Boys toys

How can you be a real farm without a tractor? Sorry about the quality of the photo but this baby, which was only delivered on Sunday afternoon, has been parked in the hay barn and Pete won’t yet let it out in case it it gets wet or dirty!! I therefore had to squeeze into a tiny gap and shoot against the light just to get this snap. Watch this space for some better images and maybe some video of it in action… Once Pete has finished polishing it.

How have we afforded this lovely piece of equipment I hear you say. Well, we have recently been awarded a grant of £6000 from the ‘Working Together Fund‘ of Suffolk Community Foundation. This award was given to us in recognition of the way we have been working in partnership with local people, Social Services, Community Payback, local colleges and other businesses and agencies. In many ways it is a reward for the 10,000 hours of volunteering that you have all helped us achieve. How can we ever thank you enough.

As you might expect, this beautiful machine cost rather more than £6000 but we have dipped into our reserves in order to secure a vehicle which will last us for many many years and help make the most of the hours we work.

This has been a significant purchase and we are now looking for ways to raise additional funds to help cover the expenditure. If any of you are keen to help out financially your contribution would be very gratefully accepted. Please go to our website and follow the ‘DONATE’ link or use the bank details shown at: http://www.pathways-care-farm.org.uk/get-in-touch/

Workparty and birthday cake

You may recall me saying that the last workparty was also the 2nd anniversary of our taking possession of the farm. Well, the wonderful Rachel, who has been a regular supporter of these workdays along with her daughter Grace, arrived with a birthday cake to celebrate the occasion.

What a wonderful gesture and what a wonderful cake. It was eagerly consumed and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone there. It reminded me of the Test Match Special team eating chocolate cake whist commentating on cricket! Thanks Rachel… I can’t wait for birthday number 3.

The next workparty is this week, Saturday 22 October 2016. Please come. We have a number of jobs to do, some skilful, some less so, all vital and any contribution will be further evidence of our ‘Working Together’. We look forward to welcoming you.

Geoff

Two years

On 1 October we have had possession of the farm for two years. It seems like only yesterday yet it seems like we have had it forever! Some of you might understand what I mean by that – I apologise to the rest of you but I don’t know how else to explain what I feel.

I have been keeping a record of the volunteer hours we do each week and when I added them up last week the total came to just over 10,100. That is a staggering figure but understandable when you look at the changes that have been made since that very exciting first day in October 2014.

10,000 hours, even on minimum wage, is worth an awful lot of money and it is impossible to overstate how grateful we are to everyone who has been on this journey with us – whether you have been to every work party or just given us a cheery smile now and then – we could not have done what we have without you. Thank you all so much.

New arrivals

Life on the farm is so exciting at the moment. Last month I mentioned the new alpacas this time I can tell you about the new chicks. Please click on the photo (right) to see a short video taken a few days ago when they were less than three weeks old.

Pete and Debbie have hatched 8 of these lovelies (we just hope that they are hens and not cockerels!). As soon as they ‘feather up’ a bit more we will let them out and allow them to wander around a bit. (I’ve just re-read the sentence above and thought I should make it clear that Pete and Deb haven’t been sitting on the brood… they kindly incubated the eggs and have been nurturing the tiny chicks until they were strong enough to come and live on the farm!

We also have three lovely little bantams which have joined our family this week. They have been donated by a local family who have recently moved house and are not allowed to keep pigs or poultry! They can have cows, goats and probably elephants but not pigs or poultry. If anyone understands that logic I would love to hear an explanation (answers on a postcard…). Anyway, their loss is definitely our gain and we are very grateful for the gift. Click on the photo to see them running around this afternoon.

New windows

At the last workparty Matt fitted new windows to the barns within the courtyard. They look so smart and have given a nice finish to the great work that Pat has been doing on the courtyard wall.

Any of you that have visited over the last few months would have heard me talk about Pat, he has been steadily working his way along the wall, removing all the plant life that has rooted within the mortar, re-building sections that were falling over and re-pointing. He took it in his stride but I think its a work of art.

Work has now started on the barns that will become an office and a home for rabbits and guinea pigs…. where will it all end?

