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Farm Newsletter - July 2018
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Welcome to your monthly update from the Farm.
We're still looking for a new full time Admin Apprentice to join our staff team. This post is funded through Southwark Council's SEEDS programme that supports young people into work. Find out more about this opportunity via our website.
Our growing spaces are overflowing with produce, all without using any chemicals! Instead we use the manure from our livestock and make our own compost. This natural way of gardening means we also benefit from lots of pollinators, so it's a great time to come and spot butterflies, bees and day flying moths. We've captured photos of a beautiful holly blue butterfly feeding on a cornflower, lots of bumble bees and honey bees covering the globe artichoke flowers, as well as a red admiral landing on the nettles (which it's caterpillars feed on). Do let us know what you've seen!
It's our annual Harvest Festival on Saturday 8th September. We'll have something for everyone from bouncy castle, face painting and meet the animals for the kids, to a 'bar chill and grill' area for the grown ups to relax, listen to live music and watch the Morris Men perform.
The yard will be filled with craft stalls and don’t miss the Farm's very own produce stall, selling jams and chutneys made by their students using ingredients grown here.
We'll also have traditional fair games, donkey rides, wool spinning demonstrations, freshly baked bread from the wood oven and more!
As always entry on the day is FREE and the event will run from 11am-4pm.
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Volunteers
'Farm Gym' - our new drop in volunteer group for adults on Wednesday evenings - is proving a popular addition and the volunteers have been a huge help with farm tasks. July's sessions included: collecting windfall apples, pruning the elder tree, sweeping paths, weeding and lots of animal enrichment.
If you'd like to get involved, find out more here.
July has been a great month for Corporate Volunteering. Our biggest supporter this year has been Morgan Stanley who booked nine sessions with us over the last couple of months! Other worthy mentions are teams from the Northern Trust, Barclays, British Land and BizSpace. Corporate jobs have been varied as ever. We've been working in the wildlife garden, building raised beds for our plot holders, clearing out the duck pond, trimming the hedges on the riverfront and last but certainly not least, building a raised bed in the turkey area!
We've got several teams booked in for the coming months. Let's hope the weather holds!
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Youth Clubs
We deliver a programme of exciting outdoor activities for children and young people. Thanks to financial support from British Land.
This month the Young Farmers packed their bags and went away on an overnight adventure camp at Frylands Scout Center. The children had a wonderful time exploring the woods, building campfires, learning new songs, drinking hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows. Archery was a real hit, with many of the children getting bulls eye on their first try! It was great fun to go orienteering through the woods and to code break as we covered more and more ground. The children were very observant and despite the woods being quite extensive, had a good grasp of direction. The Young Farmers also impressed on the assault course with monkey bars, tunnels, slides, climbing walls and balancing beams. Great fun was had by all and our thanks go to Penny and Barry at the Center for giving us a trip to remember.
The children have been working with our Livestock Apprentice, Steph, learning new (and quite advanced) large animal handling skills. This is in preparation for the London Harvest Festival in September where the children will be competing in the junior handler categories in the hope of winning rosettes. The sheep and chickens have been very understanding and patient with us as we learn new lead and hold techniques and many interesting animal facts!
Earlier in the month the Young Farmers transformed the River Room into a pop up cinema where they watched two documentaries. "Lessons from a Calf" which follows a group of elementary school children as they raise a calf into adolescence and "Pecking Order" which delves into the interesting world of showing prize poultry at national competitions. To make the experience all the more immersive, the chicks joined us in the cinema too!
If you'd like to help support the children's activities at the Farm, we are always grateful for gifts from our Amazon wishlist which can be found here.
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Livestock
On the hottest of days, the farm team got to work prepping the ground, laying sand and paving to make a hard-standing area for our new cow pen. We’re on track for two new calves to arrive mid September!
Smart new housing for our rabbits and guinea pigs was installed in early July. The house has windows for our smaller visitors to peep inside and an overhanging shelter to protect visitors and animals when it rains. Thanks to all those who supported; with special thanks to one of our students, who supported AND drilled the final screws into the door!
We now need a few more features to help the animals feel at home. Have a look on our Wishlist if you’d like to buy our bunnies a house warming present!
Our livestock team took a selection of the sheep to Lambeth Country Show and came home with armfuls of rosettes that are now on display along the walkway outside our farm shop.
The sheep themselves picked up lots of rosettes and our volunteers' also competed to show their sheep handling skills. Well done to Danielle and Damian who gained 1st and 2nd place respectively in the Young Handler 16-20 years old category. Congratulations to our Livestock Apprentice, Steph, who gained 1st place in her age category then won Champion Sheep Handler for the whole show!
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School Visits
Farm tours were enjoyed by John Ruskin, Cobourg and St Peter's RC Schools. While Mother Goose Nursery, Peter Hills School, Camelot School, Pilgrims Way School and the Children's Creative Community Club visited for self guided tours.
Find out more about our school workshops on our website here. |
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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.
Our training projects have been on their three week summer break during July, so we'll bring you more detailed news when they return in August!
Before the students went on their holidays, we celebrated all their hard work and achievements with a team Summer BBQ.
 
 
The Farm Produce students were busy during their last few days of term. They watered their herb plants and harvested them to make rosemary focaccia, basil oil and Tuscan Schiacciata bread.
Harry also made some savory cheese scones and a sticky marmalade cake. Kieron demonstrated more of his pastry making skills with some delicious cheese and onion pasties and made a tasty banana cake cake for the students end of term summer BBQ.
  
We would like to give a special mention to a unique fundraising event that took place on 30th June 2018. Instead of receiving the usual Golden Wedding gifts Mike and Susan Smith (parents of Rachel, our Plot to Shop and Cow Pat Coordinator) asked for donations to Surrey Docks Farm.
The result was a massive cheque for £815. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the guests who attended for their generosity. It was a wonderful event and we would like to wish Susan and Mike many more happy years together.
  
We currently have spaces in our training projects for new students, find out more about our offer via our website.
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Wobble to Warrior Yoga
Monday evenings from 6:30-7:30pm
Vinyasa flow yoga. £8 per class.
Contact Michelle for more information:
www.wobbletowarrioryoga.com
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Piccalilli Caff
Rotherhithe’s award winning café here at the Farm!
Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm for all day breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea
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The Forge
Kevin Boys our resident blacksmith holds classes every Sunday from 10am -12pm
Tel: 07984416269
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