Tuesday, 4 September 2018
AUTUMN TERM BEGINS!
Dear all, after the hottest summer on record, we are now starting our next term. During the summer holidays Tigger (yes the runt of last year's litter) had her first brood - 9 gorgeous piglets! They are all doing well, although we do seem to have Tigger no. 2 who is quite a bit smaller....we were worried we would lose her during the first 24 hours, and ended up giving her 'lamb quick start' as we didn't have anything hand for piglets!
We took Tigger, her piglets, our halter trained ewes, Beatrice & Alice, and 3 bantams to a Fete last weekend - they all behaved beautifully, and caused a real stir in the grounds of a beautiful house in the Cotswolds! Tigger managed to kick over her water and make herself a wallow...and of course the piglets all joined in....hopefully that small bit of garden will grow back again!
The lambs have all been weaned, and the ewes are getting ready to be 'flushed' on some lush grass before we put Barnaby the ram out with them again in October. He had to have a quick operation in July as his horns were starting to grow round into the side of his face.......there was a lot of blood when the vet sawed them off (having first given him a pain killer) and i sat astride him to keep him still! They look fine now....and he looks in peak condition.
The ducks seem to have gone off the lay again sadly.....it happened last year - let's hope it's not for so long this time. Hens are laying a bit, but the bantams also seem to have stopped - i think it's the changing weather....
Our funding Appeal is still going strong - we are nearly there, and hope to start work before the end of September, on the entrance to the new site.
We have been running a very successful weekly dementia session, and will be continuing during the Autumn - anyone with dementia (and their carer) is welcome. The sessions are similar to those we do with our students - feeding the animals, planting and picking produce, and having a chat over tea and coffee (with cake of course!)
Yet again technology has got the better of me, and the photos i was hoping to upload still appear to be in my phone....and not in my dropbox as i thought - next time !
Saturday, 28 April 2018
LAMBING'S OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR!
I'm afraid the blog has been put aside...with lambing happening it's difficult to keep up with everything else!
We had a very successful lambing - and didn't have to help any of the ewes lamb this year. We had 7 ewe lambs are an awful lot of ram lambs - 18 in total! Most of them have gone down to the bank for some lovely spring grass. We have Alice and Scarlet up at the Care Farm for a few days as we had a new group of students here. They are from Gloucester College Foundation course, and are doing a six week course - looking at different modules of farming and horticulture. It's called the 'CAN DO' project, and we hope it will give the students an idea of other avenues to explore when looking for work.
We are busy planting loads of seeds in the poly tunnel and outside - making the most of the nearly constant rain and little bits of sunshine! We are growing 'plugs' for a local nursery at Miserden, and students planted 7 1/2 dozen Tomato seeds on Wednesday! When they get to about 3 inches tall, they will go back to the nursery to be sold on to customers. Next we will be planting courgettes, cucumbers and runner beans.
We have a boar running with Tigger and Sandy - he's been here for three weeks and i think Tigger looks pregnant already (everyone laughs at me when i say that!)
We will be at the BIG HEALTH CHECK DAY in Gloucester again this year on 22 MAY at OXTALLS TENNIS CENTRE, along with lots of other local groups and exhibitors.
Our expansion Appeal is going from strength to strength - we have raised over £100,000.00 so far.....but we still need more - so if you would like to fund raise for us get in touch!
We had a very successful lambing - and didn't have to help any of the ewes lamb this year. We had 7 ewe lambs are an awful lot of ram lambs - 18 in total! Most of them have gone down to the bank for some lovely spring grass. We have Alice and Scarlet up at the Care Farm for a few days as we had a new group of students here. They are from Gloucester College Foundation course, and are doing a six week course - looking at different modules of farming and horticulture. It's called the 'CAN DO' project, and we hope it will give the students an idea of other avenues to explore when looking for work.
We are busy planting loads of seeds in the poly tunnel and outside - making the most of the nearly constant rain and little bits of sunshine! We are growing 'plugs' for a local nursery at Miserden, and students planted 7 1/2 dozen Tomato seeds on Wednesday! When they get to about 3 inches tall, they will go back to the nursery to be sold on to customers. Next we will be planting courgettes, cucumbers and runner beans.
We have a boar running with Tigger and Sandy - he's been here for three weeks and i think Tigger looks pregnant already (everyone laughs at me when i say that!)