I also want to mention the next workparty. Our first ever day on the farm was 2 October 2014 – the next workparty is Saturday 1 October 2016… almost 2 years to the day. How poetic is that? Please come. If you came to the first one please come again and see the changes… if you have never been, please come and see it for the first time. If you can help get things done then great… if you can only stay for 20 minutes or you just want to look around then great. You are very welcome.

… and finally

I couldn’t end without showing you a few nice images.

The flowering season is coming to an end but the polytunnel has served us so well and Rob (head gardener) has done such a wonderful job. The beautiful flower above is just one of the amazing sights we have to look at each day… and they call it work!

… and last but certainly not least, we have to spend time with these brilliant animals… how blessed are we?

Thanks for all your support.

Geoff

They are at it

In the last update I announced the arrival of our alpacas. They are beautiful creatures and have added something to the farm that is very hard to explain. Their regal presence attracts people… they are unusual, curious animals with exotic names like Papillon, and Sundance. The two young cria are adorable (and growing quickly). They really are worth a visit.

When they arrived we thought that both of the mums were pregnant ready for spring/summer births next year (the gestation period for alpacas is 11-12 months). The test for checking that a female is pregnant is called the “Spit test’. This involves introducing the amorous male to the female again – if the female spits in its face it is possibly pregnant. If it does the same a week or so later the pregnancy is more certain. The third time is like a confirmation and a scan is taken to make sure… Clever.

Papillon was indeed pregnant and the above picture is the scan of next years’ cria. How exciting is that?

Unfortunately, when the vigorous and very keen male was introduced to Verushka she… well, see for yourself. Please click on the photo (right) to see something not seen every day in sleepy Lowestoft.

Of course, the reason we have alpacas is not just to admire their strange good looks, nor to be entertained by their mating activity. We have them for trekking. The feeling of walking alongside one of these gracious beasts is such a privilege and something so ‘different’. Click on the other (below) to get an idea of the experience.

Anyone for a tomato?

It doesn’t seem to matter how many tomatoes you eat in a day, especially if they are straight from the plant, they always taste amazing. I have eaten so may over the last few weeks people think I have a tan… its just my skin pigment turning red!

We have produced some truly wonderful veg. It is thrilling to see it freshly picked and sitting in the barn. Its also brilliant to hear comments from people who visit as they look at it all spread out. Is this for sale? is one of the most common questions to which we answer “please help yourself and leave a donation”… There are some lovely, generous people around – or maybe they are just connoisseurs of great produce.

Next year we will be growing to more of a plan and selling it as an income stream but this year has been about learning, trying things out with our co-workers, enjoying the freedom of experimentation and trying out the soil. What a great journey we have had since April.

The real work

Of course, all the pleasure we get from growing things and being with beautiful animals is just a means to an end… our real work is done with the wonderful co-workers who come to the farm each day. We have been truly blessed with some incredible weather over the last few weeks but all of us would agree that the greatest pleasure we get is seeing the people we work with enjoying their day and seeing some of them achieve things they may not have thought possible.

One very dear lady had never been in a field with animals before. We stood in the paddock with the alpacas and one of them came to within a meter to take a closer look at us. That wasn’t the end, we then went into Geoffrey’s pen (the billy goat!) and he put his hooves on the back of her chair and put his head on her shoulder. Wow.

I received a note from the key worker of one of our co-workers which said: Since attending Pathways he has shown a noticeable change. He smiles and will initiate a conversation with “I go to the farm on Mondays”. Previously he did not state what he did unless asked. He smiles when asked about his day and has said several times that he likes the care farm and would like to attend more. Several staff have said his body language is relaxed when he returns home.

One co-worker said: “I have anxiety at times and its important to have time to rest and have a chance to focus on things that matter, to spend time with people who care. What I found here is people that care.”

Its encouragement like this that makes everything worthwhile.

Autumn must be coming soon

We have a number of jobs to complete before the colder weather starts and our Saturday workparties are great opportunities to meet, chat, see what has been going on (and to get some of those vital jobs done).

Our next Saturday together will be Saturday 17 September we will be there from 10 till 4ish please come along if you can spare some time. We really would love to see you.

Thanks

Geoff

They are here…

After weeks of (patient) waiting, in front of a packed crowd (well, 10 of us), the first few Alpacas arrived and immediately made themselves at home. The first delivery comprised two mature males, two mums and their cria (young alpacas). We have three more, younger males coming very soon and these will be halter trained so that they can be led on walks. Please click on the photo to see some live action (or pay us a visit to see some REAL live action).

