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.

Friday 14 November 2014

November!

We have been busy here getting our weaners ready to go off.   We have been given some whey to feed as an extra boost, and the pigs love it!  we will be sending off three of our biggest weaners the last week of November, ready for Christmas Hams and sausages.  Do get in touch to book your pork.

happy pigs!
The students have been tidying up all our raised beds in the poly tunnel and outside for the winter, whilst also planting more winter salads inside, to sell to the pub.  We have some lovely red celery still growing outside, but other than that the poly tunnel is the best place to be from now on.  They have also been making newspaper pots to plant the sweet peas in; they will also over winter inside.
The Christmas Trees are looking great in our colourful red, green and white pots, and they will be 'dressed' next week, ready for the Fair.

We have the two horses back now, so the students are very happy.  They seem to especially like helping to put them out; doing their rugs, and bringing them in at the end of the afternoon, and brushing off some horrendous mud!  It's a great opportunity for some therapeutic bonding, as Manny particularly likes being cuddled.

We have had some kind of sickness in the hen run - 4 hens have keeled over and died recently, so i took one poorly one along to the vets to see if they could shed any light on the mystery.  Rob (vet) thinks it could be a bronchial problem, so we are putting anti biotics into their water, and also worming them for good measure.  Fingers crossed we don't lose any more.  Unfortunately 3 of them were Ella's new bantams.

'Baxter' joining his girls!
Our flock of Wiltshires are doing really well - all the ewes are down on the bank with 'Baxter', and the rest of the ram lambs are up here at the Care Farm, having a bit of 'finishing food' to help them on their way.  We supplied the local pub with their first lamb last month, and apparently they had really good 'feed back' from the customers, and so are having another one next week.

Don't forget to put 28 NOVEMBER in your diary for the Cotswold Christmas Fair at the Frogmill Hotel, as they are raising money for the Care Farm.

Saturday 1 November 2014

HALF TERM BREAK

Ella came home for half term, so while she was here, we went to pick up the Wiltshire Horn Ram, from Adrian Andrews in Stanton st Quinton.  He is called Baxter, and is very handsome.  Let's hope he performs as well as Neville from last year!

We have moved our lambs into the Orchard here at the farm, at the end of my parent's garden.  They love it down there, and look quite at home.   We will probably send another 2 or 3 off to the abattoir within the next week; having already sold 3.  The local pub, The Bathurst Arms, in North Cerney, have our lamb on the menu this weekend! www.bathurstarms.com

Ella was given some little bantams by Lucy, her aunt, as a late birthday present.  They look a bit like her favourite bantam, 'Fiver' that sadly got eaten by the fox this summer (along with all those others)  They have little top knots, and are terribly tame.  One keeps trying to sit on my arm when i'm feeding them - i had to take it up with me to feed the pigs this afternoon!  I am hoping that Ella might be able to take them with her to The Orchards, where she is moving to in a couple of weeks time.  It's still at The Orchard Trust, but more independent, and has a good bit of garden at the back - perfect for a little hen arc!

I discovered that the quail had been eaten yesterday - i think by rats...there was a tell tale 'run' in the corner of their arc - so disappointing...we'd managed to keep them out all summer.   So, no quail left now.  I think it is probably too late to incubate any more eggs; especially as colder weather is forecast for November.  We will have to start again in the Spring.

ps has anyone seen November's issue of 'Small holder' magazine?  There is an article about the care farm in it!