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Farm Newsletter - July 2016
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Welcome to your July update from the Farm. We've enjoyed all the lovely sunshine, but the hot weather has kept us very busy watering and keeping the animals cool. Our boar, Disco Dylan, has benefited from daily showers with the hose and extra shade from a gazebo!
Regular visitors will have noticed all the work going on with our Western Site. The first achievement was clearing our huge muck heap! Thanks to Greenwich Meantime Nursery who took a huge amount for their plants and the Worshipful Company of Farmers who paid for the vehicle hire to remove the muck.
Once the area was clear, the contractors could get to work and this week they have finished concreting the base for the new muck heap and pig houses.
We've hosted lots of corporate volunteers this month, with groups coming from Northern Trust, Accenture, Old Mutual and CLS. They've been a huge help supporting the livestock team to muck out and working on our new community allotments. We now have 15 new raised beds and they've nearly all been filled with muck and top soil. Soon the spaces can be used to grow again - and we'll finish the area by widening the path, and installing a new shed and tap.
We were delighted to be chosen as one of the Mayor of Southwark's Charities this year. She is aiming to raise an amazing £10,000 to contribute to the running of the Farm. We'll be working closely together to fundraise and are organising swimathons, floats for the New Years Day parade etc. We are also being given a place in the marathon and are looking for any Farm supporters who would like to run for us. If you're interested do get in touch: manager@surreydocksfarm.org.uk
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Livestock
The Mobile Farm project has been busy visiting schools and community events.
Our sow, Esther, gave birth to 14 piglets in June. They are now 6 weeks old and doing very well! Other new arrivals came in feathered form - when one of our Pekin chickens successfully hatched out two of her own chicks.
The livestock team took a selection of our sheep and lambs to Lambeth Country Show. The team entered many classes and returned with a big pile of rosettes. Congratulations to Saturday volunteer, Courtney, who came third in the very competitive Junior Handler class!
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Volunteers
We've hosted two groups of young people from NCS Challenge, giving them tours of the Farm and engaging them in volunteering activities.
 
Last weekend we said goodbye to long-standing volunteer, Janet. She has been at the Farm for over 5 years and many of you will know her from her role in the shop on a Sunday. Many thanks for all your help and support Janet!
If you're interested in volunteering, we have a range of roles and ways to get involved from mucking out the livestock to supporting our youth programmes. Have a look on our website for current volunteer vacancies.
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Youth Clubs
Youth Clubs:
This month the young people have enjoyed holding the chicks that have returned from the incubator project, giving the piglets back scratches, feeding snails to the ducks, making delicious salads from their allotment grown lettuces and herbs, drawing the animals using chalk and charcoal, giving the guinea pigs lots of attention and making chocolate beetroot cakes!
Piglets Club:
Emily and Karis delivered Piglets Club sessions to Trinity and Kintore Way around the story of 'The Three Little Pigs' to tie in with Esther's beautiful litter. The children loved trying to build houses from straw, sticks and bricks!
We also delivered a family Piglets session where the children made a salad from things picked on the allotment. It was fantastic to see the children enjoying healthy eating. One child who doesn't like vegetables now loves purple french beans!
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Summer Holiday Activities
We have a range of exciting farm activities for children and young people running throughout August.
8-13 year olds:
Farm Club: Tuesday & Wednesdays in August from 10am-4pm
Bushcraft Club: Thursday & Fridays in August from 10am-4pm
5-7 year olds:
Wild Rumpus: Tuesday 12th & 26th August from 10:30am-12pm
Under 8’s:
Family Cooking Workshops: Thursday morning sessions starting 10am and 11:30am in August
More information on our website. Booking online in advance is essential!
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Green Grow Cook and Go!
Drop in gardening 10am-1pm Saturday:
Gardeners have been busy planting trees by the sheltered classroom, watering the allotments and poly tunnels, clearing weeds from the dye garden and sheltered classroom, re-positioning water butts, sowing pumpkin, turnip and swede seeds, potting on chilli and aubergine plants and harvesting cavolo nero, kale, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, chard, beetroot, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes.
The Farm is really looking lush and fertile this Summer. You're all welcome to drop into Saturday morning gardening sessions - no previous experience necessary!
Drummond Road Community Garden:
The community gardeners have been busy sowing pak choi, turnip and broccoli seeds, dividing mint for tabletop planters, harvesting beetroot, chard, strawberries, peas, beans and cauliflower, weeding the raised beds and paving, planting out runner bean and leek seedlings, sowing pumpkin, carrots and squash in situ and turning the compost bin.
These sessions are free to attend and open to all 3-6pm Thursdays at Drummond Road Community Offices
Workshops:
Herbal Remedy workshop with Natasha of Forage Botanicals: pick your own fresh, Farm grown herbs and learn how to make natural herbal remedies with them. You will take home everything you make. 2-5pm Saturday 30th July. Register at surreydocksfarm.org.uk/herbal-remedy-workshop
Keep an eye out for upcoming soap making and cooking workshops at surreydocksfarm.org.uk/courses
For more information about this project, follow @greengrowcookgo on Twitter
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Training Projects
We deliver training projects for adult students with learning disabilities. Students develop skills in a range of areas including horticulture, retail, cooking, crafts, animal care and basic maintenance.
The students have been off for their three week summer break this month, it's lovely to have everyone back at the Farm again now.
Plot to Shop
Today the group planted spring onions, radishes, turnips, carrots and beetroots in the three new beds that the corporate volunteers built. They also worked hard to tidy up their area by clearing back the bindweed that has taken over during the break!
 
In the shop on Thursdays and Fridays we now have tomatoes, courgettes, salad leaves, spring onions, rainbow chard, curly kale, beetroot, carrots and rhubarb for sale. We recommend visiting on a Saturday morning when the drop in gardening group is here and we will pick what you want to buy straight from the beds.... it doesn't get fresher than that!
Farm Produce
The students are enjoying the busy summertime! The Farm Produce freezers are bursting with fruits for jam and veg for chutneys. They've already made lots of loganberry jam, so get ready to buy yours at the Harvest Festival! The group are also working on projects using wool, plants, beeswax, flowers... they just need enough time to make everything they'd like!
 
Cow Pat
Cow Pat group are learning to care for different animals now. After the ducks, the guinea pigs, the cows and the rabbits; they're adding caring for donkeys and goats to their list of skills! Check them out on Mondays afternoon, walking our donkeys by the Thames.
Moo Crew
The students have been busy planning which animals to work with during the summer. Kieron would like to work more with Herbie, Jordan wants to concentrate on the goats with Matt and Lou is going to show the Cow Pat Group how to work more closely with the Donkeys.
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Piccalilli Caff
Rotherhithe’s award winning café!
Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm for all day breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
Dancing & Feasting Event
Thursday 4th August (5:30pm-10pm)
Live Music, Food and Drink by the river
£22 per ticket - includes dinner
Enquire about farm volunteer discount.
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Yoga on the Farm
Community Yoga at the Farm. Find your inner yogi and feel great! An open level Vinyasa Flow style class with yoga Alliance UK registered teacher, Karis.
Thursday 6.30-7.30pm.
11th, 18th and 25th August, 1st September.
Introductory rate of £5 per class. Mats provided. Limited to 10 places per class. Booking essential.
To book or join mailing list please email: yogakaris@yahoo.com
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Blacksmiths
There's always something different being made by Kevin and his team.
Kevin took his mobile forge to Cleves Primary School in Newham and taught the children how to work with metal. They made this amazing snail shell sculpture!
Kevin Boys our resident blacksmith holds classes every Sunday from 10am -12pm
Tel: 07984416269
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