We are in serious danger of looking and feeling (and smelling) like a farm nowadays. Goats, pigs, alpacas… eggs are being incubated as I write so not long before there are little chicks running around. Life at Pathways is getting very exciting and we are thrilled at the progress we have made over the last few months.

Our success is down to the wonderful help of so many people. Every one of you who have worked, encouraged, advised, donated, prayed… we are so grateful. This success is down to you. Thanks you.

In order to give a better feel of how things are going I have decided to make this progress report more pictorial than verbal. I have therefore added a few more photos below… check out the veg… in particular the ‘giant’ tomato… we have also had the great pleasure of using some of our first ever crop of potatoes in a terrific leak & potato soup (thank you Rod for your culinary skills). It was delicious – and another ‘first’ for the farm.

Growth all around

Back at the start of the year we were given a number of fruit trees… not just any fruit trees but ancient varieties from East Anglia. A few months later we can now walk through out orchard – yes, orchard! and see fruit appearing and growing beautifully. It is thrilling and the crop will just increase in size and beauty over the next few years as the trees (apple, pear and plumb) grow and mature… I can almost taste the juice that we will be producing with our press (if we get one).

Seabird sighting

Its not every day you see cormorant. Well, we had a visit from this youngster at the last workparty. I managed to get really close and take some shots and then left him alone whilst I went to tell everyone what I’d seen… At the end of the afternoon Den (my wife) and I went back to see if he was still there, which he was. We came to the conclusion that he must be injured and sure enough, as we approached, his attempt to fly was hopeless.

We went back to the car and got a blanket which I placed around his body (not over his head which, in hindsight, would have been more sensible). As I picked him up to take him to the reservoir he showed his gratitude by attempting to peck off my nose!

Den said ‘You’re bleeding’ as blood ran down my face but, bravely, I carried him to a place of safety at the water’s edge and behind a fence… I hope he was safe and was able to recover! My friend Sarah (a nurse) kindly patched me up… after she had stopped laughing… it’s good to have friends.

Come and join us

We love our workparties. Our Saturdays together are great days, lots of fun and lots of tea, and quite a lot of achievement. They are vital days in the life of the farm and how we are progressing, If you can spare some time please come, we’d love to see you.

Next Saturday, we will be there from 10 till 4ish –  Saturday 20 August please come along… at least come and see the animals.

Thanks

Geoff

They think its all over… it is now!

On this, the 50th anniversary of the above phrase, it seemed appropriate to rekindle the spirit of 66 a great team, spurred on by the nation, achieved so much… but that was only football – I am referring to the completion of our second polytunnel! We have spent many months training, working hard, digging holes, erecting the structure and finally the day came. The sun was shining, the wind was almost perfect, each volunteer was in place and ready. Please click on the above photo and you will see the moment when the polythene skin went all the way over the frame. What a feeling (and what heat was generated inside!!).

There are too many individuals to thank by name but you all know who you are and I’m sure you know how grateful we are. Brilliant job.

Once the skin is in place it has to be tensioned from within by pressing down on the horizontal frame. This is quite tricky as there is not much frame to grip but it is particularly hard when the outside temperature was 28 and inside the tunnel was touching the high 30s… maybe we should start publicising a sauna! The photo below shows some rather red faces as the pressure was being applied.

Dream to reality

Many of you will know that when we first took possession of the farm it was derelict. The whole place was neglected and weeds, ivy and brambles had taken over. With the help of Photoshop and some imagination I put together some visuals of how things might look – given time.

The top image above is a visual I produced over 18 months ago to show interested parties and potential funders some of what we hoped to achieve… the image directly above is one that I took last Saturday once we had finished our day’s work.

Its great when a plan comes together.

When nature and hard work (and skill) combine

I have always liked flowers but never fully appreciated their incredible intricacy, variety and beauty… not until now.

I have now seen, first hand, how a blank canvas can be turned into a work of art, not by paint or pastels but by seeds, compost, water and the tender hands of people who care and understand. Just look at the amazing, subtle blend of colours above – or below, the striking, boldness of a huge sunflower. The regal posture of the cornflower or the vulnerable delicacy of the petal at the bottom of the page.

