Well, August certainly did her best to get us all hot and bothered. Whilst I am a big fan of the warmer weather, I much prefer to sit in it, rather than work in it, but life on the farm rarely allows for such luxuries!
It wasn’t just me that was baking either. Nik, our newly-appointed High Mead Farm chef, launched the first of our Co-Farmers’ cookery classes in the Farm’s training kitchen on one of the hottest days of the year – but what a success it was, and so delicious was the Blueberry shortbread the team made in their first session, I completely forgot to take any photos of it! Nic and his High Mead commis chefs will be making lots of tasty jams and relishes, cakes and pastries and we are looking forward to their next session very much. The pride in the faces of the participating Co-Farmers as they shared their accomplishments with their friends and colleagues was not lost on the Farm’s staff. The ability to prepare tasty food from scratch, something many do without a second thought, will serve our Co-Farmers well in the future, and we are hoping that a few may get bitten by the baking bug and choose to pursue catering and hospitality further learning, and even employment opportunities perhaps. We are also looking forward to Nic rustling up some marvellous marrow recipes – as we have an abundance of marrows at the moment. Almost as satisfying as the chefs’ Blueberry Shortbread, is seeing some of our other High Mead projects come to fruition. The replacement stables are almost complete and the sensory garden is looking a treat, with the pond, a project which has been under way for some time, now almost pretty much perfect too. The calming sound of the water adds a wonderful dimension to the garden, and will eventually be home to the Farm’s fish, although upon its completion, there was some discussion on whether a quick dip would be allowed. So hot and bothered were we, we almost took the plunge! But, with water shortages very much in the news and the threat of imminent hosepipe bans, High Mead has taken a very sensible approach to its watering requirements and so we simply headed for the shade. It is hard to watch the vegetation wilting in the intense heat of the day, particularly when you’ve seen the effort the Co-Farmers have made to nurture it thus far. So, to cheer some of the regulars up, a trip was taken to a local blueberry farm for a bit of ‘Pick Your Own’. It most certainly did the trick and the team returned not only ladened with beautiful berries but sporting broad smiles too. Not so much a ‘Pick Your Own’ trip, more a ‘Perk Yourself Up’ trip, and one that comes highly recommended.
Photo by Tiffany Fleming
Photo by Tiffany Fleming
Tiffany Fleming is a volunteer at High Mead Farm in Longham, Ferndown.
High Mead Farm is a working farm run to promote the benefits of engaging with animals, soil, and nature. They ‘create purposeful roles for our co-farmers, young people and adults alike, to help bring about a sense of well-being and self-worth that many have never experienced before’.
