Church FarmYour Monthly Newsletter

Friday 3rd June 2011

A Note from the Grower

This week we have planted out over 500 courgettes, summer and winter squash and

pumpkins. As the site is quite windy we have also planted out a belt of sweetcorn to grow up and provide shelter to our delicate baby plants. Our co-farmers in the Rural Care department have kindly made us a scarecrow to keep those

pesky corn eating birds at bay!

This really is a manic month, with thousands upon thousands of young module grown plants

being transplanted out to their final growing site on the field – we’re planting cauliflowers, kohl rabi, fennel, spring onions, herbs, leeks, I could

go on but I really should get out of the office and carry on planting!

Kate

Ps. More beautiful strawberries in your boxes this week, and look out for our very own Church Farm strawberry jam being sold in our Farm

Store, or pop in for a delicious fresh smoothie in our café!

Red Poll World Congress TourWe had a wonderful visit from the Red Poll Society as part of the Red Poll World Congress Tour 2011 on Monday 30th May. Eighty people from Australia, New Zealand, Uraguay, Jamaica, USA, Canada and South Africa stopped by to have a talk by Farmer Tim Waygood, followed by a tour of the farm. It’s amazing to think that the original breeders in Norfolk 200 years ago have had such a worldwide influence. There are only a few thousand of the Red Poll left, but thankfully a renaissance of interest was reported in all countries as people became more aware of the horrors of hybrid beef feedlots.

Farm Butchery*Great Value*

15% off BBQ meatsDelicious kebabs, burgers,

sausages, drumsticks, wings, ribs and strips

Offer ends 6th June 2011

Special offer on car air conditioning service. £48.00 instead of £65.00. Bargain!!! Call Stu-

art on 07779004053 or email stuart@churchfarmardeley.co.uk.

Sumptuous strawberry season is upon us and ours here at the farm have been early! We are selling ripe, sweet strawberries by the punnet or why not try our strawberry jam, ice cream and smoothies in the farm cafe. Bring the kids and come and pick your own delicious strawberries with one of our farmers, enquire with the farm store staff for more details.

Farm Store Product of the Week Church Farm Strawberries

Butterfly Walk and TalkSunday 26th JuneWalk the farm and identify the species of butterflies that can be found during high sum-mer with butterfly expert Andrew Wood. Adults £5, Children £3. Pre-booking only. Call 01438 861 447 or email info@churchfarmardeley.co.uk.

Church Farm Mechanic

What’s in my box next week?

MEATFarm VarietyPork roasting joint, chicken joints, lamb mince, sausages and/or bacon.

Old English CutsOffal, pork roasting joint, chicken legs, lamb mince, and/or bag of bones.

Premium SelectionPork loin roasting, chicken breasts, lamb steak, back bacon and sausages.

VEGETABLESExtra Small (6 varieties)Potatoes (Sante), onions, carrots, closed brown mushrooms, broad beans, garlic bulb and calabrese.

Small (8 varieties)Fennel and pointed cabbage.

Medium (10 varieties)Salad bag and herb bunch.

Large (12 varieties)Rocket and peas.

Extra Large (13 varieties)Extra portions of staples

FRUITApples (red delicious), oranges (lanelate), plums (red beauty) and bananas.

Please note that these are standard items and are subject to change. If you have asked not to be supplied with a particular item, a substitute will be provided in your box.

of ways. The time to feed the orphaned lambs with milk is coming to an end as they switch to grass, but we have just started to help feed all the pigs in Great Field. It’s quite a walk but great fun to be spending more time with these animals.

Rural Care - Co-farmers at work

Is your beef grass fed?

NEW: Fresh Herbal Teas in Farm CafeOne of the easiest way to use and enjoy herbs is to make herbal tea. Herbal tea (sometimes referred to as “tisane” because the term “tea” used to be reserved for beverages made from a specific plant, Camellia sinensis) can be made from the leaves, flowers, seeds or even the roots of herbs, whether freshly picked or dried and stored for the off-season. Whatever herb you choose, the process is simple: pour boiling water over crushed herb and let steep. Herbs in season include Camomile, Moroccan Mint, Lemon Balm and Fennel. Source: http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/a/Tea_Herbs.htm

The Rural Care team has been collecting heads of elderflower to make into a refreshing cordial, which can now be tried in the café. On our walks around the farm collecting these flowers, some of the co-farmers also picked nettles. These have been submerged in water which in time will turn into a natural fertiliser to feed to our herbs and plants. It’s been great to make use of all the natu-ral resources we have on-site! Another job for this week has been to wash our lamb’s wool. We use the pressure washer, which many of the co-farm-ers enjoy, and the wool will be used in a variety

“Traditionally all beef was grass fed beef, but today what is commercially available is almost all grain fed beef. The reason? It’s faster, and so more profitable. Seventy-five years ago, cattle were 4 or 5 years old at slaughter. Today they are 14 or 16 months. You can’t take a beef calf from a birth weight of 80 -1200 pounds in a little more than a year on grass. It takes enormous quantities of corn, protein

By Stephen Aucott from Knebworth Odyssey Health Club (Odyssey Mail May 2011)

supplements, antibiotics and other drugs including growth hormones. Switching a cow from grass to grain is so disturbing to the animal’s digestive system that it can kill the animal if not done gradually and if the animal is not continually fed antibiotics. These animals are designed to forage, but we make them eat grain in order to make them as fat as possible as fast as possible. I have been trying to find grass fed beef locally and it is not easy. Most supermarket cattle in this country is grain fed and slaughtered at 14 months, whereas grassfed beef is usually taken to slaughter at 23 months. I have recently visited Church Farm in Ardeley to meet with Tim Waygood who owns and runs this fantastic Agrarian Renaissance farm. After spending time with Tim and understanding his philosophy and farming methods, I cannot recommend it highly enough as THE place that you should be sourcing your meat, fruit and vegetables from. I have been so impressed with the quality of produce there, I have invited them to hold a weekly farm shop at Odyssey, more details will follow in the coming weeks.”

