, Finally!
This is the one we’ve been planning for a while now, and 2026 is the year it happens. We’re launching an online click-and-collect veg box scheme, bringing you the freshest seasonal produce straight from our beds to your table.
Collection points will be available in Midleton town and here at the farm itself. Whichever suits you best.
We’re still finalising the details, so if you’d like to be first to know when we launch, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Instagram where we’ll be sharing all the updates as they come.
Plant Sale: May 16th – Save the Date
Pencil it in. Better yet, ink it in.
Our plant sale is back on Saturday, May 16th, and it’s going to be bigger and better than last year. We’re talking thousands of organically grown transplants ready to take home: vegetables, flowers, and herbs across a brilliant variety of cultivars. Each tray of 12 plants gives you a proper head start on your own growing season.
There’ll be a farm walk on the day, refreshments, and plenty of space to wander and chat. And if the wet type of weather decides to make an appearance? No bother. We’ll be set up in our sheltered pergola, rain or shine.
We’re also planning to have some spring farm produce along with bags of organic certified compost available for sale on the day, so you can leave with everything you need to get planting and eating.
It promises to be a great day out, and we’d love to see you there.
A Little Teaser: Glamping & Farm Shop at Yellow Belly Farm
I only announced this a few months back, but it’s been in my mind since I started the farm in 2022. The planning process kept me quiet for a long time, but now that it’s through, I can finally share what’s coming.
We have stunning cabins on their way from Latvia along with a farm shop. Beautifully crafted spaces that will sit within the organic farm landscape. Elena and I recently travelled to Riga to visit the manufacturer and see them up close and personal. Minus 8 and snowy, but worth every frozen moment. This won’t be your typical glamping experience. We’re creating something peaceful, immersive, and deeply connected to the land, an experience centred around food and health, where guests can slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the natural world.
More to come on this soon. For now, just know that it’s happening.
Yoga on the farm? Is that a thing?
We’re also hoping to offer our covered pergola for rental, so you could soon be coming up to the farm for a yoga or pilates class and heading home with a bag of salad. Not a bad way to spend a morning. If you’re a yoga teacher looking for a space, see more here and get in touch.
Farm-to-Fork Meals
We’re planning to host our farm-to-fork meals again this year, with one in September as part of the Feast Cork festival. Last September, 40 people came together here to enjoy local organic food in a beautiful setting, cooked by local chefs Gary and Winnie. Almost everything they ate was grown here on the farm and let’s just say I was glad I ended up being a guest at the table. That parsnip cake! It was one of those evenings that just worked – well, despite that fecking easterly wind. And that’s another thing on the list – cover the side of the pergola.
There’s something about the simplicity of good food, breaking bread together, the conversation that flows when people sit down at a shared table. Human connection. It’s what it’s all about, really. A champagne reception helps too.
This is one of the reasons the farm exists. To bring people together for good food and health. We can’t wait to do it again.
Spring is Stirring
It’s been an incredible start to the year. Low golden sunshine streaming across the icy grass, Basel and Berry prancing playfully in the distance, the supermoon, clear crisp skies. An utter joy to behold and incredibly energising.
Even though we’re still in the grip of winter, spring is just around the corner. You can feel it. The light is returning, slowly but surely, and across the farm, life is already recycling itself.
Our green manures have been holding the fort all winter, keeping living roots in the soil, protecting it, feeding it. Soon, we’ll chop them down, cover the beds with fabric, and let those nutrients and minerals make their way back into the earth. It’s a wonderful system, really. One that nature has already given us. All we have to do is step back and let it work.
It’s the core of how I grow food here – No synthetic products from the shelf. Just time, patience, and trust in the biology of the soil.
By early February, we’ll be seeding our first plants of the season. Tomatoes, peppers and onions will lead the way, followed by salad greens, beetroot, turnips, carrots, leeks, and all the rest. The propagation benches will fill up fast, and before we know it, we’ll be planting out again.
It’s a rhythm we’ve come to love.
Here’s to the Year Ahead
We’re heading into 2026 with energy, purpose, and a real sense of excitement for what’s to come. Thank you for being part of this journey with us, whether you’ve been here from the start or you’re just discovering the farm now.
If you’d like to stay in the loop, sign up for our newsletter or give us a follow on Instagram. We’ll be sharing plenty of updates as the season unfolds.
Here’s to good soil, good food, and a great year ahead.
– Conor, January 2026
