Earlier this week a group comprised of Edible Estates and Green Gym members headed off in a Dove Centre minibus. Our destination was Whitmuir Organic Farm for the day, this included a guided tour of the farm and lunch at the farm restaurant.
We headed off on a wonderful spring sunshine morning from the new HLC about 10:30 for the 16 mile trip to the farm near West Linton. On arrival we were met by Clem our guide for the day and introduced to the farm dog and the resident car park chicken. She refuses to mix with the other hens, choosing to live in the car park laying her eggs there and raising her chicks there.
The weather was perfect, although there was still a fair amount of mud about, but it is a farm so mud is par for the course. Most of us were well prepared for this event anyway.
We headed up to the top end of the farm in hope of seeing some new baby piglets which had been born 3 days ago but they were tucked up with mum in her sty when we arrived. Clem explained that this had been an unexpected birth owing to the fact the resident boar got in to the young sow`s field and nature took its course. For a new young mum she was coping very well with the new arrivals and all were well when we saw them.
Next was the chicken run. Clem was excited to explain that the farm had a new arrival of brown hens which are ‘point of lay’ hens; a pullet variety which lay small tasty eggs which are apparently great for baking. The chickens certainly were not fazed by us wandering about and came out to meet us.
We also visited the site for the new yurt which will hopefully be erected sometime in April see this link if you want to know about the yurt! We met the man who is building it who also builds very special handmade canoes.
Next port of call was the poly tunnels to meet one of the workers Meg who was busily getting a load of new manure dug in to the huge area of her poly tunnel for this year’s spring crops going in. Clem explained that over last month’s stormy weather a few of the tunnels were damaged and so are in the process of being repaired.
After all this we headed down to the restaurant for lunch of some tasty soup and bread followed by a cuppa, after which we picked up a load of fruit bushes and strawberry plants that had been ordered for the Calders Community garden project.
I myself bought 2 Damson trees and 2 Blackcurrant bushes for my own forthcoming garden project. We were a tired but happy bunch by time we arrived back at the Healthy Living Centre, but a beautiful day in great weather what more can one ask for. Hopefully some of my pictures help to tell the story!