We will be at the BIG HEALTH CHECK DAY in Gloucester again this year on 22 MAY at OXTALLS TENNIS CENTRE, along with lots of other local groups and exhibitors.
Our expansion Appeal is going from strength to strength - we have raised over £100,000.00 so far.....but we still need more - so if you would like to fund raise for us get in touch!
Tuesday, 6 March 2018
SNOW'S GONE.....NEARLY!
Hello again - long time no blog!! This term is flying by...and has been exhausting with the next lot of snow that arrived last weekend. We had to resort to taking water up to the pigs on a sledge!!
Sandy and Tigger have moved in together and have settled in very happily. We are now waiting for a boar (a new one so he's not related to Tigger) and hope to run him with the two of them. Piglets for summer with any luck.
The ewes look great and are now being fed twice a day and will be coming back to the farm this week. One stupid ewe managed to get her horn stuck and ripped a whole in her ear.....so much blood!
It's healed up now thankfully.
The wethers (last year's lambs) we sold 7 last month, and have another 9 left. Two of them will be going off to the butchers shortly so will have some lamb for Easter.
We have a beautiful game bantam determined to sit on her eggs so we have put her in the broody box in the poly tunnel, and they should hatch any day....let's hope it doesn't get too cold again. We even had ice in the poly tunnel!
We have been making soup and bread with the students whilst it was SO cold....they thoroughly enjoyed it, and loved having something warming for lunch. Roll on our plans for our expansion - we will then have a whole cookery room to produce / teach students cooking. We have raised over £70,000.00 so far.
We had a group of 15 volunteers from St James Place to plant hedging 'whips' last month....they planted 90 metres of hedging over on the new site - a fantastic feat!
It's our SPRING QUIZ on 23 March so don't forget to book a team in!
We are having an Open Day that week too on WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH....if you would like to come and see what we do - book in with Gerry.
We have also started a Dementia Project, and would love to hear from carers, people living with dementia.
Sandy and Tigger have moved in together and have settled in very happily. We are now waiting for a boar (a new one so he's not related to Tigger) and hope to run him with the two of them. Piglets for summer with any luck.
The ewes look great and are now being fed twice a day and will be coming back to the farm this week. One stupid ewe managed to get her horn stuck and ripped a whole in her ear.....so much blood!
It's healed up now thankfully.
The wethers (last year's lambs) we sold 7 last month, and have another 9 left. Two of them will be going off to the butchers shortly so will have some lamb for Easter.
We have a beautiful game bantam determined to sit on her eggs so we have put her in the broody box in the poly tunnel, and they should hatch any day....let's hope it doesn't get too cold again. We even had ice in the poly tunnel!
We have been making soup and bread with the students whilst it was SO cold....they thoroughly enjoyed it, and loved having something warming for lunch. Roll on our plans for our expansion - we will then have a whole cookery room to produce / teach students cooking. We have raised over £70,000.00 so far.
We had a group of 15 volunteers from St James Place to plant hedging 'whips' last month....they planted 90 metres of hedging over on the new site - a fantastic feat!
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| snow the first time round! |
We are having an Open Day that week too on WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH....if you would like to come and see what we do - book in with Gerry.
We have also started a Dementia Project, and would love to hear from carers, people living with dementia.
Saturday, 2 December 2017
SANDY HAS FARROWED AGAIN! SHE HAS 7 BEAUTIFUL PIGLETS.....and all doing well - so fingers crossed we've got a good mix of boys and girls.
The Cook Book has been launched and is now available from us directly, via the website, or locally from Rendcomb Stores, Made By Bob's and Miserden Nurseries.
i will be taking the Cook Books to North Cerney Village Hall for the School's Christmas Fair next Saturday 2nd December....see you there!
Manny has recovered - not sure exactly what was wrong, but he is sound again now....we think it was a bruised foot. He is very happy in the paddock, and the students go most days to see him and check him over.
Gerry has been busy halter training two ewe lambs from this year's crop of lambs...it's a slow process and some of the lambs take to it quicker than others!
It's nearly Christmas again ....this year's gone way too fast and it's nearly time for our Christmas Lunch! This is always a great occasion for everyone who works and comes to the farm to get together.
This week is the Christmas Spectacular at Cirencester Parish Church on Wednesday 6th December. The Barn Theatre are putting on a fantastic production and we are raising money for the Care Farm, having a stall selling our Christmas Books and cards.
iI i don't blog again - HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all our supporters and friends and see you in the New Year!
