Well what a change in the weather we have seen this week! We actually had a little snow in the village, quite rare for this time of year. We don’t normally see any until the new year. All the puddles and the drinking butts for the animals have been frozen over in the mornings for last few days. going around and breaking the ice so the animals can drink is just another job to add to an already long list!

Here is a view of Lee's brand new(!) digger.

We are currently digging trenches to border our fields. this is part of our long term plan to improve the quality of our heavy clay soil. The trenches should help drainage and make the soil lighter. We will eventually dig a grid of channels accross the fields, to improve water and air circulation. these will drain into our stream, which in turn feeds our pond.

At this time of year, much of our time on the farm is spent preparing for next year. Anything that doesn’t move needs to be painted, and anything that does needs to be greased.
We have been putting beds into the walled garden, mixing in compost to improve the soil, and mulching to suppress weeds, ready for planting in the spring.

I’m sure you’ll all be pleased to know that Rufus, the Labrador who injured himself on the new fences, has now made a full recovery, and is ready to injure himself again as soon as he gets the chance! Hopefully he will resist the temptation, even though we know he loved all the attention it got him, as the vet’s costs are astronomical!

We are looking to put the Tup in with our ewes next week. This should give us lambs in April of next year. We will keep you up to date on their progress each week in the newsletter.

Oh, and don’t forget to get your Christmas order in on the website, as the deadline is December 1st. It may seem a long way off, but it will be upon you before you know it!

Shopping for Sheep...

This week we have been checking out a group of mature ewes with the aim to adding them to our flock. We went to Overgrass Organics, just up the road from our own farm, where we met six ewes and gave them a quick once over. We are hoping to get them purchased and onto the farm next month, after they have been visited by the tup. They will lamb in April.

When they get here they will join our flock of a dozen young ewes. Our ewes will be lambing in April too, their first, and they will be able to learn from the new, older ewes how to look after and feed their lambs.

The older ewes are also used to human contact, and will help to keep their younger companions calm at feeding time, sheering, and when the vet comes to check on them.

Here are some photos from our visit to Overgrass Organics:

the new sheep