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!

Working Weekend!

For those of you that don't know, Fordhall Farm is having a volunteer Working Weekend this Saturday and Sunday! We have lots of jobs to do in order to get the Farm spink and span and ready for the spring! We still need more volunteers so if yourself, or anyone else wants to sign up for the weekend (or just one day!) please call me in the office on 01630 638696
- Hannah

Roll up, Roll up ...get your tickets here!

Ah! I'm just getting in the theatrical mood because on Saturday the 8th March at the Festival Drayton Centre in Market Drayton we have a night of classic comedy in the form of 'Three Men in a Bowtie' at 7.30 pm. The superb Chris Eldon Lee is producing this night of silly songs and manic monologues, all of which is fantastic fun! Tickets cost £10 from the Festival Drayton Centre. Tickets are going quick so buy them before they sell out, the production is raising funds for our production of 'Arthurs Plough' in the summer. If you want any more information please do not hesitate to call the office on 01630 638696.

See www.threemeninabowtie.co.uk

Creativity!

Jessica Summerton, joined us for three days last week as she worked towards her Duke of Edinburgh award, and she made some fantastic signs for us! We really exploited her amazing artistic skills. Jessica is due to re-join us at Easter for three more days, and hopefully help us some more. I'm sure you will agree that these signs are great and just what Fordhall Farm needed, look out for them next time you visit!
P.S. Don't forget that we have our Lambing weekend coming up on Sunday 16th March.
- Hannah

NEW SHEEP!

Just 30 minutes ago some new lambs (technically called hoggets aka teenage lambs!) arrived here at Fordhall! Situated in the field opposite my office window, I have been watching them eagerly munching the grass and suddenly a thought popped into my head - 'This must be like eating in a new restaurant for them.'!
The hungry young hoggets arrived with David Dawson from his organic farm near Nuneaton. He was bringing them in order for Ben to fatten up and sell in our farm shop. Barry the bull is in the same field - but I don't think he is very impressed with his new companions!