A few months ago the farm was starting to take shape physically. We had recognisable paths and a few roofs that didn’t leak and a polytunnel and some areas of soil waiting in anticipation… Now we have colour, texture, fragrance, flowers, vegetables, fruit… design.

As you drive through the gates you are struck by the transformation – hanging baskets, flower beds – some much that cries out ‘RELAX’, ‘SLOW DOWN’, TAKE THIS IN’. Its wonderful. Please come and visit, see the beauty for yourself… and meet the animals (they’re wonderful). Don’t tell anyone but later this week the alpacas will be arriving.

Come and join us

So much has been done but there is so much still to do (to be honest – that will always be the case). If you can join us for a few hours to lend a hand I guarantee that you will get as much out of it as we do (probably more). If you want to meet the animals or see the plants you are just as welcome. We love this place and everyone who comes feels the same, please come, we’d love to see you.

Next Saturday, we will be there from 10 till 4ish –  Saturday 6 August please come along… you might even get close to an alpaca (or 9).

Thanks

Geoff

Bringing in the hay

With the amount of rain we have had this year we were really fortunate to be able to bale and bring in the hay whilst it was still dry. In fact it must have been one of the best days this year as the sun was out and casting beautiful shadows until we had it all safely stacked up in the barn.

If you click the picture above you will be taken to a short video of the process.

Thanks to Jakey and Victor who saved us hours by using their tractors and thanks to Dennis, Jon, Steve and Rob who gathered the bales into eights and to Pete, Jem and Den who piled the bales high.

This is a really good crop and we will be using some of it ourselves now that we have livestock. However, if you know of anyone who wants a few bales please get in touch. £3.50 each or 10 for £30.

Pathways Care Farm Charity Shop

We are sincerely grateful to everyone who works so hard to make our charity shop such a success, in particular Sue the manager who is so dedicated as well as Karen and Den who look after the displays and helps organise the stock.

We are very fortunate to have a really dedicated team of very friendly and caring volunteers who are on hand every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to welcome and serve their customers.

Over 2500 volunteer hours have been accumulated and over £7500 raised. It is impossible to say how grateful we are for this support and for the invaluable funds.

Polytunnel and workparty

Everytime we meet for a day together we achieve so much and have such a good social time as well. These Saturdays have become an integral part of who we are. People from all over the town (as well as visitors from other parts of the country and even other countries) arrive and get stuck in or take in the surroundings or chat over a cuppa… we love spending time together and welcome anyone who can make it.

Those who were around, about this time last year, will remember the fun of putting the skin on the polytunnel! Well we are now at that stage again and we truly would appreciate many hands. The outer covering of this wonderful structure can become a very large kite if the wind gets up and, even though the book says it is a two person job… we prefer to have as many people holding it down as we can get. If you are around on Saturday 23 July please come along… we need you.

There are lots of things to do whether you are skilled or not. The pigs and goats will give you a lovely welcome even if you don’t want to play with our large kite.

We will be there any time between 10 and 4 and the kettle is always on.

Thanks

Geoff

The first animals have arrived

We now feel like a real farm… and we’re starting to smell a little like one as well! Its that great ‘I’m in the country’ smell. The goats (Dandilion and Caramel) arrived a couple of Fridays ago closely followed by Olive, Rosie, Claire and Myrtle our beautiful, and very friendly, Oxford Sandy and Black weaners.

Both the goats and the pigs add so much to Pathways and everyone loves spending time stoking and scratching them or just watching them play and run around. Click on the photos above and below to see video of the goats and pigs.

The pigs are now about 16 weeks old and already rather large. Its hard to imagine what they will be like in 6 months time.

Alpacas

We have just completed the mammoth task of putting a fence all around the Alpaca enclosure. Well done Pete and everyone else who has carried posts, dug holes, banged posts in, fixed wire… This has truly been a huge task but one that has made the field really secure and ready for the long awaited arrival of the Alpacas. One of the cria was born a few weeks ago and we are just waiting for the second of our mums to give birth before we take delivery. The little fawn one above is our first baby. If you click on the photo you can see her and her mum as they moved out of their pen.

