AGM, Barn Dance and Spring Fair Weekend!!

The Fordhall Community Land Initiative's 2011 AGM was held at Fordhall Farm for the very first time!  It was really well attended by shareholders from all over the country.  As it was held here, it gave people the chance to have a hot drink and a piece of cake in the new tearoom, which was opened last weekend.  The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Board, Chris Eldon Lee. 

The official AGM ran until 2pm, when it broke for a delicious 'bring and share' lunch and a local choir, the Mere Singers, came to entertain everyone. They sang some beautiful songs, including the famous "Pancake Day" from the play "Arthur's Plough". 

After lunch, guided tours took place around the farm and new buildings led by Charlotte, Ben, Beth & Bex and for those who didnt fancy the walk, Alec Nunn led a great Pyrography activity for adults and children alike.

In the evening, we celebrated with a Barn Dance and Hog Roast.  Lots of fun and laughter was had by everyone, the food was delicious (as always), local ale was sold at the bar and the band kept everyone up and dancing throughout the night.

The next day, Fordhall Farm was bustling...or should that be blustering with visitors attending the Spring Fair and Farmers' Market.  Some 20 Stall Holders battled against the gale force winds to sell their local wares.  There were opportunities to try out our new family orienteering course and kids could have a go at hunting out all the Fordhall Staff in Beth's Wildlife Treasure Hunt.  Ben's sheep were being sheared ready for the summer and the Tea Room was still being checked out by one and all taking shelter from the gusts of wind.

 Despite being windswept and a little bit chilly, a good day was had by all!! A big thank you to all who helped to make it a really successful weekend!

clay oven update

Not only has the rennovation work of the dairy been completed, so too has work on the clay oven.
We held a fabulous hazel hurdling course back in April and Alan Houseman, who taught the course, also delivered the hurdles he had made, using hazel coppiced near LLanymynech, close to the border with Wales.
The hurdles now surround our clay oven to protect it from the elements and the finishing touch has been a lime wash on the base of the oven, which you can see being painted on by Sharon and Georgina, two volunteers who regularly help in the community garden.
I have also attached a picture of the hurdling course participants; watching and listening intently to Alan. The weekend was a great success with all the participants learning a lot about the tricky art of making hurdles. We were able to host the course with help from the Aggragate Levy Fund, managed by Shropshire Council and as it was oversubscribed we would certainly run it again next year.
Comments from the participants were all very positive, no one wanted the weekend to finish and everyone went home with the a hurdle they had made over the two days of the course. Bex

NEW Tea Room and Farm Shop NOW OPEN!

 

Yes that's right - after years of planning and months of construction our new tea room and farm shop opened at Fordhall Farm this weekend.

We went for a soft opening, so no major publicity, but lots of signs at the end of the drive. We thought that we needed a little time to find our feet before we invite the masses... This would allow some time for staff training, remember everything we've forgotten, plan the menu etc. But a lack of publicity did not seem to matter, at lunch time every table in the tearoom was full!

The farm shop was bustling and everyone jumped in to help. The rustic tearoom and the clean lines of the oak canopy to the farm shop, make Fordhall a lovely space to sit and relax, and our visitors seemed to agree. With homemade soup, local cakes, sandwiches and organic teas, the tearoom vision we had is now a reality.

To be honest, it still feels like a blur. Arriving at Fordhall, with the new signs at the entrance, the gravel on the drive, and then the beautiful old dairy building, restored and revived. It is a sharp contrast to the run down buildings that greeted us only 9 months ago.

There are so many people to thank for this project, too many to list here. But they all know who they are. From the thousands of people who donated to our appeal last year which matched the generous funding from Advantage West Midlands, to our board members, our staff, and the many volunteers who tirelesly sanded tables and chairs, moved equipment and helped clean the space in preperation for today. Not to mention all the professionals who worked on the build including Shingler Construction, Seven Architecture and WCP Associates. And of course to Oliver Allan for his wonderful photos. Thank you all.

With the first day behind us, our focus now turns towards our AGM and Farmers' Market next week. Our upstairs classroom and office space is still in construction, but it won't be long until we can fully move in.

We hope to see you soon.

Charlotte

P.S. Lots more photos can be found on Oliver Allan's Flikr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/42865673@N07/

The BigWalk visit Fordhall!

Helen Hedges a shareholder in Fordhall Farm, dropped by on Friday to lend a hand. Currently Helen is the logistical support behind The Big Walk http://thebigwalk.co.uk/ and took the time to fit us in inbetween dropping off and picking up her walking team. Helen's husband Geoff Hedges and friends Diana & Drew Kirby from Tockenham, Wiltshire are walking the length of the country more than 1,100 miles from Lands End to John O’Groats! The team of four will be traveling the entire journey together, with Helen organising all the background details needed to keep the walk on schedule and keep everyone healthy and happy.

