July 2019

 

The first of the seasons raspberries are now ripening. PYO is FOC to members, if not yet a member visit

the website http://www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk/membership/

21 June 2019

Summer solstice roundup from WCF

Strip grazing: If the herd was given full access to the field they would waste a proportion of the grass by lying and pooing on it. Instead, the electric fence is moved forward a few feet every 24 hrs meaning the cows eat all the grass and lie back on the bare ground.

 

Bridge Homestead Tenora with her 10th calf; as every year Tenora is the last cow in the Wye Crown herd to calve.

Time to clean out the winter housing so large trailer loads of FYM available for £120, free local delivery.

Recent training days at Spinning Earth; for details of forthcoming events visit the shop at

http://www.spinningearth.co.uk

WCF wants and needs: If you could help with these items it would be very much appreciated

– Rotary compost sieve (just to borrow for an experiment at The Woolshed)

– Large cardboard boxes – ie tea chest size and bigger – for sending out processed wool from The Woolshed.

– Sewing machines, swivel chairs (for The Woolshed)

– Car batteries (for electric fence units)

– Timber, for forthcoming building project

– Hi-Fi equipment; speakers, turntables etc (for an audio enthusiast who helps with WCF repairs

– Petrol lawnmowers, strimmers.

 

We have a new Facebook page! Please check it out and update your browser links. Only the new page will be updated.
Halloween and Bonfire Night Special Farmer's Market 4th November 9am

Canterbury festival features WCF wool this weekend

>Artisan craft fair in Canterbury

Della at Spinning Earth

WCF wants and needs

Samantha is enjoying being in charge of the cattle during the holidays so much that she tried smuggling a calf home in her hair…

Wants and needs for the woolshed:

  • Jet wash
  • Chalkboard paint, brushes
  • Burco water heater, tea urn or similar
  • Wooden book shelves
  • Bean bags
  • Door mats

Volunteer needed: Social media manager, to maintain and improve WCF’s profile on Facebook, etc.

Harvest festival: All offers of help welcome – get in touch if you would like to be involved.

Charcoal Production Training Day

Charcoal production training day

Saturday 24 June

Spend a day with WCF woodsman Jeff Austin to learn about the ancient craft of charcoal burning. Using WCF’s ring kiln in Brook Wood you will learn about all stages of the process; selection of timber, loading of the kiln, firing, controlling the burn, unloading and grading the charcoal.

£25. To book your place contact WCF: info@wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

Lambing Live! Saturday 8th April

The Willows, Brook (Next-door to Brook School)
10am – 1pm

See the newborn lambs and calves at Wye Community Farm.

Sheep racing, games and refreshments.

Adults £5, under 16’s free.

No dogs please.

Anyone who is pregnant, or thinks they may be pregnant, should not attend lambing events.

All proceeds towards WCF’s educational work.

For full details, including full postal address and a map, please see the entry on the Events page.

Say ‘Cheese’ at the Wye Farmers Market

Visitors to Wye Farmers Market this Saturday will have the chance to try a tasty new product from Wye Community Farm.

With cows, goats and sheeps cheese being widely available, WCF have seen a gap in the market and developed a cheese made from pigs’ milk. Although it sounds like a novel idea, cave drawings in the Scilly Isles show pigs being milked around 4,000 years ago. A grant from the Department for Agriculture and Food Technology has enabled WCF to develop a milking machine for pigs to meet modern hygiene requirements.

Anyone wanting a free taste of the new cheese, called Porkies, just has to go to the WCF stall at the market and say “cheese”.

The Market is held around the green in the centre of Wye 9am to 12 noon.

Pancake Races at Wye Farmers Market

Visitors to the Wye Farmers Market this Saturday will be invited to demonstrate their flipping skills in a series of pancake races,  with prizes for adult and junior winners. Races start at 10 am, with contestants having to flip their pancake at least 10 times over the course of the race – get practicing now!