Workparty

It has been a while since our last work party so I guess you are all dead keen to get stuck in… Great news, the wait is over. We will be at the farm again this coming Saturday 2 July. There are lots of things to do whether you are skilled or not. Even if you just want to come and see the latest editions you will be very welcome.

Any time between 10 and 4 we will be there and the kettle will probably be boiling!

Thanks

Geoff

PS. The photo (right) shows some of the wonderful colours currently on display in the raised bed in the polytunnel… worth the entrance fee alone.

Flaming June!

The farm is such a special place – especially when the sun is blazing down and the sky is a really rich blue… the bird song fills the air and beautiful butterflies slowly drift along from flower to flower.

The beginning of June is usually associated with the start of summer. Maybe not this year! Today was not quite arctic but it certainly couldn’t be described as warm and inviting. The cold wind from the north and reached double figure speeds… had any butterflies taken off they would have landed in Essex.

The gales on Monday night took their toll. Rain has penetrated a few of the barns and where we had been getting used to very dry, clay-based, soil which required a hefty spade or fork to penetrate the surface, we now have areas resembling quicksand where more than one piece of footwear has been left behind as the wearer tried to walk along.

However, lots of great things have still been happening and we have been seeing lots of new growth appearing from the flower and vegetable beds.

As you can see from the photo above, the grass is growing really well and will soon be ready for our first cut of hay this year.

Training

We need to say ‘Thank You’ to Alison Begley of Alzheimer’s Society for the great ‘Dementia Friends’ training session she did with a team of our volunteers. Everyone was encouraged and stimulated by the way she led us into a deeper understanding of this disease. The session was easy to understand, wonderfully presented and we all ended the morning feeling more able to help in a meaningful way.

We have also just been granted some funding to equip the team with basic first aid and training to gain more understanding of Mental Health and Learning Difficulties.

All of these sessions are aimed at helping us offer a more effective service which will benefit many more vulnerable people. I don’t ever want to stop saying how grateful I am to all of our volunteers as well as all those who have the skill to teach and train us and those individuals and organisations who provide us with the funds and resources to do our work.

Workparty

DEFRA have just given us a holding number which means that we are now allowed to get animals on site! How amazing is that. The next update will contain photos of the first arrivals… what a day that will be.

We therefore need as many people as possible to work together to help make one of our field safe and secure by erecting a fence around the perimeter. About a third of this has already been done but there are a good number of posts still to get in. If you are thinking “I can’t build a fence”, I know how you feel. I started this journey with no practical skills at all – some would say that I still have none.

Anyway, the important thing is a willingness to try, to be part of a team, to take the pressure off the regular few and, as usual, to have fun doing it.

Fencing is not the only thing we have to do, there are lots of other jobs and many that require no skill, just a willing heart. Please join us if you can this Saturday 4 June. We need you.

Thanks

Geoff

ps the photo shows the reservoir with the swans that have now returned… such a beautiful sight and worth a visit this weekend whether you drive in a fence post or not.

Now you see it…

What a day!

I don’t often write so soon after a previous update but I was so excited last Saturday that I wanted to shout about some of what we achieved.

Those of you who visit the farm regularly would have seen the (very ugly) canopy which looked like it was falling down before we took on the project. – It may have looked like it was falling down but it had a hidden strength which only emerged when we started banging/pulling/levering and shouting!

Its now gone and the pictures above show what a difference it makes. Now all we need to do is clean the brickwork, repair the wall and repoint, fix the guttering and erect a new (lighter) canopy… easy.

New windows

The other huge difference from last week was the addition of double-glazed windows in the service-user centre. They look stunning (being black they fit with the original look and feel so well) and they make the centre feel so bright and warm. Come and take a look sometime.

Service-user centre and Goat barn

On that ‘Megga Saturday’ we also finished off work on the barn that will house the goats overnight and continued to plasterboard and insulate the old hay loft… what a day!

Workparty

I was chatting to a dear friend yesterday who visited the farm with some of her friends (below are a few of the comments I received afterwards). As she was leaving she tentatively asked if it was OK to come up on a Saturday with her young daughter. The answer was of course, YES.

I say it many times, our Saturday work parties achieve so much in terms of progress but they are also very social times and we love it when people just want to pay us a visit and look around. Please don’t stay away because you think you’ll need to pick up a tool and look busy. We truly want you to be with us… that alone is encouragement.

