I’ve had a great first month on the job getting to know our fantastic team of volunteers and getting stuck in on the field. There’s nothing quite like farm work with good company and a view to match!
It’s a busy and exciting time at the farm. We are picking courgettes every day and the cucumbers and tomatoes are going at full speed. There is salad, spinach, spring onions and parsley in abundance. It’s great to see the boxes filling up with produce from our own land - the fruit of everyone’s hard work.>
Rich pickings
This week saw the biggest pick for the box scheme of the season so far with 75 kg of spinach, 90 kg of chard, 250 kg of courgette and 700 cucumbers. We had a very hardworking volunteer group from the Princes Trust weed the beans, lettuce and kale on Tuesday while the regular volunteers picked 70 kg of courgettes and 30 kg of our beautiful cherry tomatoes. On the sunniest day at the farm to date, the Thursday team made the spinach patch look a lot happier by pulling out the ever intrusive 'Fat Hen'* weed. We picked the courgettes and hand planted parsley. On Friday the volunteers got on the planter, attached to our trusty tractor and planted the first fennel of the season and the third and final batches of spinach and chard. After a little rest in the sunshine to admire our handy work, we’re getting ready for another busy week ahead.
Join us on the field
Volunteering with us during the week is a great way of meeting new people, connecting with the land and learning new skills. We’d love you to come along for a taster session on the farm. You don’t need any experience as full training and supervision are given. We also offer a travel allowance and can organise lift shares. Start times are 8am/10am/1pm, Monday to Saturday, and you can stay for as long as you like. If you’d like to be involved, even for just a few hours,
do let us know.
*Fat Hen fact file
At the farm one of our most prolific and pesky weeds is Fat Hen. It gets its name through its use as a poultry fattener. Although farmers seek to eradicate this troublesome weed to reduce crop losses, it is in fact an edible plant and its consumption can be traced back to Neolithic times. Its leaves contain antioxidants and vitamins A and C. It also has a long history of medicinal uses, from treating aches and pains to alleviating sun stroke. We still wish it would leave our crops alone though!
Summer Holiday Activities at the farm
Earthwise’s popular Farm & Forest School is back this summer holiday - come and let your little ones run wild! Summer is the most exciting time on the farm - the fields are packed with crops that we'll be harvesting to make a seasonal snack in our wood-fired oven! The farm will also be a-buzz with wildlife which we'll get exploring, including having a go at pond-dipping! In the woods we'll get up to all sorts of fun forest school activities. Children will get the opportunity to explore the woodland, harvest natural materials and learn how to use a variety of hand-tools for their own woodcraft projects. We'll cook snacks over a campfire, play woodland games and have fun. If you're keen to get your kids outside and re-connected with food, farming and the natural world then this is the perfect opportunity. Recommend and friend and you’ll both get 10% off. Email
for more details. Hatty Richards Community Engagement Officer