Welcome to 2017 from WCF

A belated Happy New Year to all WCF supporters. 2017 will be our 10th year of operation, thank you to everyone who has shared the journey. Pictured are WCF volunteers keeping the British Whites cosy during the recent cold snap. Our volunteer work parties take place every Wednesday and Saturday mornings, if you would like to get involved drop us a line to be put on our volunteer elist.

WCF also has opportuniities for involvement in specific areas such as fundraising and marketing; not all of these positions are voluntary so if you are interested in developing paid work relating to WCF get in touch.

Upcoming events include Lambing Live and a WCF quiz night; again if you would like to be involved in organising such public events let us know.

Practical help: we are in need of wheelbarrows, secateurs and any hand tools; if you have such things spare we can collect locally or you are welcome to deliver.

Hogget available soon – let us know if you would like an order form.

Got a project idea you would like to develop under the wings of WCF ? Several rural based businesses have now got off the ground through collaboration with WCF, your idea could be next so do get in touch if you would like to work with us.

Finally, a reminder that annual subscriptions from WCF members are a key part of our funding. If you are not yet a member please do consider joining; membership form on the website
www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

Extra Farmers Market

An Extra Wye Farmers Market will be held on Christmas Eve, allowing shoppers to purchase the freshest local veg for the festive meal. Also on offer will be Christmas treats including truffles, marshmallows and Christmas cheeses.

Wye Church choir and hand bell ringers will provide entertainment with carols, with Willow the Pony selling mistletoe to raise funds for Kent search and Rescue Dog Association.

The Market is held around the green in the centre of Wye 9am till 12 noon.

market

Ding dong and sing along!!

With Carol singers and hand bells bringing some festive cheer to this Saturdays Wye Farmers Market, you will be able to stock up on all your festive treats. This will be a bumper Market with special stalls offering home made Christmas cakes, truffles, pottery gifts and and warm knitwear. With the usual wide range of locally reared meats and winter vegetables, shoppers will be able to source their entire Christmas meal at the Wye Farmers Market, making a real contribution to the local rural economy.

The market is held around the Green in the centre of Wye from 9am-12 noon.
www.wyefarmersmarket.co.uk

cheese jams bangers

Cheese please!

A must for your Christmas Table from Cheesemakers of Canterbury

Artisan Jams and Chutneys

The Wooden Spoon has gift packs

Exotic game bangers for Boxing day!

V J Game have it all

Autumn Update

charcoal

Saturday’s fungi walk proved to be a popular event, with Prof Mansfield giving detailed advice on identification and what is safe to eat.

Also in Brook Wood, our colleagues from Community Payback have been busy installing a charcoal kiln. Funding from the Postcode Local Trust is going to allow WCF to run training events in charcoal production.

Log sales are in full swing, and WCF are pleased to now be working alongside Brook Kindling. Orders for logs and kindling can be made online or at the farmers market.

Last weeks vet visit confirmed 11 out of 12 of the WCF herd to be in calf, with calving due to start in March. This years calves have now been weaned off their mums and are indoors out of the wind and rain.

Saturday’s fungi walk proved to be a popular event, with Prof Mansfield giving detailed advice on identification and what is safe to eat.

Also in Brook Wood, our colleagues from Community Payback have been busy installing a charcoal kiln. Funding from the Postcode Local Trust is going to allow WCF to run training events in charcoal production.

Log sales are in full swing, and WCF are pleased to now be working alongside Brook Kindling. Orders for logs and kindling can be made online or at the farmers market.

Last weeks vet visit confirmed 11 out of 12 of the WCF herd to be in calf, with calving due to start in March. This years calves have now been weaned off their mums and are indoors out of the wind and rain.

Get involved ! WCF has a wide range of volunteering opportunities, from serving on the management committee to carrying out practical tasks on the farm.

vol2 vol1 vol3

It's Turkey Time!

Why buy your Turkey at the Wye Farmers Market?