Comments from a recent visit: “Wonderful place and so close to home, something good for a change.” “Thank you, that was just what I needed to see. Fabulous and exciting, I’m feeling more relaxed now.” “Loved it! Seeing all those wonderful people really enjoying what they were doing, making a difference. Brilliant, thank you.” “Loved it. Can’t stop thinking about it.”

I will write again very soon (sorry for such little respite from my ramblings) I just get very excited. We will be on site again this weekend: Saturday 21 May. Hope you can come.

Thanks

Geoff

ps Here are a few of the old tools found around the farm when we took it over which have been cleaned and restored by students from Great Yarmouth College. What a great antidote to the throw-away age we all live in.

Spring is in the air

What a difference a few days of sunny weather make.

It seemed like the ground was just starting to dry out when we would have another downpour (or hailstorm) and there would be rivers running through everywhere… then Spring arrived and what a difference – instead of running into the polytunnel to keep dry and warm we now have to open all the doors and vents so that the flowers don’t shrivel up.

Watering has become one of our main activities. We have been so successful with producing plants from seed and planting out into a variety of beds that we now have to spend a fair amount of the day using the hose or watering cans.

The photo below shows the well organised start of a parsnip bed (I can’t wait for all this veg to be ready) to taste the fruit of our labours will be such a great experience.

Coming soon to a farm near you…

One of the hardest things about this line of work is summed up by the day I had on Wednesday.

Pete (our farm manager) and I had to travel to deepest, darkest Peru (well, Darsham actually) to view a herd of wild animals for the farm. Can you imaging what its like to take your life into your hands and walk through a field of these Peruvian teddy bears?

At any time one of the inquisitive creatures could have nuzzled up close and sniffed my hand to see if I had some food… it was terrifying… anyone convinced yet?

These beautiful animals are some of the cutest things you will ever meet and we had to spend an hour (or two) walking with them, feeding them and generally learning about them from Paul, their owner.

The great news is that we have put in our order and will soon be taking delivery of three males closely followed by two females with their cria (babies) once they are born in June. How amazing is that? I said it was a hard job!

Not only that but we then had to cross the border into Norfolk (distance is no barrier for this intrepid duo) and visit some goats to find the right female company for Geoffrey (our little Golden Guernsey who we are waiting to be weened). We found two beauties (see below) who will be arriving as soon as their accommodation is complete.

Watch this space.

Service-user centre

I have been writing lately about the progress with our service-user centre. This week saw the walls being plastered – what a transformation. With the windows coming soon and the upstairs being worked on next Saturday we are getting very close to having our first completed building!

If anyone is available to help on Saturday 14 May we would love to see you. Please don’t think this is all about skilful labour… there is, of course, skilful labour involved but there are also a number of other jobs which require less skill. Watering has already been mentioned and there are always things to move, tea to make, conversations to be had, walks to enjoy…

If you can’t make next Saturday but can make 21st please don’t fret, we are on a roll whilst the weather is being so kind and will be getting together again only a week later when we aim to progress the construction of polytunnel No 2.

Watch this space.

Being a Care farm

For over 18 months we have been clearing weeds and brambles, making repairs and preparing the site for the actual work of being a Care Farm.

As most of you will know, the day finally came and we opened our gates on 11 April and have now completed our fourth week doing what we set out to do.

There is still a lot of preparation work to do but we have begun the work of providing a therapeutic environment for people to enjoy. The feeling of accomplishment is huge and always in tandem with the feeling of grateful thanks to everyone who has helped us get to this point: volunteer help, financial support, professional input (advice and practical) as well as encouragement.

Andrew comes to the farm each week with the students from Great Yarmouth College and he likes wood (understatement of the year). A couple of days ago, having cut up and built the log stack (see below) he said to me “This is like people, all different shapes and sizes, the smallest and most vulnerable are on the inside and are being protected by the larger, stronger ones.”

In the next edition I will be writing about the Pathways Care Farm Shop. We are so grateful for the support we get from Sue Betts and her wonderful team and it will be good to let you know more about their work and how you might be able to help them.

Finally, I say this in every update but that’s because I mean it: Please come along at the weekend if you can (even just for a cuppa) we would love to see you. Saturday 11 and Saturday 18 May.

Thanks

Geoff