July has seen us welcoming a real range of groups to the farm. We welcomed a new school, Queen Elizabeth Girls School from Barnet, for the first time as part of our ongoing partnership with Bertha Earth – a great group of young people who were hugely engaged with everything we do on the farm to protect the environment and care for our surroundings. We were also delighted to see our second group this year from Greenwich Virtual School – a fabulous group of Children who are Looked After, who really got stuck in to all the jobs we asked them to do. Â
We were really pleased to have Varndean School from Brighton back. It’s always lovely to welcome young people who are more local to our Lewes farm and offer them an opportunity to explore an area that is so close to where they live – for many, this was their first chance to get up and explore the South Downs on our challenging Wednesday hike.
A dry June has given way to a changeable July on the farm – we’ve been busy making sure that our flerd (the flock of sheep and the herd of cattle) are regularly moved to allow them to enjoy fresh grass. We’ve also welcomed three new gorgeous dairy calves, who are proving a huge hit with our visiting young people, who are giving them their milk daily.
This month, we want to celebrate our outstanding housekeeping team. Led by our Lead Housekeeper Penny, our housekeepers do a brilliant job of keeping our farmhouse looking as good as it possibly can for our visiting young people, and work hard each Friday to make sure that the house is ready for our weekend Airbnb guests. We are lucky to work in a beautiful house, and it is wonderful to see the pride that all our staff take in keeping it looking fabulous for everyone who comes to visit.
We’re on the lookout for a few more volunteers to help us with different aspects of our programme. If you would be interested in volunteering at Jamie’s Farm Lewes, either working directly with young people or helping us to maintain our farm, please do get in touch with Clare Martin at claremartin@jamiesfarm.org.uk