Summer Camp: You heard it here first...This summer Church Farm will be holding a summer camp for little farmers from 8th-12th August. Activities may include feeding the animals, egg collecting, den making, bushcraft, bug hunting, scarecrow making, clay sculpting, boat making, scavenger hunts, sports, salad sowing and more. 10am-3pm everyday. You can choose one day or all five. Limited spaces available - further information to come in the following weeks! :)

Butcher’s TipWhy not buy some succulent gammon steaks or joints? Use them for skewers or throw them on the BBQ just as they are. Lovely!

Bird Walk SuccessBelow you’ll find the list of 36 birds we spotted during our migrant bird walk with bird expert Richard Pople. Thank you for allowing us to farm with nature!

1. Song Thrush2. Green Woodpecker3. Willow Warbler4. Robin5. Blackbird6. Jackdaw7. Collared Dove8. Carrion Crow9. Wood Pigeon10. Red Legged Partridge11. Rook12. Pheasant13. Blackcap14. Chiffchaff15. Whitethroat16. Chaffinch17. Blue Tit18. Herring Gull19. Canada Goose20. Grey Heron21. Mallard22. Moorhen23. Magpie24. Swallow25. Wren26. Great Tit27. Coal Tit28. Skylark29. Starling30. Pied Wagtail31. Linnet32. Great Spotted Woodpecker33. Dunnock34. Jay35. House Sparrow36. Greenfinch

Last weekend was the first of our series of popular no impact camping weekends held on green and pleasant land at the farm. Despite the poor weather forecast we still had over 100 people - adults and children alike - come along for camping, jamming around the campfire and camaraderie. Everyone brought along their BBQs, games and entertainment while we provided compost toilets, shelter marquees, straw bales, water and a big bonfire!

We had a lovely note and donation from some of our campers too:

“Dear Mr Farmer,We picked some stones from your farm and painted them. At the bonfire we sold them and got £12. We would like to donate the money to the farm. Thank you for our lovely night un-der the stars. With love, Georgie (10), Drew (7), Joh Joh and Cath.”

Thank you so much from all the Church Farm Team for all your effort and thanks to everyone for coming along and supporting this way of farming!!! We’ll be holding our next Campfire, Music and Sleep under the Stars weekends on 23rd July and 27th August. All customers and people of good nature are welcome - suitable for all ages. Limited spaces available so please book in advance.

Contribution: Adults £10, Under 16s £8, Under 2s £2. Free for musicians and farm members.

BOOK NOW! Pop into the Farm Store, call 01438 861 447, buy online or email events@churchfarmardeley.co.uk

Campfire, Music and Sleep under the Stars Weekend

Free Harvest Walks

Join our growers out on the veg field and harvest your own veg. It’s a great way to introduce little ones (and big ones) to lovely vegetables too. Harvest walks are free. Just pay in the farm store for the produce you choose to pick. No need to book, just meet the grower at the times specified in front of the propagation tunnel at the entrance of the veg field. For further information call 01438 861 447.

Everyday 12pm, 2pm and 4pm

NEW: Home made Elderflower Cordial in Farm CafeThe English summer is thought to start when the elder blossoms and ends when the berries ripen. The flowers taste best picked early on a dry, hot day, and speed is crucial: they should be used straight after picking. The cream-coloured heads (or umbels) are tastier than the white, and once infused, the heady scent is deli-cious. The Rural Care team had great fun picking and making the cordial which is now available as a refreshing drink in the Farm Cafe.

...when you spend £10.00 or more in our Farm Cafe or StoreApplies Monday to Friday only.

Offer starts 6th June - ends 24th July 2011.

Please bring this voucher to the Farm Store at Church Farm Ardeley and collect your free bag of animal feed

Feed the Pigs or Chickens.This voucher can be redeemed for one Box of Food

Church Farm, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7AH, T: 01438 861 447E: info@churchfarmardeley.co.uk www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk

#

£2 £2FREE FEED THE ANIMALS VOUCHER

# Please cut out to redeem

£1 off

Weekly Boxes & Farm MembershipEnjoy real food and much more delivered to your door

Buying a Church Farm box actively supports animal welfare, wildlife conservation, restoration of the countryside and education, provides local employment and boosts the local economy. Each farm box is tailored in size and can contain all or a selection of fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat from Church Farm as well as dairy, bread, staples and more. Picked, packed and ready for delivery or farm collection.

FREE Farm membershipAll our weekly and fortnightly farm box customers receive free farm membership. Members gain a deeper involvement with the farm, and build a connection to the land and the food produced from it. Membership is limited to 200 people, matching the farm’s traditional, sustainable levels of productivity.

Membership Benefits • Free family farm tractor tours each season • Hands on farm experience days throughout the season • Weekly newsletters and updates • 20% discount on all workshops, events and campingCall 01438 861 447 or email

info@churchfarmardeley.co.uk to find out more

Want to set up your own drop off point or workplace farm club?

Let us know!