The Cook Book has been launched and is now available from us directly, via the website, or locally from Rendcomb Stores, Made By Bob's and Miserden Nurseries.
i will be taking the Cook Books to North Cerney Village Hall for the School's Christmas Fair next Saturday 2nd December....see you there!
Manny has recovered - not sure exactly what was wrong, but he is sound again now....we think it was a bruised foot. He is very happy in the paddock, and the students go most days to see him and check him over.
Gerry has been busy halter training two ewe lambs from this year's crop of lambs...it's a slow process and some of the lambs take to it quicker than others!
It's nearly Christmas again ....this year's gone way too fast and it's nearly time for our Christmas Lunch! This is always a great occasion for everyone who works and comes to the farm to get together.
This week is the Christmas Spectacular at Cirencester Parish Church on Wednesday 6th December. The Barn Theatre are putting on a fantastic production and we are raising money for the Care Farm, having a stall selling our Christmas Books and cards.
iI i don't blog again - HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all our supporters and friends and see you in the New Year!
Thursday, 5 October 2017
AUTUMN IS UPON US!
Hello to everyone - as usual i've been very lapse updating the Blog!
Loads of good stuff to report though - so read on....
Term has got off to a flying start, and half term is fast approaching...we have been busy picking produce, replanting salad in the polytunnel and digging up bean beds and getting them ready for the next log of veggies. Our pumpkins look great (although some are quite small) and we are hoping to make pumpkin produce after half term. We had a great morning out last week at FOODWORKS COOKERY SCHOOL in Colesbourne. Emma (chef from Wiggly Worm Charity) led the morning's cooking, teaching some very valuable knife skills, with the onions, leeks and courgettes. The students made leek and potato soup, and courgette and raising muffins - delicious! We took along our own produce, and it was great to see the end results made into edible lunch! It's spurred us on to do some more cooking onsite (with a portable hob) and we are going to make curried parsnip soup next week for lunch!
Beatrice has come on leaps and bounds with the students leading her round the field three days a week - they thoroughly enjoy this activity and we have some wonderful photographs for their folders!
Manny is lame .....😞 so he is in the stable again - we are hoping it's just an infection in his foot, and not laminitis - so we have to poultice his foot for three days and hope that it brings the infection out.
Sandy is looking fantastic, and will need scanning imminently - piglets should be arriving first week of December!
It's our QUIZ on 13 October (see opposite)
we are having an Open Day on Wednesday 10 October
Loads of good stuff to report though - so read on....
Term has got off to a flying start, and half term is fast approaching...we have been busy picking produce, replanting salad in the polytunnel and digging up bean beds and getting them ready for the next log of veggies. Our pumpkins look great (although some are quite small) and we are hoping to make pumpkin produce after half term. We had a great morning out last week at FOODWORKS COOKERY SCHOOL in Colesbourne. Emma (chef from Wiggly Worm Charity) led the morning's cooking, teaching some very valuable knife skills, with the onions, leeks and courgettes. The students made leek and potato soup, and courgette and raising muffins - delicious! We took along our own produce, and it was great to see the end results made into edible lunch! It's spurred us on to do some more cooking onsite (with a portable hob) and we are going to make curried parsnip soup next week for lunch!
Beatrice has come on leaps and bounds with the students leading her round the field three days a week - they thoroughly enjoy this activity and we have some wonderful photographs for their folders!
Manny is lame .....😞 so he is in the stable again - we are hoping it's just an infection in his foot, and not laminitis - so we have to poultice his foot for three days and hope that it brings the infection out.
Sandy is looking fantastic, and will need scanning imminently - piglets should be arriving first week of December!
It's our QUIZ on 13 October (see opposite)
we are having an Open Day on Wednesday 10 October
Friday, 21 July 2017
END OF TERM CERTIFICATES!
The Summer Term is over - this half term has flown by! We have been so busy with all the animals and produce we haven't stopped to write blogs...my excuse anyway!
We have made hay in the paddock at the Care Farm, and in Woodmancote where last year's lambs have been this summer. We have over 200 bales but sadly 100 of them are getting rather wet at present....😒
The students and Gerry have been working with some of our wether lambs - halter training them each day. They don't seem as happy about it as last year's Alice though!
