We’re continuing Autumn with four schools we have been working with since September, all of which are based across Yorkshire.
Co-op Oakwood and Co-op Beckfield join our team on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on Wednesdays we have been enjoying the company of young people from Upper Wharfdale and Co-op Priesthorpe. The collective energy and enthusiasm for our favourite hike route to Malham has been very impressive across the board. The sun broke through, breaking all stormy forecasts and offering us some spectacular views across the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales. The groups finished their visits on top form with the last of the year’s BBQs, some lovely warming bonfires and celebrations of their hard work.
Mushrooms are emerging in our nearby woodland and silage, and the barns are being prepared the cows who are soon to arrive for their winter B&B.
The team is preparing to celebrate the birth (29 years ago) of our esteemed farm manager, Mark. Other than that, we have enjoyed settling in to our new rhythms and finding as much time together as possible.
One of our young visitors arrived five weeks ago with a vocal disdain for the idea of cooking. On week six, he checked out as a ten-out-of-ten with his highlight acorss the whole visit being his time spent in the kitchen, particularly caramelizing onions with Mark. He left the farm clutching a Jamie’s Farm cookbook ready to show his family his perfect sauté technique.
Our visitors came into their own during our hikes. Two recent visiting young people found metaphors in the landscape to illustrate their Jamie’s Farm journey. Having started ‘withered and tired like that old empty tree’, they decided they were ending their time at Jamie’s Farm ‘enriched with happiness and life like the leafy Autumn branches of a big beautiful tree.’
We were incredibly lucky to host some wonderful young people and exceptional staff this term and are looking forward to welcoming back some of the same staff back in a couple of weeks.
