We're back....and straight into lots of jobs for the Autumn!  The students have been busy clearing the raised beds where the vegetables have finished; turning the soil, and spreading on our compost.  We have been planting more winter salads in the poly tunnel - our mixed salad bags are really popular on Fridays at the Country markets!  We have a few runner beans left, along with some broad beans and beetroot.  The covered yard is all cleared and stacked with hay and straw at one end, ready for the winter.
Thursday is 'horse care' and the students really enjoy getting the horses in from the field, and spending time grooming them.

Big news - our Quails have started laying! - All two of them / actually it might be only one - we are still not quite sure whether we have 2 females and 1 male or the other way round! Our hens are not laying very well at the moment, so we think we may have to buy some 'point of lay' hens in from someone locally.

Two of the weaners went off last week - they weighed out at 44 and 49 kilos - very presentable!  We have sold nearly all the pork already - one more to go in November.  Next week we are taking 4 ram lambs, and Butts Farm are buying them from us to sell in their shop!

Gerry and i have been busy attending several meetings about 'personalisation budgets, and inclusion'.  Hopefully this will mean we have a better understanding of how our students can get funding to attend the Care Farm in the future.

Do have a look at our website it's nearly finished....www.scrubditchcarefarm.org.uk  !!

 Next,  we are starting to put together / make items to sell at the Christmas Fair at Andoversford, in November.

a few bits and bobs before we start the new session!

I thought i would post a couple of photos to keep everyone up to date with what's been happening in the holidays!

First off, we have noticed over the past few weeks, how many hundreds of caterpillars they are - most of them seem to be eating our brassicas (Cabbage Whites of course!)  The 'Peacock' caterpillars have been feasting on the stinging nettles in the field - i'm glad someone likes them...we've had 'Painted Ladies', Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, and lots of Common Meadow Butterflies too.

Peacock Butterly Caterpillars
eating stinging nettles!

Danny's friend 'Storm' chewing
his belt!

Last week, we had a disaster with the contractor who was combining the corn - see photo!  The combine was only a week old...!!

The remains of the combine - it caught fire from dust in the
engine - due to the corn being SO dry this year...the wheels
exploded - scary!

Hen's and ducks are well, and the weaners are nearly ready to send off - we are taking two next Monday..and are deciding whether to breed from the Gilt..We are weaning the lambs tomorrow, and bringing them back up to the farm, to weigh them.  We have been approached by a farmer from Evesham; happy to lend us a ram for our 12 Ewes, so we will go over to check him out before finalising anything.

We had a terrible 'incubation' again, with only 2 chicks arriving - we must be doing something wrong...!  Let's hope they are both hens not cockerels!  The Quail are thriving - all three of them, and will go out to the hen run shortly, in their own ark.

Term starts on Thursday, so will be 'blogging' again shortly!