Newsletter-Autumn 2008

NEWS FROM THE CHICKEN HUTS.

I don’t know if you watched the Channel 4 series led by the enthusiast Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall but they presented the two systems of chicken husbandry, free-range versus “housed and miserable”, in two sheds side by side. Of course, the flock sizes in both experimental sheds were enormous. Our huts on the other hand are built to house a maximum of 100 birds. Each hut has a door at each end which gets over the problem of dominant birds standing guard at the pop hole and allowing only certain favourites in or out (probably the bribe is half a worm or a fresh millipede)—also a door at either end allows for perfect ventilation all day.

Did you also know that our birds drink fresh water from a suspended ‘Quill‘ drinker positioned in each hut and adjusted for height as the birds grow. The Quill presents a row of shiny stainless steel nipples which when pecked deliver P8030028-lowa glistening drop of fresh cold water into the gullet of the bird. The clever inventor of the Quill realised that fowls are always looking skywards fearful of the airborne predator and so he decided to suspend the device above the bird who on seeing the shiny nipple reaches up to peck it (like a jackdaw with a precious stone) and is rewarded immediately with a droplet of fresh water – day old chicks learn this behaviour within hours of release into their nursery pen.

All day long the chickens graze in the grassland, stretch and rest in the warm sun or go inside the hut to feed or to drink from the suspended silvery ‘bar’ ……..not bad.

Our chickens (your chickens) don’t need a ‘Red Tractor’ food label or a Freedom Farming label or a label claiming “made in Britain” – you can go and see them at any time in Drove End field. You can look inside the Huts and smell the ammonia-free air - and you might wonder why birds are raised in any other way.

 

ALLOTMENTS

In Sandleheath the allotments beside the village shop have an average plot size of 6 yards x 29 yards (so many poles by so many perches) and there are 22 plots with beautifully kept paths of grass between.

This gives a total cultivated area of about 4000 square yards and an acre is 4840 square yards. Futurefarms is growing vegetables on about 3 acres which in Sandleheath terms would support 66 families.

We are fairly sure that the Saturday Market and the Vegetable Barrow are visited by 66 families or there abouts. The American Community Supported Agriculture systems reckon on 1 acre to 30 families.

 The average Futurefarms Saturday Market yields 50 till transactions……..

I think it would be fair to say that Futurefarms is a Giant Allotment.

 

PITCHFORK NOTES

Spuds all lifted and bagged on Saturday 27th September; conditions – perfect; yield – heavy

We were picking purple sprouting broccoli and spring greens as late as May this year

Janet lifted the first ‘new’ carrots from the poly tunnel on the 22nd May

Congratulations to Janet, Christian, Su, Heidi and Iona for a FAB veg season.

List of Triumphs;

ཡ? Purchase and use of new 2-Wheeled Tractor

  • ཡ? Hand seeded clover by John Hooper to enrich Drove End Field
  • ཡ? Great New Shop on a Tuesday
  • ཡ? Angela Farmer finding the site of Flint Tool Manufacture at Drove End
  • ཡ? Winning Award from the C.P.R.E
  • ཡ? Radio 4 The Food Programme – following a really interesting day with Sheila Dillon
  • Food labels that state the ‘country of origin’ actually state the country where the last process was carried out – not necessarily the country where the food was grown or raised. – FIND YOUR FOOD IN A FIELD NEAR YOU.

THE GAUGE

Well, I like autumn. No one is fussing about water shortages and hose-pipe bans (do you remember those?) No one is watering their hanging baskets, people are reconciled to damp, squally, sometimes quite beautiful autumn weather – nothing much is demanded of a weather forecaster – no more fetes, no barbeques – just get inside by the coal fire.

The period around July 5th, 6th & 7th is known in weather circles as the European Monsoon. This year it was delivering the same amount of rainfall as last summer. August was dreadful for the grain harvest. Ken Woodvine remembers the harvest being gathered as late as November 5th one year –nothing changes.

Keep an eye on the River Allen. Let’s see when it rises this year.

Squeeze that seaweed ……..          The Gauge

RECIPE  Pork balchao (curry) (serves 4)

 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon crushed Futurefarms garlic
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-4 chillies (fresh or dried), chopped
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
700g (1 lb 8 oz) Futurefarms diced pork
1 Futurefarms onion, chopped
200ml/7fl oz water
1 ½ tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons wine or cider vinegar
salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the ginger and garlic. Fry for 30 seconds. 

Add the spices and chillies to the pan and fry for a further 30 seconds, stirring.

Add the pork and onion and fry for 5-6 minutes or until the meat starts to release its juices, stirring regularly.

Add the water, tomato puree, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

Cover the pan and simmer gently for 1-1½ hours or until the pork is tender.

Plans for our new shop

If you have visited our market in the village hall recently, you will have noticed that we are now selling a range of basic groceries alongside our own fresh produce. We have been pleasantly surprised at how well these have been selling, showing that people find it useful. Sales of groceries also help to pay for costs such as our insurance and hire of the village hall.

Our long-term aim is to set up a permanent shop. We have agreement in principle from the Blandford Hall committee to rent some space in the larger side room in the village hall. We plan to put up a partition to create a self-contained unit and fit it up with shelving to display our goods.

This will be a great advantage as we will be able to carry a wider range of stock and display it better. It will also give us the flexibility to open on more days each week - already we are opening on Tuesday afternoonsP9060003-low and we hope to extend this further.

Of course, this will be quite expensive to set up so we are in the process of putting together a grant application for the money. Village shops are now seen as a priority in rural areas so there are a number of possible sources of funding. Keep your fingers crossed that we will be successful!

We are now open:

Tuesdays 3.30 - 6 pm

Saturdays 9.30 - 12.30 pm

Blandford Hall, Martin

Help needed

Futurefarms is looking for a volunteer to help with administrative tasks. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Beth Blandford-Hull. Tel: (01725) 519463.