Helen walked the farm trail during her visit to Fordhall Farm and then helped the Fordhall Community Land Initiative (FCLI) in our office for the afternoon; we were then able to stamp Helen's Land's End to John O'Groats logsheet before she sped off to pick up the rest of the team at Friday's finish line! Geoff, Diana, and Drew started their 12 week mission on the 1st April 2011, that works out at about 15 miles of walking per day with 6 days walking and 1day rest.

A very inspiring bunch of people!!! Check out their blog at http://thebigwalk.co.uk/ pledges to the charities that they are supporting can be made through this webpage too! 
Thankyou very much for your help Helen, we appreciate that you took the time to visit us on your epic journey.

Fordhall's New Farm Shop is nearlly finished!

The transformation at Fordhall over recent months has been staggering. Can you believe that in 2 weeks time we will have a fully operational farm shop, tearoom and classroom space??

Our new septic tank!

Lovely Hazels and Daisy's have been planted outside, by volunteer Keith Atkey. Bex has planted a herb garden, our air source heat pump is now fully operational (after a few issues with the installation), lights are in, toilets are in and we even have a new septic tank! What more could you need?

This morning Ben and Azhar (from UK Equipment Direct) installed his new fridge. It took 7 men a good two hours to get it into place, but they got there in the end, and it now looks the perfect centre piece for the new farm shop.

The kitchen in the tearoom has all now arrive from Catering Centre UK and Shingler Construction are busy with the installation. Our beautiful Clearview Stove (made in Shropshire) has also arrived and been installed. Meanwhile, wonderful volunteer Viv has been busy gathering tables and chairs ready to fill the space.

The number of people involved with this build continues to grow and we are grateful to each and every one of you. We plan to open the week of the 16th May - a little behind schedule but it will be worth it..

This means that the perfect opportunity to come and visit is our Farmers' Market on Sunday 22nd May.

See you there..

Charlotte

The Magic of Fordhall Farm, by Sophie



Charlotte watering the newly planted
green roof
in front of the newly installed
PV cells thanks to Salop Energy.



It’s all go here at Fordhall where the new walls are being painted, calves are being born and volunteers are beavering away fixing fences and building carparks. Things seem to be in constant fast-paced change, but at the core, things are very much still the same since I left in 2008. Charlotte is still running around doing 700 things at once, Ben is still thriving as a farmer, and there are still so so many others pottering around lending helping hands. But there are some significant differences of course.



The new buildings: it is fantastic to see the vision from the early days in the campaign coming into fruition. It is almost like a little dream, but the noise of the diggers and chickens confirm that it is actually happening, for real, right now. It is great!



Bex (Community garden
coordinator) on
her way to water the garden

There is an immense level of productivity at the moment, and the momentum is peaking as the deadline approaches. Whether it is making decisions on crockery, to ordering toilet signs and planning computer networks. The level of detail that is needed from Charlotte, Ben and all those that are helping out is really impressive. They are champions are dealing with stress with a smile.



The photos show Bex off on her mission to water the new hedgerow at the driveway entrance. This involved a complicated process of connecting 3 hosepipes with much hilarity. The next photo is of Andy supervising Hugo (my husband!) as they put Andy’s car park plan into practice. And it looks pretty impressive.

 Charlotte tells me that there is only one week to go until they open. The pressure is on...

Andy (left - our wonderful volunteer landscape architect) and
Hugo (right - wonderful volunteer) constructing the new car park.



I sincerely hope that you are able to visit the farm this year, either during an event or to enjoy a walk around the extended and idyllic farm walks. To see your dream come true is such a special moment. And as supporters, you should take a moment to enjoy it for yourselves. I know I will certainly be visiting again in the near future.

Sophie (ex-employee, volunteer and dog’ s body. Or “Sophie from the book” as Charlotte calls me).

Ben, Charles and Chris moving hanging rails
for Ben's new burchery fridges.



Almost there - now just the finishing touches



Charles monitors the laying of our oak flooring in the upstairs office.
You can see the recycled newspaper insulation sitting below. 



Dawn Chorus Walks at Fordhall Farm on Bank Holiday Weekend

This May bank holiday weekend we are holding a Dawn Chorus Walks at Fordhall to help celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day and of course the Royal Wedding!

It will begin at 4.30am on Sunday May 1st at Fordhall. Led by local twitcher and lifelong bird enthusiast Paul Rutter. Paul has a wealth of knowledge and will lead you around Fordhall, through woodlands, over wetlands, diverse grass meadows and more. You will get the opportunity to hear many birds and enjoy the challenge of deciphering which bird is associated with which call! Something that I have fun with every year :-)

Each morning the sun rises around the world facing ever more environmental challenges. Everywhere people face problems of pollution, famine, climate change and habitat destruction. Yet each morning the birds awake and sing their songs with enthusiasm

International Dawn Chorus day is a chance to set aside all our challenges for a few minutes, join in with your friends around the world in enjoying and celebrating nature’s miracle – the Dawn Chorus.

