It's been a mixed bag weather wise this June, but it looks like the sun is finally here! We've been kept busy with bees, shearing and walled garden repairs. Get the latest about the goings on here on Swillington Organic Farm.

Goodbye Geoff, and thank you!

At the young age of 86, Geoff Forbes has decided to retire from repairing the walled garden. For the last 6 years, he's been dedicating a few hours a week to the repairs with the help of his son Len (and sometimes his great-grandchildren James and Eve). Geoff has been pointing the wall and reinstating the gateway, providing easy access to the garden from the shop.Can you help continue his work?Len is hoping to continue the work and will be looking for assistants. We'll be holding volunteer wall and garden days through the summer, the first of which will be the 13th July (details to follow).  If you'd like to know more please contact us via e-mail at info@swillingtonorganicfarm.co.uk.Good luck with your well-earned retirement Geoff. No doubt there will be some “inspections” of Lens’ work!

The bees are back

The bees have returned to the orchard. We'll be having 12 hives from Stickeys honey for the summer and they're already hard at work on the flowers around the garden. We should soon have our own honey back in the shop and, in the meantime, we'll be selling honey produced from Stickeys other local sites. If you're walking around the garden please bee-ware of the hives and don’t get too close!

Shearing

Jed the shearer will be returning on Saturday the 29th June to shear the Hebridean sheep. They are sheared later than the Texels as the Hebridean wool  “rises” later, making it difficult to shear in May with the others. Customers are welcome to come and watch between 10- 11am. Please wear boots that can be disinfected. 

Hebridean lamb

Last years lambs are now been sold through the shop/markets and meat boxes. These are classed as “hogget” due to their age, as they will be 14-16 mths when they are slaughtered. They are slower to mature than our other sheep which allows the flavour to develop. The Hebrideans are natural browsers they like a varied diet, meaning they are well suited to the pasture on St Aidans.  Hebrideans are also good for grazing brambles and scrub such as willow, destroying any other trees in their way!

St Aidan's 

We've now started taking more cattle onto the site at St Aidan's and the Hebrideans will be joining them after they are sheared.Keep your eyes peeled for more information on our volunteer days and, in the meantime, you can get in touch with us via 0113 2869129 or pop by the farm shop.