Lou is the owner of Cragend Farm with her husband Shaun, and deals with everything from Holiday Accommodation inquiries to egg collection from the chickens; she is the social media and web design finger-tapper.
Cragend Farm is embarking on a new harvest this year ... Mushrooms.
We are trying to growing Shitake and Oyster mushrooms on logs.
The sycamore trees in our wood had been marked for harvesting and so we cut a quantity down to use to grow mushrooms.
Unlike when burning a log on a fire, you need fresh, wet logs and a dark space to store them in.
We drilled holes in the logs and placed the mushroom plugs into the holes. They are then placed in a dark shed or under leaf mould in a space in the garden, and then we wait for the magic to happen.
If we are successful we should have some very tasty treats in the autumn, as they take 6-9 months to get going; but then they will then give us funghi for 3-5 years hopefully.
Find Out More About Cragend
Cragend Farm has a interesting and diverse history, from technical innovations to historic buildings. Tied in closely to the neighbouring Cragside Estate home of Victorian inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong.