All of our recent visits have been regular retuning partner schools, which is brilliant to see. The fact that organisations want to bring young people to our farm year on year is a great sign of the value of our provision.
Carew Academy brought a group filled with joy and enthusiasm, all of whom loved walking on top of an Iron Age hill fort in the Black Mountains and spending time with our very gentle chickens.
Our long-term partner Betha Earth have brought several visits to Hereford recently; the young people have loved spending time so close to nature, especially at this time of year when the hedgerows are filled with flowers and the pollinators are beginning to get so busy.
Coop Academy Failsworth organised a lovely follow-up visit after their time on the farm. During Chris’ visit, the group made cookies, after which the young people’s parents came into the school to be a part of a celebration afternoon with certificates, a video of their week on the farm and some reflections on how the young people had put what they had learned on the farm into practice.
No Mow May is well underway – the Hereford farm has extensive lawns which have been given to nature this month to allow wildflowers and a variety of grasses to flourish and provide pollinators with a wide menu! This fits nicely with the way our livestock is used to manage the pasture around the farm too. Regular moves allow the grass to grow deeper roots and a wider variety of species to thrive, which in turn increases the carbon capture our land is capable of.
Most of our Hereford cattle have relocated to the Bath farm to enjoy their abundant grass – we will miss them but they are already happy in their new home. Our pigs have successfully turned over a space ready for our new experimental ‘chaos garden’, where, once green manure has been grown and mulched in, vegetable seeds will be scattered randomly across the plot to see what grows and where.Â
We have enjoyed welcoming team members from other farms over the past few weeks to work alongside us, including Nia, Farm Manager at Bath and Matthew, Visit Coordinator at Lewes, as well as several members of Operations staff. Jamie’s Farm staff working on different farms allows us to effectively share knowledge and keep the family feel alive, as as we grow, Â
One of our longest-standing team members, Chris, will be leaving us at the end of summer to go and live by the sea and pursue his love of surfing. He will be very much missed by us all. We will shortly be recruiting to replace his role, so keep an eye on the Vacancies page soon!
The Jamie’s Farm Hereford open day is coming up this summer. It will be held on Saturday 15th July from 1100-1500, with a variety of farm tours, activities, stalls and food available as well as talks from young people and one of our founders. All are welcome and we hope to see you there! You can learn more and register here.
