LOCATION!

We are located 4 miles north of Cirencester, between the villages of North Cerney, and Woodmancote. From A435 you take the turning towards Bagendon, go up past the Church to the T junction. Turn right towards Woodmancote and Scrubditch Farm is approximately 100 yards on the right. The Care Farm is situated down the drive, up the track on the left.
From A417, turn off at Perrotts Brook/Daglingworth, and proceed towards Perrotts Brook. Just before the A435, turn left towards Woodmancote. Go for approximately 1 1/2 miles and Scrubditch Farm is on the right, just past the Bagendon/North Cerney Cross Roads.

Thursday 20 June 2013

week 10

Great excitement last week - we were runners up in the finals of the Community Project category at 'HEART OF THE COMMUNITY AWARDS'!   Gloucestershire Echo, and Gloucestershire Media organise the event every year, and we were put forward by a supporter.   It was a lovely event held at Hatherley Manor outside Cheltenham.  The 'GEAR' project won the community award - a very worthwhile project that looks after and helps homeless people, alcoholics and drug users.  Hopefully we may get put forward again next year!

We had a series of Open Days last week too - On Monday the Echo photographer arrived first thing closely followed by the Standard photographer..!  They took some lovely shots of Helen and William feeding the weaner pigs and poultry.  One of our visitors cycled from Swindon to see the Project - that's about 18 miles each way...!  He is a minister, and Helen was thrilled when he suggested 'blessing' all the animals at the Care Farm - Helen marched him off and they walked round the entire field blessing all the sheep, hens, ducks and piglets!
Helen grooming 'March' the Ewe she
named !

Thursday the weather wasn't as good but it was still a busy day showing guests around.  We had a visit from one of our oldest 'Friends' - Win is 91 and came round for a coffee to see us all!

Gerry has organised with 'Country Markets' (ex WI) to take some of our produce to sell on a stall each Friday outside the Brewery Arts Centre in Cirencester - a great success - especially our Salad Bags and eggs!
Two of our broody hens 'sharing'
their duties!

Mark forcing a smile - while planting
out leeks!
Next week i'm away on holiday, so i'm leaving the Care Farm in the capable hands of Gerry; our newly appointed Manager!  Everyone is off to 'A BREATH OF FRESH AIR' the amazing Sculpture exhibition at Quenington - the students have been invited to take part in a workshop in the afternoon, and a guided tour of the exhibits.

This week on Monday we got all the sheep in to check them over, worm the lambs and trim their feet, ready to go off to the Bank field for the summer.  There is so much grass down there, we have fenced off a smaller area for them for now.  We are going to make hay / haylage with the rest of the field hopefully in a fortnight.

Today we moved the weaners to their woodland home - just in case it gets really hot here next week - bound to if we are going away!  They love their new home and can stay there until we finish fencing the rest of the wood; when we will move them round and rest this end again.  Mark was trying hard not to glaze over with boredom planting leeks - not his best area the horticulture!  Gerry took turns with the students working with Manny and Patch our two horses - much more preferable to most of them!

Friday 7 June 2013

week 9

This Monday we had the local 'Stroke Club' here for a visit!   They had a lovely time; the weather was fantastic, and we managed to wheel them out to the field, where Helen told them all about the sheep, hens & ducks!  We had some cakes left over from the Car Boot Sale (see update on that opposite) and so had a lovely long break in the sunshine!  Gerry brought some of the chicks out to show everyone, and they got a chance to hold them if they wanted to - all in all a very successful morning.

Helen 'watering' the piglets!
Taking a bath!

The piglets are settling in really well, and Helen had a great time tickling them and sprinkling them with a watering can.....!




On Thursday i left Gerry in charge, as i had a rather important appointment with Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.....we were invited to a Garden Party, along with 7,998 other people!!   Mike and i had a lovely afternoon,with a delicious tea!  We walked round some of the 40 acre garden (as much as my high heeled shoes would allow....!)
Mike and i before we went off to
the Palace!

 Meanwhile, while we were 'taking tea', Gerry and the students had a very busy day, fencing in the hens and ducks - finally we have proper posts and some brilliant fencing panels - all put together by our Thursday 'crew'.  The posts were put in professionally with a huge tractor and post hole rammer - even so it was incredibly difficult as it is SO stony!  Well done to all the students for working incredibly hard to get ready for our Open Days next week.