It has been an exciting month on the farm with two further Bertha Earth retreats in Bath. Bertha Earth are one of our key partners, a youth-centred environmental organisation working with young people between the ages of 11 and 18. Their mission is to grow a diverse network of young environmental leaders, storytellers and changemakers who reignite a great love for our planet.
We were able to welcome a larger group from School 21 and the site was buzzing with excitement. The young people really pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to overcome challenges, whether herding particularly bouncy lambs, displaying creativity in photography workshops or reflecting so openly about their Bertha Earth journey.
The young people of Reach Academy were a pleasure to have on the farm once again. They brought to life the key themes of the week with some great examples of collaboration (through den building to create a connected village), challenge (the hike in the sunshine was a real highlight for us all) and celebration around the campfire!
We were also joined by a group from our long-standing partner, Cranford Community College. The group did a fantastic job of demonstrating a real willingness to embrace the week and it was great to see young people grow in confidence, discover a natural farming ability and build special connections with the animals, particularly the horses. We feel very fortunate to have collaborated with partner schools for many years, enabling an increasing number of young people to visit the farm and share these enriching experiences with their peers.
Following these visits, we held our ‘Team Week’, which presents an opportunity for us to spend time in schools. We are thrilled to make the most of this chance to reconnect young people with their Jamie’s Farm experience, within their own setting. This week also allows us to gain a deeper understanding of life in schools, enabling us to better support not only the young people who visit us, but also their teachers and support staff. This month, we visited Bedminster Down School, Thomas Knyvett College and Carshalton Boys Sports College.
The end of lambing season has been welcomed by our farmers who remain busy as always, whether moving sheep and lambs currently mob grazing or carrying out checks on animals across three counties! Our commitment to regenerative farming methods has led to lots of reseeding of herbal lays and the planting of six hectares of kale. We also recently took delivery of ‘biology’ – a multitude of micro-organisms brought to us in large vats of water with molasses to keep them fed. At a recent corporate volunteer day, these were poured over muck in our bull shed to help it break down while also helping to maintain the nutrients within it. This process of carefully considering the microbial makeup of manure will help it become high-quality compost within eight weeks. There is so much fascinating science in farming that keep us on our toes and excitedly talking about the quality of muck!
On the 5th May, we represented Jamie’s Farm at the Great Chalfield Plant Fair, selling tasty cakes and hot drinks in the most wonderful National Trust site. It was a great opportunity to share more widely what Jamie’s Farm offers to young people, while also enjoying a day in a beautiful setting. Representing Jamie’s Farm at this event would not have been possible without the help of our fantastic volunteers who contributed to the event by baking some delicious treats and supporting us in person on the day making countless cups of coffee and tea – a big thank you to everyone involved.
