New Policy
For a couple of years I have been putting a "blog" on our website - under the title of News. I have been reasonably diligent in making sure the News section is up to date - whilst, I regret to say, sadly neglecting this blog.I have now decided to rename the News section on the website and transfer it into this blog at the end of each month. And, as a one off, I have moved the entire contents of the existing News section over. 20/1/13
Farmer Christmas
Our first weekend with Farmer Christmas was a great success. The weather was a bit grim on Saturday, which put some people off, but Sunday was a beautiful bright sunny day. Not that the sunshine makes its way into Farmer Christmas' grotto - as he prefers fairy lights.
Everyone enjoyed themselves - there were lots of "good" girls and boys who were happy to tell Farmer Christmas about their wish list. He was pleased to note that the little black book that he always carries, to make a note of boys and girls who have been naughty, remained empty.
For most of the year Farmer Christmas looks after animals and generally helps out with all the preparation that is needed to make sure Christmas is always special. But at this time of year - when Santa is working so hard - Farmer Christmas is always happy to help his cousin, listening to children's wish lists and passing them on to Santa for the big day. 2/12/12
Elaine Buffery
Those of you who have been coming to the farm for a number of years will doubtless have met Elaine Buffery. Up until last year she was a regular help in the shop and kitchen but also could be seen, dressed up in her bee keeping outfit, helping Neil with his bee hives. As a keen spinner and knitter she would often help out on our shearing weekends and, as she usually had some knitting on the go, I would often find her in the shop giving ad hoc lessons to customers who would pick her brains to sort out a knitting problem. And then, on her days off, you might have seen her with her grandchildren or turning up with a box of ripe bananas which she had persuaded her local greengrocer would be better off given to our pigs, than turning black in his store room.
It was with great sadness that we took a call from her daughter on Friday, to say her mum had died that morning. Elaine had been diagnosed with cancer last year and it had rapidly spread. She knew her time was limited but treated the disease with her typical humour and fortitude.
Elaine was a lovely, friendly, kind and generous woman. I can't remember a day when she wasn't busy making chutney or jam, perfecting her bees wax candles or mead or making cakes for the local village sale. She was a powerhouse of energy and was always thinking of ways of helping us and so many others. She was one of a kind and will be sorely missed by us all. 9/11/12
Cooking up a Storm
During the half term we ran a series of cookery classes for children (aged 4 upwards). The event was different each day - from cake making to bread making, but the format was similar. Each day the children would scrub up, prepare the food and then leave it in the shop while they joined Richard - the owner - on a tour of the farm. While they were away the kitchen elves would make sure the food proved, cooked or cooled - depending what had been made and that is was ready for the next stage when the children finished their tour. It was no surprise to me that the cup cakes looked great - children seem to know what they like when it comes to cakes and being so close to Halloween there were lots of spiders webs and ghouls on the cakes. But the real star of the week was the bread making. Fourteen children turned out some of the most professional looking loaves I have seen in a long while. The smell in the shop was fantastic and very few loaves made it home without being nibbled on the way. But that is the sign of a good loaf - I always think. 3/11/12
Annie Toy
We received sad news yesterday. One of our sponsors and volunteers - Annie Toy has died. She was a lovely woman with a great sense of fun. She had been fighting cancer for a number of years but last year, when she had a period of remission, she worked as a volunteer on the farm. She had visited the farm a number of times before she enquired about the sponsorship scheme. She started by sponsoring Bridie, one of the Highland cows, but went on to sponsor the Greyface Dartmoor sheep. She was from New Zealand and perhaps that was why she had an affinity with sheep. So much so, she wanted to be buried in a woollen coffin and buried with a picture of her favourite sheep - one of our Dartmoors.
Asa - Farmer for the Day
Imagine this .... you are just about to hit your 18th birthday. The night before is Saturday night and you decide to go out and party. Your friends make sure you have a good time and the next morning you're lying in bed, not quite sure how you got home or where you were before you got home. There is a knock on the door. It's early... too early. It's your mum. "Guess what we've got you for your birthday .... We've arranged with Baylham Farm for you to be a farmer for the day! Get up and grab your wellies!"
