Farm Update No 2 - May 2022

A special invitation for our customers and neighbours … 

We've had a few requests recently to open our farm gates and do a ‘grown up school visit’, and so we are pleased to announce that we will be taking part in Open Farm Sunday! 

What? Join us for a 3 mile guided farm walk and learn more about our farm and farming practices, including our regenerative farming initiatives. 

When? Sunday 12th June, 1:45pm registration for a 2pm departure

Where? Churchills Farm, Moreton Lane, Northmoor, OX29 5TE 

Cost? The event is free, but we will be collecting donations for charity (charity TBC). There will be the opportunity to buy our produce at the end. 

Booking? Booking is essential … click here 

More info? For more information visit the Open Farm Sunday Website 

We can't wait to meet lots of you then!

Cattle

Calving is now almost complete with only one cow left to go. This week all of the breeding cows and bulls enjoyed a nice pedicure as we had a visit from the foot trimmer. This helps to keep the cows feet in tip top shape and prevents lameness in the herd later in the year. Now that they all have perfect hooves, the cows and new claves will be let out to grass. Some of them are in real need of this as they have lost some condition after having their calves and producing milk for them. Don't worry though, they soon fatten up once they can feast on delicious spring grass! With the cattle now grazing the river meadows it's been a delight to spot our first pair of nesting curlew calling these fields their home. Lets hope for a successful fledging of chicks this year. 

You may remember that we mentioned the need to bring a new bull in to the herd to prevent in breeding. Well we are pleased to say that we have found a farm who want to do a ‘bull swap’ (think wife swap but cows). We'll have one of theirs, they'll have one of ours, and we keep fresh genetics moving through our stock, bingo. We are really looking forward to welcoming Sundance to the farm over the next couple of weeks. 

Sheep 

The ewes and lambs are now happily enjoying the spring sunshine and showers, skipping around the fields. To ensure they stay fit and well we spent a morning this week doing a general health check. We gathered all the sheep together and did a once over of every lamb and ewe. Whilst doing so we also treated them all with a fly treatment (to prevent flies laying their eggs in the fleece of the sheep resulting in maggots) and we vaccinated the lambs with heptavac to prevent them picking up a number of common diseases. Our bottle fed lambs are starting to be weaned now that they are big and strong, and will soon be out on grass too. 

Crops, grass and growing things!

We'd been preying for rain and thank goodness it's arrived. Newly planted grass seed as well as our arable crops are now well under way thanks to the warm wet weather. The grass is also growing well which is great not only for livestock grazing, but also for silaging which we will be starting imminently. The mower has had a check over and service and is ready to get cutting! The seed has arrived for our various environmental plots which include herbal leys, pollen and nectar mixes, and wild bird seed areas. These will be planted over the coming weeks and will provider an abundant habitat for a variety of species during summer and autumn. 

We hope to see many of you on Open Farm Sunday, but don't forget to book! 

James & Fi