March has seen a great run of groups!
There was a lot of laughter and celebration of wet, muddy weather with the fantastic group from BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole). This group were younger than our usual visitors, but they didn’t let this stop them trying out all the farm has to offer, and also impressing us with their amazing work ethic. A particularly memorable moment was when all the group, who weren’t content with merely paddling in the stream, decided that it was time to do push ups, sit ups and star jumps in the stream too… imagination and a ‘can do’ attitude means that even the wettest of weeks can be a lot of fun!
London Academy have been visiting the farm for years, and this time proved once more that young people who have little to no experience of rural life can thrive and achieve so much when given the opportunity! A busy week of vaccinating sheep, stacking logs and admiring mountain views was enjoyed by all.
Another great group joined us from Co-op Stoke on Trent, who showed their creative flair in the kitchen. A beautiful tray of brownies decorated with edible flowers they foraged can be seen below.
The Charter School North Dulwich joined us for a glorious week of mud sliding in the rain and grooming horses in the sun to reflect the rollercoaster weather. A special shout out to one young person who wanted to share her family recipe for banana fritters. Not only did she teach her cooking team to make them alongside her, but they ended up making a breakfast feast that was a Jamie’s Farm first.
This month saw a fantastic follow up with one of our regular partners, AIM North London. One of our team made the trip to London where they engaged in cooking sessions, using the skills they developed on the farm. A celebratory feast of cookies, pizza wheels and Bulgarian salad was enjoyed by young people, parents and carers, followed by watching the film of their week and accepting their Jamie’s Farm certificates.
And what a busy month out on the farm! The sheep are due to lamb in the next week, and the bulk of them are looking great. We have a fair few first time mothers, so we are excited to see how they get on. Some of our older lowline cattle have gone to Monmouth, leaving us with the younger ones and the fat bullocks. The weaners are looking plump and healthy and will go to market soon. Of the 2 sows, one is in pig; they’ve turned over the orchard and are now turning over a new patch in the garden for some crop planting. We are looking forward to 20 new rescue chickens arriving who will be a key part of our ‘chicken tractor’. We are reseeding our herbal leys. Â
Some exciting site news is that we have demolished our old pizza oven ready to make a brand new one! The process of pizza making; one group making the dough first thing, with another making the toppings and then cooking it for the rest of the team during lunch, is a fantastic part of the week. We look forward to eating many delicious pizzas out in the garden this spring/summer!
We had an exceptional cohort of applications for the Programme Delivery Specialist role. We are excited to say we have appointed our new team member… watch this space for her introduction in the April newsletter!
We are looking forward to attending a screening of Six Inches of Soil in Hay on Sat 13th April as part of the Hay on Wye farmers cluster. It is always great to have an opportunity to meet likeminded farmers in the local area.
Catch up with us again next month.
C