This is the time of year when all our birds come back to mate and nest. They are all competing with each other for mates and we have the wonderful opportunity of being part of that experience with them.

In previous years we have spotted pied wagtail (as in the photo above), lapwing, buzzards, teal, chiff chaffs, woodpeckers, thrush, reed bunting and more... Who knows what other unusual birds you may find this year or what other wildlife you will see?

If you would like to join us please can you contact the office to book. The walk will end with a full cooked breakfast from the farm (veggie options available too). Full walk and breakfast costs £10.00 per person.

We do hope you will be able to join us.

Charlotte
01630 638696 or project@fordhallfarm.com

Only 4 weeks until Fordhall Farm re-opens...

Fordhall Farm's new green roof canopy

As time moves on and Easter approaches, the final touches on our renovation project begin. This week Sedum Supplys have been putting the gravel base onto our green roof. This substrate will hold a beautiful biodiverse roof, which all the local widlife will be able to take advantage of throughout the year. 

Welsh slate really makes
the new Farm Shop special

Inside the building progress continues. Downstairs is fully plastered and has even received its first coat of paint. Our welsh tiles have arrived and Mick has been carefully laying them through the building - with a little (OK a lot) of moaning in between because they are not the square straight tiles he is used to! The farm shop is now complete, the toilets and tea room will be next. I have to say that it looks beautiful and Mick has done a fantastic job - despite the moaning!

Meanwhile, work has continued upstairs and outside. Warmcell recycled newspaper is blown in between the floor joists to help insulate the building and reduce noise between the floors.

The recycled newspaper is blown in between the joists. It is shredded so fine, it looks like we have had mice!

Plasterers work hard in
our new office

And lime plaster is applied to the walls and ceilings. After all coats have been applied we are left with about 13mm of lovely lime plaster. This type of plaster allows the building to breath and provides a lovely rustic feel with it. To compliment the plaster, these areas will also be painted with a chalk based lime paint, which along with being breathable have no nasty VOCs that can affect your health.

Externally, the drainage is in, our soakaway and septic tank have arrived and most of the external paving is complete.

With only 3-4 weeks before we open, it is all hands on deck. Ben and I and the rest of the team are busy finalising the details such as tables, shelves, crockery, suppliers and more. There are so many things to think about - we hope we remember to get the coffee!

Charlotte

This work has been part funded by Advantage West Midlands

New workshops at Fordhall!

I know that I haven't written on the blog in a while but thought I would write again and keep up with the trend of good news and progress by announcing and drawing your attention to our new programme of events!

With our fantastic new facilities here at Fordhall very nearly ready I have been busy planning some fantastic workshops for our new classroom. It's great that we will be able to host these, it will really help to enhance Fordhall and what it has to offer. We have rag rug workshops, printmaking, basket making, digital photography and lots more to come so please take a lok at our events page on our website for more details and let me know if any take your fancy!

http://www.fordhallfarm.com/fordhall_events.php

(Even if you are not interested please let anyone know that might be! Spread the word!)

Hannah

Fordhalls new facilities have been generously part funded by Advantage West Midlands

Happy Hemp!

The hemcrete is shoveled in between shutters. Once dry the external shutter will be removed to allow the hemcrete to breath.

Today we built our Hemp wall, and boy were we excited! It has been a long time coming. It is something new for our architects, our builders and us. Mixed in the cement mixer, this hemp and lime mix will create stability and insulation for our classroom walls. Over the last few months, Jemma from Seven Architecture, has been working closely with Lime Technology to get our design just right.

Unlike the rest of the building, there is no cavity, no stud wall and no insulation - just solid hemp through and through. For those of you who have not come across hemp before, you may be familiar with another variety - the cannabis plant. Different varieties of hemp have different uses and characteristics including medicinal, nutritional and even as a biofuel.

We are using hemp to consolidate and insulate our walls, as well as acting as a moisture regulator for our lovely new classroom space. Plus as hemp absorbs carboon dioxide and releases oxygen as it grows, it is seen as a carbon negative product - even better for our carbon footprint!

It is so simple to use, a quick mix in the mixer with the lime and water, and then into the walls and left to dry. It was so simple, it was a task we could all help with - although I think we may have slowed the process down more than we speeded it up...

Sharon puts in her first shovel of hemcrete



Volunteer Ann soon follows suit

  

..and Sarah our graduate is not far behind.



But of course, I had to have a go too!













In some areas of our building we have used a recycled aggregate block for structural support, and although hemp can act as structural support we do not have enough time to allow it to harden - many weeks. The timber frame within the hemp therefore has to take the load of our roof.

But don't fear, I have lots of samples of all the materials we have used within our build to have on display when you visit, and don't forget we will be open in May!
Charlotte

Fordhalls new facilities have been generously part funded by Advantage West Midlands