And so it was that Asa arrived, slightly bleary eyed, at Baylham on Sunday. He seemed to be taking it in good part - no sign of a hangover (oh - to be young!) and after a hearty breakfast he got stuck into a typical farmer's day.
His verdict? - A big surprise and very enjoyable. His mum groaned as she heard he had milked goats, fed and washed pigs and sorted out lambs for sale. Oh no - she said - he is going to want to take them all home as pets. Well, it is his birthday! 30/9/12
Rabbie and Rory
The calves are now out in the paddock and are clearly having fun. Farmer Neil phoned me from the field and asked me to bring the camera. He had just spotted the pair enjoying the last of the afternoon's sun, under the willow trees. Their mums were at the other end of the field, more interested in Neil topping up their feed ring than their off-spring. So I headed off, down the field with the ipad under my arm. Unfortuntely a bird heard me just as I got into position and took flight. This scared the two little steers who suddenly realised their mums were a long way off. They both jumped up and ran off down the field. Shame! 29/9/12
Fiona's latest - and the need for a major re-think
When Fiona eventually gave birth to her latest calf it was a boy. Having just named Morag's calf, we needed inspiration so headed to the internet to ask for suggestions for names. We also decided to research Scottish names beginning with R. During our research we discovered that Rory (or Ruairidh - as it should be written) means red king. This was a bit embarrasing - because we had enthusiastically called Morag's blonde calf - Rory. So after a quick re-think - we decided to call Fiona's lovely red calf - Ruairidh and rename Morag's Rabbie.
Morag gets there First
Both Morag and Fiona have been expecting calves and we all thought Fiona would get there first. But yesterday Morag gave birth to Rory - a handsome Highland calf. He seems to be a blonde - which is a first for us. And now, as I write, Fiona is following suit. So far there are a pair of hooves showing. 2/9/12
Points mean Prizes
After an administrative hiccup (we mislaid the paperwork!) - we have finally contacted all the people who won prizes at our Farm and Food Fair. There were prizes for the longest distance people could wang a welly, fly a paper plane and throw & catch a fresh egg.
The prize for guessing where Karl the bull would produce his next cowpat (do bulls produce cowpats or bullpats?) was left unclaimed as he did not do the business all day. So we were unable to split the money raised with the punter who had bought the square of the field where the pat landed, nobody won and we decided the proceeds should go to a charity - in this case St Elizabeth's Hospice. It was a shame not to have an outright winner but I hope everyone who took part is happy with the outcome
Dreadlocks
Farmer Neil has brought some of the cows in from the field. They hate it. In the summer they like to graze outside, eating the grass and anything more interesting they can find. The only positive thing to be said for being under cover is that they are at the back of the shop and therefore all the visitors see them first, while they still have a bulging bag of grass nuts. So that way they get more of a fair share of the grass nuts than they do when they are out on the field. By the time most visitors find them on the field, most of the nuts have been eaten by the goats.
So - why are the cows under cover?
Well, Fiona the Highland cow, is pregnant and is about to give birth. We calculate this should take place sometime the week beginning the 13th August.
Philomena is in because she really needs a good groom. Her tats are so long, she looks like she has dreadlocks.
Hens Away!
Today the British Hen Welfare Trust arrived from Nottingham with 400 hens to be re-homed. There was quite a kerfuffle as the hens were downloaded from the trailer into the bull pen to await their new owners. This would be the first time they were in daylight, with space to move where they wanted and straw to peck around in. Clearly some didn't know what to do with these new surroundings and one or two just stood in their water trough just playing with the water around their feet. These hens have been reared in a battery-type environment (and although 400 hens seemed a huge number to me, they left behind a million more) and are now heading off to new homes in gardens, smallholdings and farms to start a new lease of life. Good luck to them. If you want a hen from the next rescue batch - contact the British Hen Welfare Trust http://www.bhwt.org.uk 5/8/12
Farmer for the Day
This year we have had a number of people taking up the possiblity of being a Farmer for the Day. When we decided to offer this opportunity we thought the majority of takers would be people thinking about setting up a small holding or taking on some livestock. But this year there have been a surprising number of youngsters wanting to have a go. In the main the day has been given as a birthday or Christmas present - sometimes one they have chosen for themselves, sometimes a surprise.
