Treflach Farm

Never a dull moment!

Kerry — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:56:56 +0000

Also slightly belated, but we are all sorted now ready for timely postings!

There’s never a dull moment at Treflach. I’ve just spent the day volunteering there and I helped with all manner of different things.

In the morning Wes let me lose on a tractor, which was rather brave, but I didn’t break anything so it’s all good! I haven’t really driven for 6 years so it took me a little while to get the hang of the clutch, break combo and the reversing, but it wasn’t long before I was zooming (at a giddy 2mph!) around, moving cow poo all over the place!! We were clearing out the cows, so I had a wee scraping majiggy on the back of my tractor, which I used to push all the poo towards the muck heap and then Wes got to play with the JCB, making it more of a heap as it was expanding rapidly! This was not an activity I had ever thought I would end up doing, but I was pretty proud of my tractor driving, although it was quite hard work, talk about stiff pedals and no power steering!

After a wee tea break and admiring the lovely views over the Shropshire plains, we put a bail of haylidge (I think) out for the cows to eat and then I put some more straw bedding out for the segregated cows – one’s scouring (diarrhoea) and the other is a mother and a couple of days old calf, who is still in need of a name, all suggestions considered!

After a hearty lunch I had a chat with the two Ian’s and Ruth about possibly putting some themes on the Tuesday volunteer days so that people can know what is going to be happening in advance. We think next Tuesday (which has already happened now!) will probably be starting to plant out the (many varieties of) chitted potatoes into the big field, permaculture style, so through a mulch. So come along and help out if your interested, it will be good fun. We also talked about possibly having some little demonstrations in the ‘shop’ when it is opened so visitors could learn skills as well as buy delicious food and eat cake and drink tea! Sounds good to me!
In the afternoon I mopped out the deliveries van, so it was all ready for it’s long journey on Thursday and then helped Ian to move lots of furniture from the galley kitchen, because they are getting a new resident there – the curry man! So even more exciting smells are going to be wafting into the farmyard soon! To finish the day off I helped Ian W to move the bits of his half built Yurt. Apparently it has been a six year project, but this might be the year when it gets finished!

And so ended another lovely, interest-filled day at Treflach Farm, helping out, learning new things and having lots of interesting conversations!

A beautiful snowy adventure

Kerry — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:36:14 +0000

Slightly belated posting, but I hope you enjoy!

I wasn’t quite sure whether I was going to make it to Treflach today, what with all the snow, the prospect of getting rather cold and the fact that I still have quite painful feet from three days walking in Snowdonia with evil boots on. However, I am really glad, as ever, that I made the effort.

It was glorious up there. I was taken with the icicles at Shrewsbury station and how they were hanging in front of the castle, but the icicles at Treflach were just stunning. Pedro, a longer term volunteer from Spain who is helping in the bakery, put me on to the spectacular ones on the back of the farm house and I managed to capture a few photos out of the compost toilet window!

There was masses more snow than in Shrewsbury, indeed my appreciation of the impressive wind-sculpted snow almost made me miss my train on the way home!! And as always the views across the Shropshire plains were gorgeous.

I don’t only volunteer at Treflach for the beautiful scenery though! I really enjoy spending time with the always friendly and eclectic mix of people who were around. After a good wake up cuppa with Ian W and a discussion about Icicles with Pedro, Ian, Alan and I went to clear some of the snow from around the polytunnel as the weight of it can make them collapse, not good! Not accustomed to shovelling snow I was pleasantly surprised at how light and easy it was. A very satisfying and warming job! Then we went into the polytunnel, which was ridiculously warm compared to the outside air temperature and started on our mission for the day – to make a mini polytunnel to cover a raised bed. Armed with some lengths of food and some blue polythene pipe, Ian rather foolishly let me loose with the electric drill! By the end of the day I was starting to really start to get the hang of it and hadn’t managed to do any damage! It’s really great to learn how to do these things, when I have some land of my own I will be able to do some of my own woodwork, whoo!

We made good progress in the hour or so before stopping for the delicious as ever lunch cooked by Lou in the bakery. A gorgeously subtle curry, which many of us then proceeded to degrade with grated cheddar (sorry Lou!) followed by a very moreish mango and ginger sticky cakey thing. Lunch conversation was entertaining as always ranging from scottish sangria to Pedro’s habit of putting cheese in porridge…

Feeling warm, happy and well fed I sat down for a quick chat with Ian S. We are concocting plans for running reskilling workshops in the shop when it opens and for creating more of a pattern to the volunteer days, following the seasons and the story of the farm, so that people can know in advance what we are going to be getting up to. I also volunteered myself to do this! I am going to let you know what I get up to in my volunteering days at Treflach and to share my insights into what’s going on, so keep your eyes open for sneak previews!!

After helping to unload the eggs we headed back down to the polytunnel to finish our bed cover. It had a desire to keep jumping out of the holes we had drilled for it, thanks to the springy wood (hazel?) that we had used for part of the frame, but by the time we had attached more bits of wood to it, it was pretty solid! Check out our finished prototype frame!! Next job is to cover it, we ran out of time to do this, but I’ll make sure to take a photo of it next time I’m over.

Time well spent, learning woodwork, building a mini polytunnel prototype, spending time with lovely people, interesting conversations, beautiful scenery and helping out the wonderful place that is Treflach Farm. I will sleep well tonight!

New labels

Ian — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:36:22 +0000

Quick snap (although quite professional looking on the stainless table, no?!) of the new labels. We like!

Let there be light!

Ian — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:24:55 +0000

New roof light in today @TreflachFarm. Cheers Mr Bibby & son!

What a weekend!

Ian — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:16:43 +0000

Love rugby, proud sponser, tasty sausage vendor. Well done all team @TreflachFarm for a cracking festival!

Spring is defo here

Ian — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:25:53 +0000

Spring barley going in today. Hopefully this will go a long way to feed chickens & pigs come August.

Escapee pigs!

Ian — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:16:27 +0000

Thanks all for helping herd them back!

Team Treflach goes to town!

Ian — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 21:38:49 +0000

On a blisteringly cold (but lovely & bright) morning this last Saturday Janet & Lou made their way to the Bailey Head to enthuse the good folks of Oswestry to join in our straw bale build course. Lots of interest, lots of competition entries… & lots of tasty cake from ‘Baileys Cafe’!

Flying the flag for Treflach, look out for these posters in a shop near you soon!

Ian — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:21:38 +0000

Happy Easter (Island head) from all @TreflachFarm!

Ian — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:28:56 +0000