Springtime is always a highlight on the farm and it always feels such a privilege to be able to share this with our visiting groups. Last month we welcomed returning partners – Brent Virtual School, NUAST (Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology) and Baxter College. Highlights included daily sheep checks now that lambing season has finished and our ewes and lambs are out in the fields, letting out our chickens and ducks after a long bird – flu lockdown, and being together outside in our pizza hut to cook and share delicious pizza lunches. Our young people have also been taking good care of our four pet lambs (orphaned lambs reared on a bottle) with regular feeds and cwtches!
Blossom has started to appear on our orchard trees that we planted earlier this spring and we’ve spotted our first swallow! Our pigs are currently doing an important job in the shed where our cows spent the winter. They spend their days busy rooting – using their snouts to turn over the bedding. This means they are accelerating the composting, turning the bedding into nutrient available material. Â
Our Lowline cattle are now outside enjoying the spring grass. We have sectioned their field into cells in which they are now being moved every two days. This is better for the cows, the plants, the wildlife and the soil. Now, we just need the sun to shine, ready for our calves to be born!
At the beginning of April, we said au revoir to our Senior Visit Co-ordinator Dave. He is now the Head of Farm at Hereford and we wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his Jamie’s Farm career.
We have recently welcomed Marguerite Doherty to Team Monmouth. Marguerite’s role is as Delivery Specialist, leading sessions based at the Woodshed as well as other jobs on the farm.
