LittleErnie's Blog

December Now
Dec 12, 2007 | 12:13 PM PST
Tag: Labor

Back in the land of the living- It was not a cold and it was not the flue but it was horrible and virulent. Everyone seems to have had it or have got it. Having recovered the tasks of Christmas are now being undertaken. We had our lat Garden Group meeting of the year and an orchid expert entertained us for two hours, punctuated by coffee, tea and mince pies. My blue fir in the front garden is adorned with 200 blue leds and looks good as the lights twinkle.

I read the blog lamenting on the lack of immigrant labour to help on farms. Here in the East of England there are masses of labour from Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Estonia, Portugal, Ukraine and Moldova. Though there is a very high degree of automation the factory is now in the field. For example when harvesting celery the machine digs it up and washes it and it is passed by conveyor to  the team who trim it and bag it and it is then boxed. All this takes place under cover as the shed moves over the field by day and night. also in the area we have the largest frozen chip(aka French Fries factory in Europe. (two nations divided by a common language).

Many of the local farmers have purchased farms in Spain and Portugal to ensure year round salad supplies.

After Christmas more garden tidying will be undertaken  bearing in mind a local saying as the days grow longer the grow colder!