Sandy is having a well earned rest up in the woodland after farrowing. We sold 6 of her piglets, and have kept the tiny 'Tigger' who is now a healthy 10 kilos; along with 'Marmalade' who is a huge 20 kilos!! They really are little and large!
The ducks are all thriving, although have slightly gone off the lay recently - we think it may be the constant changes in the weather. The bantams keep going broody, we have 5 chicks with one hen, and another two 'sitting'.
We have moved Manny into the paddock with the four ewes at the Care Farm so he's nearby for visitors. He seems very happy, and has donkeys next door to chat to!
We had a fantastic Open Gardens on 2 July in aid of the Care Farm. A local private garden in North Cerney opened their garden specially - it was a seriously hot afternoon, and we had over 150 people through the gate! We raised £1,500.00 - serving cream teas, selling produce and looking round the gardens.
We had to rush to get the hay bales in on Wednesday before it rained! Everyone mucked in, and thoroughly enjoyed heaving the bales onto the trailer so we could put them to dry in the yard!
We have made hay in the paddock at the Care Farm, and in Woodmancote where last year's lambs have been this summer. We have over 200 bales but sadly 100 of them are getting rather wet at present....😒
The students and Gerry have been working with some of our wether lambs - halter training them each day. They don't seem as happy about it as last year's Alice though!
Sandy is having a well earned rest up in the woodland after farrowing. We sold 6 of her piglets, and have kept the tiny 'Tigger' who is now a healthy 10 kilos; along with 'Marmalade' who is a huge 20 kilos!! They really are little and large!
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| Manny relaxing! |
We have moved Manny into the paddock with the four ewes at the Care Farm so he's nearby for visitors. He seems very happy, and has donkeys next door to chat to!
We had a fantastic Open Gardens on 2 July in aid of the Care Farm. A local private garden in North Cerney opened their garden specially - it was a seriously hot afternoon, and we had over 150 people through the gate! We raised £1,500.00 - serving cream teas, selling produce and looking round the gardens.
We had to rush to get the hay bales in on Wednesday before it rained! Everyone mucked in, and thoroughly enjoyed heaving the bales onto the trailer so we could put them to dry in the yard!
We had our end of term celebration lunch yesterday - slow cooked lamb (our own of course!)sausage plaits with delicious salads and puddings - everyone bought something along with them and we all sat together on the decking. we used as much produce as we could from the garden - it was a joyous occasion followed by certificates for all the students. We finished by giving them all a Scrubditch Care Farm cap to take home with them!
We have children's activities during the summer holidays funded by Gloucestershire County Council.
These are on 7, 9 10th and 23rd and 24th August.
Students start back on Monday 4 September.
Veg Boxes are available from the Care Farm on Thursdays during the holidays
Saturday, 3 June 2017
HAPPY DAYS!
SANDY farrowed two weeks ago - she had 9, but unfortunately squashed one....she wasn't very well when she farrowed, so we had the vet out to her....and she reckoned she could have had a mild infection that meant she had a very long labour and didn't recover quite as quickly as usual. we now have 8 piglets - one is tiny, and not feeding well, so we are giving her some goats milk and cereal to try and get the weight on. Hopefully we will sell most of them at 6 - 8 weeks - some of the boars and gilts are huge already!
Scrubditch Alison went off to the Netherlands and has arrived safely - we got a lovely photo of her today - very exciting to have sold one of our pedigree gilts for breeding.
we have 2 ducklings under a heat lamp - actually we've had them out in the day time in a run but inside at night - they are four weeks old. We also have 2 lots of hens with chicks - 12 chicks in total .....sadly i think quite a few are 'cockerel' looking...not good for increasing our egg production!
Jolly Nice at Frampton Mansell are still selling our duck eggs and bantam eggs - we can only just keep up with production!
Scrubditch Alison went off to the Netherlands and has arrived safely - we got a lovely photo of her today - very exciting to have sold one of our pedigree gilts for breeding.
we have 2 ducklings under a heat lamp - actually we've had them out in the day time in a run but inside at night - they are four weeks old. We also have 2 lots of hens with chicks - 12 chicks in total .....sadly i think quite a few are 'cockerel' looking...not good for increasing our egg production!
Jolly Nice at Frampton Mansell are still selling our duck eggs and bantam eggs - we can only just keep up with production!
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| some of our lovely game bantams! |
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