Farmer Ben's new butcher

Ben (Hollins) has launched himself into new territory over the last few weeks. After 18 months of gathering second-hand items from wherever he could lay his hands on them, he now has a complete butchery kit fully assembled on the farm and he even has his own butcher to work in it.

After fighting for so long to save Fordhall Farm and for pushing so hard to build up the farm business, Ben is very proud that he now has his first official employee. John the butcher, now works part-time on the farm butchering Bens meat ready for the farm shop and farmers' markets. This means that Ben can now do all of his own curing and sausage making - see photo of the first ever Fordhall Sausages!

As a result there will be various experiments in the farm shop - so be careful what you put in your shopping basket... But most importantly this now frees more of Bens time to work outside with the livestock.

More information on his new butchery and online farm shop will be in the Summer newsletter. Or why not drop into the farm shop and ask Ben about it yourself.

Click HERE to go to the Online Farm Shop

GOODBYE BARRY

Fordhall Farm has bid a fond farewell to Barry the bull, who sadly left us this morning when he went to the market to be sold. Barry has been here since before the campaign so was very special. Watch this space for details of the new bull.......!

Field Studies Council Invertebrates Course

Fordhall Farm ran its first invertebrates course last saturday (April 5th) for over 17 budding volunteers. They scanned and disected owl pellets under microscopes and investigated habitats and grassland relationships.

I have it on good authority that the day was enjoyed by all and that the good weather was a bonus. If you want to join on the next FSC Course you need to book in advance with Pete Boardman at the Field Studies Council in Shrewsbury. There will be another Invertebrates course on Saturday May 3rd and August 9th of this year.

Baby chicks at Fordhall Farm

Yes Easter came and past us by. But we were left with a cluster of very young chicks. Alice came from Market Drayton came to visit and we hope others will too. Watching them, hopefully avoid the fox, and grow into strong egg laying chickens.

Meanwhile Ben's cows are now beginning to enjoy the new spring grass and the goats continue to find all the holes in the fence and cause havoc. If you want to visit the chicks or lambs (now out of Bens new shed and back into the field) at Fordhall then dont forget we are open every weekend Fri-sun 11-4 and wednesday 11-4.

We hope you all had a lovely easter.

P.S. Ben has just started to make his own sausages - watch this space for photos soon...

P.P.S. Dont forget that tickets are now available for 'Arthur's Plough' - see our main website for more details www.fordhallfarm.com

FARMERS' MARKET and LAMBING SUNDAY!

What a success Sunday at Fordhall Farm was! Although it was cold the rain held off and it was a great day, over 1,500 people came! The children loved the Easter Egg hunt, the lambs, chicks - even some sheep shearing went on! The guided walks proved so popular that Charlotte had to do more! Ben's burgers also went down a treat, nearly everyone tucked into a sausage or a burger which caused us to run out of tomato sauce!
The variety of local produce that we had was amazing, there was something for everyone! We are now looking forward to an even bigger, better (and hopefully a tad warmer!) Family fun day on the 6th July! Put it in your diaries now!
-Hannah

FARMERS' MARKET and LAMBING SUNDAY!

Are you coming to our Farmers' Market and Lambing this Sunday at Fordhall Farm? I hope that the weather holds out as it is destined to be such an exciting day! Lambs are being born all the time and we have some chicks hatching! There is a wide range of stalls coming with local produce for everyone to enjoy! Make sure you don't forget it!

We also have a foot-stomping ceilidh at Harper Adams University College on Saturday at 6pm to celebrate the weekend. There are a few tickets left if you want to join in the fun. £10 adults, £5 concessions and it even includes a Fordhall Feast and a liscenced bar!

- Hannah
P.S Bring your walking boots. It's also the grand opening of our nature trail for 2008!

Did you see the news today?!

Once again Fordhall Farm is famous! The ITV news crew have been with us all day filming the lambs for an update on ITV Central, so far we have had two live broadcasts! It has been really great and is a great opportunity for Ben to show off his new lambs...and they have all been behaving so far!

Watch again for one week only by searching 'Fordhall' at
http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/

Hannah

P.S Don't forget the Farmers' Market on Sunday and Ceilidh on Saturday.

Spring Lambs arrive at Fordhall Farm!

The new lambing shed was just finished after the working weekend, only a few minor finishing touches left. Thankfully we got there just in time, with the ewes having their first lambs on the same day we brought them in!

We have ten lambs so far from the first bunch and expect the majority of them to come over the next two weeks. Here you can see volunteer Alan and myself with the first lamb of 2008.

Thank you to all the guys who put in lots of hours of manual labour and time planning and building the shed, without all this help we never would have got it finished in time. And of course all those of who who donated £1 so that we could buy all the blocks we needed to keep out the wind. A real neccessity with the recent weather!

Everyone can come and see the new lambs at our Farmers' Market and Lambing Day on Sunday 16th March 11am-4pm.

Hopefully there will be many more by then, although I am not looking forward to the late nights, when I have to go and check the ewes and lambs in the dark and cold. Then again I wouldn't swap the life of a farmer for anything.

- Ben.

More information on the events at Fordhall Farm can be found on our website www.fordhallfarm.com

Arthur's Plough - Fordhalls story with music and laughter...

Shropshire is to be put firmly back on the theatrical map this summer with a brand new version of the county’s legendary play about Fordhall Farm.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7268374.stm
Virutal Shropshire website info


“Arthur’s Plough – 2008” will be performed in the garden at Fordhall Farm near Market Drayton for two week in late June and early July, before going on to be a key element of the Shrewsbury Summer Season. Hard-won Arts Council Funding has enabled author Chris Eldon Lee to revive and substantially revise the musical play, first performed in 1991. It will give you the chance to see the Fordhall story from the 1900's to the 21st century. You read the press, read the book, and now you can see the play - what is Fordhall Farm really about?

Arthur’s Plough - 2008’ will be performed under professional direction and management by a dozen of the best community actors in Shropshire, accompanied by the “Mere Singers” choir, which is being expanded for the occasion. Anyone wishing to sing in the show should ring Mary Keith on 01948 710 586. To help in any other way, please ring Fordhall Farm on the number below.

There will be at eight performances of the play in the garden at Fordhall Farm itself on the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th June - and the 2nd 3rd, 4th and 5th July. And there will be four more shows at Home (Organic) Farm, Attingham, Shrewsbury, from July 9th to 12th. All at 7.30pm - we cant wait!

Tickets at £10 (£7.50 concessions) are on sale now on a first-come, first-served basis on 01630 638 696 or www.fordhallfarm.com

Meanwhile the Shropshire comedy group “Three Men in a Bowtie” will be
giving a concert to raise funds for the play at the Festival Drayton Centre in Market Drayton on Saturday 8th March at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 on 01630 654 444.
www.threemeninabowtie.co.uk

Working Weekend

What a fabulous (if a little exhausting!) working weekend we have just had at Fordhall Farm! Approximately 30 people attended on both days, with a few people staying over on the Saturday night. We saw a lot of the dependable regulars, but with a lot of new faces with fresh enthusiasm, in the mix. The weather stayed fine for the majority of the weekend, apart from Sunday when the heavens opened. Loads and loads of jobs were completed, including the lambing barn which is now nearly completed, the chicken shed is clean, re-felted and ready for the chicks, new flower beds, new gate posts and litter bins painted - phew! As well as all this elbow grease, tons of fun was had by all, and lots of new friendships were made. Thank you so much to everyone that came and contributed and for making my first working weekend so fantastic!!

'This is better than the Playstation'

Kian, nearly nine, Stoke.

P.S Tickets for Our play 'Arthur's Plough' will be available from our website very soon!