This will be Tony Fleck’s 15th year as a franchisee of the award-winning free-range KellyBronze turkey. The day-old chicks come to Tony at his farm in Biddenden in early June and he nurtures them for the first 5 weeks. As they grow, they move to grass fields and woodland areas where they thrive on natural foods.
FREE RANGE NATURAL TURKEYS & GEESE
Tony’s birds live as nature intended. They’re fed on a natural diet and roam free. Foraging for grubs, berries and nettles – their favourite treat.
SLOW GROWING – AGE MATTERS
Tony’s birds are grown to full maturity. By allowing them to grow to the equivalent of adult age, they develop a layer of natural fat, and mature carcass and bone.
THE SPECIAL FLAVOUR
Slow growing, free range mature turkeys are a joy to cook. They offer more flavour and have a superior meat texture.

Tony will be offering you a free taste of his turkey at the Wye Farmers Market on Saturday the 19th November. For more information visit kentturkeys.co.uk.

Apple Day & Exhibition

15th October Wye Farmers Market celebrates National Apple Day

Join us to sample the many varieties of apples on offer at The Perry Court Stall Have a go at apple bobbing – prize for the most apples bobbed in a minute. Also try our longest apple peel competition – £10 market voucher up for grabs!! Many of our stalls will be selling produce with an apple theme – reflecting Kent’s rich apple growing tradition in the garden of England.

For more information on National Apple Day visit Common Ground at: www.commonground.org.uk/apple-day.

Wye Farmers Market is held every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month around the green in the centre of Wye 9am till noon.

Also in the vicinity of the Market, the Wye Heritage Centre launches a NEW EXHIBITION

Saturday 15th October and Saturday 5th November

On display will be material which relates to the life of Ella Harling. This is a project being developed by Wye School students who have been researching her life and in particular her time at Wye Airfield during WW I. Jasper Bouverie has been guiding the project and you will be able to see the results of the research to date. Community help is now being sought to unearth some more about her life after WW I. Rather more is known about her sister Ethel Greenstreet who lived in Wye most of her life. Perhaps you know something more about the family and their close relations, come along a view the display and share your memories.

Tree ID Walk this Saturday 17th September

Identify the different species of tree in your local countryside, and learn about their varied uses.
Led by Linda Cross.
Adults £5, children £2.50.
Meet at Brook museum 9.30am.

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Pics from this year’s harvest festival – many thanks to everyone who supported us.

Herd competition

Pictured is Vivien St Joseph from the Tollesbury herd in Essex, judging the Wye Crown herd last week for the British White Cattle Society herd competition. As last year’s winner, Vivien gets to go around the UK judging this year’s entrants. For more on the breed visit www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk.

Raspberries

The autumn raspberries are now in full production! PYO is open daily to WCF members.

Harvest Festival

Picture shows The Jones Boys, just confirmed as a second act to play at harvest festival alongside Larkspur at this year’s Harvest Festival. Gates open 1pm on Saturday September 10th at Brook Agricultural Museum. Livestock displays, Blacksmith demonstration, Country crafts, Welly wanging, Hay pit, Food stalls, BBQ and Beer tent! The museum will be open. New for 2016 – Sheep racing!

Adults £5, under-16s free of charge. All proceeds towards WCF’s educational work.

Celebrate Organic September at Wye Farmers Market

Celebrate Organic September at Wye Farmers Market

September is National organic food month, and stallholders at the Wye Farmers Market on 3 September will have the best of local organic produce on offer.

carrots eggs greens

Ripple Farm Organics grow a wide range of vegetables in their fields at Wye and Crundale, providing over a dozen local jobs.
Burscombe Cliff Farm from Egerton rear beef, pork and lamb, slaughtered locally at a family run abattoir ensuring the least stress possible.
Woodpecker Farm will be selling eggs from their organic flock at Chilham, where the hens are free to roam and express all of their natural instincts such as dust bathing and foraging for food.

As market manager Della Newman notes “Buying organic food at the Wye Farmers Market is not just about sustainable production systems, but also local jobs so allowing people to live and work in their community”

For more information on National Organic September visit www.soilassociation.org

The Wye Farmers Market is held on the first and third Saturday of each month, 9am – 12noon, around The Green in the centre of Wye.