Hannah - our latest Farmer for the Day
We have enjoyed spending the day with all of them very much. They are enthusiastic, eager to try different things, hard working and a pleasure to be around. Hannah, who spent a day in July with us, ended her day helping Neil put our latest ducklings into their new home
Winnie, Tigger & Roo
Remember Hope? She is a little wild duck that was hand reared by Andrew & Natalie and then released onto the lake in June. We see her every day. She seems to be having fun - although somewhere along the way she has decided she is a goose and spends all day hanging out with the grey-lag geese on the lake.
Last weekend Andrew & Natalie brought Hope's sibblings to start their life in the wild. Having been brought up in a human environment they found the lake a little scary to begin with. But eventually were persuaded to wander off and play on the water. We have seen them since their release but I am not sure they have met up with Hope yet.
Last of the Summer kids?
Today Bryony, a pygmy goat, produced a beautiful little nanny kid. We video'd it -as the only way the goats get privacy is to give birth in the middle of the night, silently. Once we have edited out the shakey bits it will go on the website.
It was amazing to watch. Within 2 minutes of being born, she was up on her feet trying to feed. Astonishing - when you compare it to how long it takes humans to develop that amount of control of their limbs.
Bryony may be the last of the goats to kid this year - although there is one goat that still looks enormously pregnant. Timing-wise she has another 2 weeks in which she could give birth. But Farmer Neil thinks she has just put on weight and is not convinced she is pregnant at all. 20/7/12
Here Comes Summer
OK - the British summer is not really developing in a way any of us would have planned. The memory of the occasional warm day bobs around on a sea of unseasonal rain. There is nothing any of us can do to change it. But often, as I sit at my computer, I can see the best way of dealing with it. Young children rarely let bad weather ruin their enjoyment. And sometimes I think they seem more at home, running down the drive, splashing in the puddles than keeping their sun hats on and being lathered in sun cream.
So the way forward for the summer is clear : Wear waterproof footwear, carry an umbrella and you just might get away with catching the sun rather than the showers.
Make sure you put the 29th July in your diary for the Farm & Food day. Chef's demos will be under cover -just in case it rains and whatever the weather, there will be plenty to see and do.
Karl - the Knighted*
Last week Farmer Neil headed to Ditchingham, Norfolk and brought back Karl. Karl (originally from Catfield)is a rather magnificent White Park bull who is now spending a few months with our girls. We have never owned our own bull of any breed, so pregnancy is usually achieved by artificial insemination. Things changed this year. First we had Daniel, a rather gorgeous Highland bull. I never saw him in action, but I did see him walking on the shoreline of the lake with Bridie. They looked pretty happy.
Of course, at this stage the White Park cows could only look on. But Daniel was returned to his owner in May and now Karl is here. This means it is now the White Parks who can have lakeside walks with their beau while the Highlands look on. 17/7/12
* Legend has it that it was a succulent piece of White Park meat that was knighted by James I - and thus SirLoin was born.
The Naked Sheep .... there were lots of them
Our annual shearing festival was better than ever this year. Although we can pat ourselves on the back for some of its success - the real star was the weather. After a week of grim weather which saw most of the Jubilee festivities water logged, the cancellation of the Suffolk show and a cold, wet half term, Sunday 10th of June was, in comparison, a scorcher. Despite the forecast for a decidely damp weekend, it didn't work out that way. The day before was dry and windy - which greatly pleased Farmer Neil as all the soggy fleeces dried off nicely. Then, on Sunday, I got up at 6am to find the sun was already shining and it didn't stop til after 7pm.
So with that back drop, we were off to a good start. This year we had even more spinners, weavers, knitters and felters than usual (and a big thanks to all the Guilds that kindly volunteered to show their skills and help others develop theirs). We also had independent spinners, origami & paper mache specialists, bear builders, face painters and many other activities and crafts that made the day both interesting, educational and fun. And to top it all - the Baylham BBQ and Hell Hound, our local micro brewery, both proved very succesful additions. 21/06/12
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