May has been a busy month! We have finally reached the end of lambing, and the calving is also drawing to an end for now.
This Spring we made the decision to house the larger livestock slightly longer than usual, due to both the poor weather but also a looming TB test. It is always a desperately anxious time for farmers during this time but thankfully all of the cattle have been cleared and are now enjoying plenty of grass and acres of freedom.
All the crops are now in the ground and after months of our tractors sitting idle and waiting for the weather to improve, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing this important planting is now complete.
A long list of farm repairs is next on the agenda. With various fences needing to be fixed, plenty of broken water lines in need of attention and water troughs with leaky pipe work to be attended to. Alongside this, tonnes of the old winter bedding will need to be cleared out of the livestock sheds.
On to Battlefield 1403, where momentum for the Summer Season seems to be gathering pace. Our friends from the Plant Hunters Fair organisation did a wonderful job of filling the courtyard with plants & shrubs at the beginning of the month. Hundreds of customers came to stock up for their gardens and luckily the weather was glorious – we look forward to welcoming them back again next year.
Our first ever pick your own pumpkins were drilled this month, something that we have been longing to achieve for some years now. We are not certain how well they will fair, but ever the optimists, we are hoping for a good crop for you all to pick from in October.
‘Tots & Tuffs’, a local toddler entertainment group filled the Visitor Centre for a fully booked farm themed messy play session. There were some very impressive Tuff Trays created during the event, and best of all… there was no cleaning up for the parents!
If you have visited us recently, you may have noticed that there is an exciting new addition to the site. Blossom & Bloom florists have set up shop in our Woodshed at the top of the courtyard, selling beautiful locally grown florals as well as gifts, and house plants. It has been lovely to see such a wide array of vibrant bouquets adorning their shelves alongside all of their creative event pieces too. Such a talent! Mollie will be with us for the next few months, so please make sure you pop in and show your support.
June is set to be an exciting few weeks for us, so please keep popping in to see what’s new!
Kind regards
Jeremy