Logs

Now is the time to fill your log store: Order before the end of August and get your logs for just £15/bin – normal winter price £20/bin. Chestnut for woodstoves or mixed hardwood for open fires. Minimum order on summer offer 4 bins.

FYM

Do your garden or allotment a world of good with a trailer load of FYM, £100 delivered, only available in the next 2 weeks while the cattle yards are being cleaned out.

Sheep racing

Pictured are the entries for the sheep racing at Harvest Festival on 10 September. Ewesain Bolt is showing early promise, though Lamb Chop also looks like she may run for her life on the day. All offers to help with Harvest Festival welcome – whatever time you have available on the day or beforehand we can find you a job.

Raspberries, job vacancy, harvest festival

The first of the autumn raspberries are now ripening (the autumn variety being the first rows you come to in the raspberry field). WCF members have unlimited access to the PYO, if not yet a member then visit the membership page at www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

fest

Job vacancy: Local farm requires an early riser to drive van to, and sell at, Farmers Markets. Mainly weekends. For contact details contact WCF.

WCF harvest festival Saturday 10 September.
New this year will be sheep racing! To increase the fun and fundraising we want a bookie, so if know your way around a betting slip please get in touch.

WCF Harvest Festival 2016

lambinglive

Date for your diary: Saturday 10 September All the regular attractions, plus if our young farmers get them trained in time there will be sheep racing!  See the Events page for more details.

Like to help ? The more people who get involved the better these events can be, so if you would like to help out in any way please get in touch.

WCF Management Committee Vacancy

Due to a committee member moving to the West Country (how dare they?!) there is a vacancy; if you are committed to WCF’s work and would be interested in getting more closely involved then please get in touch for a no-obligation chat.

Community Payback PYO

Our friends from Community Payback in the raspberry patch on Sunday. When they have spent the day harvesting raspberies for WCF jam they then pick a punnet each to take home.

Tree ID walk this Wednesday; PYO raspberries now ready

foraging
A photo of Saturday’s foraging walk.

The next WCF walk is this Wednesday evening: Tree Identification Walk

Identify the different species of tree in your local countryside, and learn about their varied uses.
Led by Linda Cross.
Adults £5, children £2.50. Meet at Brook Museum 7pm.

PYO raspberries ready now! Free access to the raspberry patch for WCF members only. If not a member, then join today: see our Membership page.

Following the Charcuterie Trail

Charcuterie is a system of curing and air drying meats which intensifies flavours and preserves the meat.

At This Saturday’s Market (16th July) we will be welcoming Kent Downs Artisan Meats

KDAMpplProducing this meat speciality just 3 miles from our door, Jamie Emberson and his Nephew Daniel invited me to their smallholding in Bilting to discover what their micro business is all about.

Jamie, a trained Mental health nurse for many years working in secure hospitals, saw the opportunity to combine his love of rare breed animals with connecting his clients to nature and engaging them in meaningful tasks. This helps raise self esteem and provides a safe environment for them to work out their problems. 5 years ago he moved to his current site where he has renovated some derelict buildings in order to house his specialist meat kitchen and chiller unit where he has been working under specialist consultancy from Leeds in developing his methods of butchery and charcuterie skills. Jamie’s nephew Dan joined the project a year ago in order to develop local markets for the product and they have already established themselves as suppliers to some local pubs including The Kings Head in Wye. On site they have rare breed Tamworth pigs which roam their woodland and the majestic Wiltshire horn sheep which shed their own fleece!sheep

Dan says, “It is important that we focus on slow grow rare breed animals as they provide the depth of flavour we are looking for in our charcuterie products. Animals are grown on till 18 month to 2 years to build the fat content required and gives them a much longer life to enjoy our woodland and open grazing. At this point they are fed fruit such as apples which adds a sweetness to the meat. We are always researching to source local indigenous rare breeds to work with and build local collaborations with other smallholders and farmers supporting rare breeds such as the Wye Community Farm who have British White Cows.”

For a great website on serving suggestions for charcuterie visit www.hot-dog.org/sausage-basics/charcuterie-guide.

Wye Farmers Market is held on the first and third Saturday of each month around the green from 9am till 12 noon.

