Summer is a joyful time on the farm, even when rain plays more of a role than normal. We’ve had a busy August with visits for looked after young people from Hillingdon Virtual School and Warwickshire Children’s Services. We also welcomed back to the farm a group of visually impaired young people, from Look UK.
These visits have been full of the joy of the summer holidays; paddling in rivers, throwing frisbees amongst the freshly made bales and harvesting endless produce from our beloved polytunnel. There have also been some exceptional hikes in the Black Mountains, with young people visibly awestruck by the views that we are lucky enough to have right on our doorstep.
As one of the staff from LOOK UK shared:
“When J arrived at the farm, we were prepared for her to be non-verbal for a while until she felt more comfortable. She has experienced severe bullying at school and is very socially isolated. J quickly became confident within the group, happy to share in check-in meetings and developing strong friendships. By her birthday on Thursday, she said that it was the best birthday she’d ever had.”
To hear more about our impact on young people, particularly those with visual impairments, listen to an interview here on BBC Hereford & Worcester, recorded with LOOK UK during their stay.
Out on the farm, we are relieved to report that we have managed to bale more hay than was first expected. After such a rainy summer, other farmers will know the struggle that this has caused many across the UK.
Across our farm, we pride ourselves on using our own meat, reared with exceptional welfare standards. At the Hereford site we ran a new project, raising chickens for meat – a first for Jamie’s Farm. The chickens are able to roam, benefitting the ground and enabling young people to see firsthand how differently a laying chicken looks from a meat chicken. It has been a fascinating learning curve for all involved.
As the summer term comes to a close, we celebrate the first full term with our new Head of Farm, Dave. Joining us after many years at the Monmouth farm, we’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to Dave for bringing so much energy, vision and experience. He leads by joyful example, and we are thrilled to have him here!
