What’s in Season, what’s out?
It might not seem like it now, but relentless rain and heavy skies have defined much of 2026 so far, and this marks the slow winding-down of winter crops. Particularly in the north, farmers have been struggling – with some broccoli, cabbage and carrots becoming waterlogged and ruined. We’ll start seeing less winter veg anyways, as we reach the natural end of the celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes season and stored supplies of squash and onions start to run low.
At the same time, the first signs of spring are pushing through. Purple sprouting broccoli is increasing week by week as the light returns, and early salad leaves are back under cover, including winter purslane. In Walthamstow, greenhouse salads have arrived at Organiclea earlier than ever, and Sarah Green’s pak choi is ready, with cauliflowers grown in glass-houses returning too. Cabbages, kales and leeks remain steady and reliable, potatoes and carrots continue from store, and February becomes a bridge month — still rooted in winter, but with the first fresh greens hinting at what’s to come.
Looking ahead, farmers have started planting some of our summer favourites: tomatoes, chillies and aubergines on heated benches. Tomatoes and chillies need a long growing season to crop well in the UK, so starting them now gives them the best possible run in summer. Heated benches provide steady bottom warmth, encouraging strong root development while the air above remains cool.
Waterlogged Fields Can’t Breathe
Last year our farmers struggled through drought. This winter, the challenge has been the opposite: relentless rain.
Excess rain can ruin crops in different ways. It can spoil carrots and swedes in the ground like what happened to John at Newfields’ in Yorkshire, or, as at Shillingford, purple sprouting broccoli tight florets collect water, causing them to rot before harvest. Wet ground can also make it harder to get around on the farm, and using heavy machinery is impossible.
In the case of John’s carrots and swede, when soil becomes waterlogged, oxygen cannot reach plant roots or the microbes beneath them. Without air, nutrients stop flowing. This has also affected Shillingford’s Kalettes, which were seen wilting under these anaerobic conditions. Agroecological farmers keep soil covered with living plants overwinter to help counter this. The crop-cover’s roots improve drainage, maintain soil structure and reduce topsoil loss through run-off.
The Beginning of UK Winter Salad
There’s something that feels almost contradictory about eating salad in February. Salad is so quintessentially summery — long evenings, sun-warmed tomatoes — and yet here we are, harvesting leaves in the depths of winter. In fact, this is the earliest Organiclea’s has even been able to harvest their winter salad, a small but telling sign of shifting seasons.
Winter salads look and taste different from their summer counterparts. Instead of soft butterheads and cucumbers, we see hardy, slow-grown leaves. Winter purslane (miner’s lettuce) forms delicate, spoon-shaped leaves with a mild, succulent crunch. Mustard leaves bring gentle heat. Claytonia and baby leaf mixes offer sweetness and depth. Even winter lettuces have tighter structure and more concentrated flavour.
Grown slowly in greenhouses and polytunnels, these leaves build sugars to protect against the cold. The result is vivid, mineral, peppery flavour, nothing like the watery, bland salad leaves you’ll find in your local supermarket salad bag.
There’s a nutritional difference too. Salad harvested locally and eaten soon after picking retains more vitamins and phytonutrients. Cold-grown leaves often contain higher levels of protective compounds developed in response to stress and low light. Winter salad isn’t a novelty, it’s more flavourful and nourishing.
The Coveted West Lancashire Black Soil
If you notice darker, almost black soil clinging to your carrots, that’s West Lancashire’s famous black sand loam. It isn’t ordinary earth. This soil was formed from centuries of reclaimed mossland and peat, which means it’s naturally high in organic matter, the decomposed plant material that gives soil its deep colour and fertile structure.
That organic richness makes it unusually light and workable compared to heavy clay. It’s loose enough for roots to grow straight and evenly, which is why carrots and parsnips from this region are often beautifully shaped. At the same time, it holds moisture well without becoming compacted, giving crops steady access to water and nutrients. Its dark colour also helps it warm quickly in spring, allowing growers to sow earlier than they could on paler soils.
Our friends at Royal Oak Farm are now one of the only remaining family-run veg producers in an area that 40 years ago supported dozens.
Thanks for Reading
Eating with the seasons and supporting sustainable farms is one of the simplest ways to be part of changing our food system: it champions environmentally responsible farming, cuts down food miles, supports UK farmers, and ensures your fruit and veg are at their peak flavour and freshness.
From storms to pests to the pressures of a changing climate, our farmers tackle it all. By sharing their stories, this newsletter brings you closer to the land, the natural rhythms of the seasons and what it takes to put food on our plates.
Each edition offers simple guidance on what’s in season, stories from the farms we work with, and a window into the world of organic and regenerative agriculture.
This newsletter grew out of our work running Kentish Town Vegbox, a community-owned, not-for-profit veg scheme connecting North Londoners with small UK farms since 2012. Every week we see the beauty and the challenges of seasonal farming up close, and we wanted to create a space to share those stories with you.
We hope this newsletter helps you feel more grounded in the seasons, more connected to the farmers who grow your food, and more inspired by the incredible work happening on UK farms.
See you in your inbox soon,
Caleb & The Vegbox Team