KDAMlogo


Summertime Walks at WCF

Saturday 9 July 
Foraging walk.
A walk around local hedgerows to forage for food and healing plants.
Led by Lief Bruyland
Adults £5, children £2.50. Meet at Brook museum 9am.

Wednesday 13 July
Tree identification walk.
Identify the different species of tree in your local countryside, and learn about their varied uses.
Led by Linda Cross.
Adults £5, children £2.50. Meet at Brook museum 7pm.

*** To assist with planning please book your place info@wyecommunityfarm.org.uk  ***

WCF Spring Update

A busy April saw over 60 lambs born to the WCF flocks of Dorset, Portland and Wensleydale sheep. The new lambing sheds at Brook proved a great success.
With calving almost complete, most of the herd of British Whites are out with their calves in the field next to the Wooden Spoon. Feel free to go and have a look (over the fence though please as the bull is now in residence). While there you can see how this years raspberries are developing.
One sad event with the cattle this season. Shalmeye, purchased in 2008 as one of the foundation heifers for the Wye Crown herd, was expecting her 6th calf this Spring. She went into labour sometime in the night, and excessive straining caused by a very large bull calf caused a uterine prolapse, resulting by morning in a dead cow and calf.
Wye Free School visited during lambing. At present WCF has to turn down requests for farm visits by schools outside Wye due to lack of resources. Building our membership base will allow more educational work to take place; to become a member visit the membership page on www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

Wye Crown Helium; this being WCF's eighth season, all calves have a name beginning with H

Wye Free School visit the lambing sheds

Lambing Live was a great success, despite the weather!

WCF Young Farmers applying fly preventative to ewes and lambs. The young farmers meet every Saturday morning; if interested in joining then contact us.

lambinglive

Lambing Live!

Saturday 9 April
Brook Agricultural Museum

See the newborn lambs and calves from Wye Community Farm
BBQ ~ Beer Tent ~ Food stalls ~ Museum open ~ Country crafts
Welly wanging, nail banging, and other country sports
Music from Larkspur

Adults £5, under 16’s free of charge.
All proceeds towards WCF’s educational work.
Gates open at 1pm, music from 2pm. Dogs on leads please.

www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk


MEP Richard Ashworth visits Wye Community Farm

MEP Richard Ashworth visited the farm and Brook agricultural museum on Thursday 11th February.  He was given a tour of the farm and museum…

…and shown a range of products made possible by support of the farm.

Woolly items from Della at Spinning Earth

…work in collaboration with Janet from The Robing Room at Evegate…

…jams and chutneys made with farm produce by the Wye bakery, and wooden and leather items made by local craftsmen running courses at the museum in association with the farm.

Helium is born! Photo taken at 10 minutes old. Mum is Wye Crown Evangeline and this is her first calf!

Leatherwork course very successful.

Leather work course very busy last Saturday.

If you are interested in further information about the courses run by WCF please contact info@wyecommunityfarm.org.uk or check the website for details of future courses on traditional crafts.

Beef and Lamb boxes

WCF beef and lamb boxes will be available in

February 2016. Pick up an order form at this Saturday’s

Wye Farmers Market, or request an order form via email.

info@wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

Pictured are the WCF young farmers tending the Wye Crown herd of British White cattle, including the first of this years calves Hippy and Hubble. To learn more about the breed visit www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk

To support WCF’s educational work become a member today; visit the membership page on this site

girls with Bertie

Hippie the calf is born!12310595_765881830183147_943919593715238534_n

Hippie the calf is the newest addition to Wye Community Farm

WCF accommodation required

Wye Community Farm key worker requires two bed rental accommodation in local area, Mature, reliable, references available. Anything considered including a house share. call 07557 040805

Farm Logs

WYE COMMUNITY FARM LOGS

 

 

WCF logs delivered to your home in wheelie bins, meaning we can get them right to your log store. Stacking service available.

Chestnut for woodstoves/mixed hardwoods for open fires.

Seasoned barn stored log. Produced by people carrying out their community pay back with WCF, providing training and increasing employment opportunities.

Orders taken on our stall at wye Farmers Market

email: info@wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

Lamb boxes regularly available

Wye Community Farm Lamb Box

We rear Poll Dorset and Portland sheep, two traditional breeds renowned for the

flavour of their meat. See our flock on the Wye National Nature Reserve, where their

grazing plays an important role in maintaining the chalk grassland that is home to a

wide range of endangered species. When the time comes we use a local family run

abattoir, ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.

Each box contains half a lamb, butchered to your requirements, priced at £60.

To place your order please fill in and return the form.

download lamb box order form here

Wye Community Farm, 22 Church Street, Wye TN25 5BJ

Harvest Festival 2015

Hay Making August 2015

Got the hay made for the coming winter.

Lovely view of the crown from the tractor.

Just got the field cleared under a darkening sky.

Haymaking August 2015

PYO raspberries July 2015

June 2015

Sheep Shearing

Sheep Shearing at the Brook Agricultural Museum last Monday with volunteers rolling fleeces as they came flying over the fence from the shearers!

sheep shearing 2015

Wye Crown Calypso

Here is Wye Crown Calypso with her one hour old bull calf born Friday 8 May. The brown stain down Calypso’s back is iodine. In the early years of WCF we had trouble with calves being dopey at birth, this was diagnosed as an iodine deficiency which is often found on chalk grassland. Through a combination of absorption through the skin and the cows licking it off, the iodine down the back has helped ensure calves are more lively and soon up and suckling.
All of the cows have now calved for this year and can be seen in the field next to The Wooden Spoon in Amage Road.

11 April 2015

Many thanks to everyone who supported todays Lambing Live event. All funds raised will go towards WCF’s educational work, including allowing our young farmers to attend agricultural shows this summer to show their livestock.

Lambing live April 2015

 

20 January 2015

An important task for WCF over the winter months is to assist Natural England in clearing scrub on the Wye National Nature Reserve. Controlling scrub ensures that the grassland habitat of endangered species such as the Black-veined moth and Duke of Burgundy butterfly is maintained. For information on these species visit www.butterfly-conservation.org, to join in our work parties contact us

National recognition for Wye Community Farm

Wye Community Farm has received a national award in recognition of its work to engage the local community in food and farming. Each year the British White Cattle Society awards its Enterprise Trophy to the herd that has done the most to promote the breed. The 2014 prize was presented to WCF for the ways in which the Wye Crown herd plays a role in providing volunteering and training opportunities for a diverse range of local people. Youngsters working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award and offenders completing their Community Payback work with the cattle to learn skills such as halter training and to gain a greater understanding of where their food comes from. The Wye Crown herd of British Whites spend much of the year on the Wye National Nature Reserve, where their grazing plays a central role in maintaining the rare chalk grassland.

enterprise trophy 2014

3 October, 2014
WCF harvest festival

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the WCF harvest festival such a success, here’s a video of the event.

10 September 2014
Edenbridge and Oxted show

Pictured are Lauren and Wye Crown Bertie at the recent Edenbridge and Oxted show. Lauren and Bertie’s next public appearance will be at this Saturday’s harvest festival, come along and have a chat if interested in getting involved in livestock showing.

17 June 2014
Shearing

All hands on deck for shearing last night. Our friends from Spinning Earth took some fleeces for their wool craft courses, with the rest being packed into wool sheets to go to the British Wool Marketing

Board in Bradford via Kent Wool Growers in Ashford.

Raspberries, job vacancy, harvest festival

The first of the autumn raspberries are now ripening (the autumn variety being the first rows you come to in the raspberry field). WCF members have unlimited access to the PYO, if not yet a member then visit the membership page at www.wyecommunityfarm.org.uk

fest

Job vacancy: Local farm requires an early riser to drive van to, and sell at, Farmers Markets. Mainly weekends. For contact details contact WCF.

WCF harvest festival Saturday 10 September.
New this year will be sheep racing! To increase the fun and fundraising we want a bookie, so if know your way around a betting slip please get in touch.

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