“Harmony” & Cream Tea: A talk by Tony Juniper

Join us for afternoon tea & scones followed by a talk and book signing by Tony Juniper - co-author with Prince Charles of “Harmony: A new way of looking at our world” on Saturday 4th December from 4pm – 6pm.

Harmony tells the story of how our disconnection from Nature has contributed to the greatest crisis in the history of mankind and how seeking balance in our actions will return us to a more considered, secure, comfortable and cleaner world. The authors draw on many examples including Church Farm.

Tony Juniper is a campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser and a well-known British environmentalist. For more than 25 years he has worked for change toward a more sustainable society at local, national and international levels.

Price: £9.50 (£6.00 for Ardeley residents and groups of 10+)
Pre-booking is essential – Limited Availability!

To book please contact Faye Maher
Telephone: 01438 861 447 ext 208

Not Your Average Turkeys

If you’ve visited the farm recently, not only will you know that our turkeys are high-welfare, you also won’t have failed to have noticed that they’re high-class too. Our birds, including the heritage Norfolk Blacks, have been listening to classical radio and have even been known to enjoy a bit of The Archers.

Such a spectacle often leaves visitors slightly bemused, or at least a little curious. But don’t worry, we haven’t completely lost it! The radio is in fact to ward off cunning foxes and (touch wood!) so far it’s been working.

You see, we don’t think it’s the fox’s fault that millions of years of evolution have primed it to have a taste for our poultry. However, that doesn’t mean we’d be too happy if one managed to outwit us. The responsibility therefore lies with the farmer to outwit the fox and protect their birds. And in this age of the internet and jumbo jets, putting up a tall fence, surrounding the bottom with an electric fence and throwing in a radio really wasn’t beyond us.

The only dilemma this now leaves us with is…...What are we going to do when the radio starts playing Christmas music?

Help Spread the Word

Being the local venture that it is, the farm relies on people who like us to spread the word. Here's a few ideas of how you can help:

1. Tell your friends and family. To start this off, why not tell the one friend you think would be most interested.

2. Follow us on Facebook and suggest our page to friends. Use the ‘Suggest to Friends’ function below our profile picture to do this.

3. LIKE our regular Facebook updates. When you do this it will go through to your friends’ news feeds and will hopefully catch their attention. The more you do this, the more likely they are to notice.

4. Follow us on Twitter.

5. Come visit the farm and bring a friend (or two). Visitors can walk the farms footpaths, relax on an Autumn afternoon in the cafe or even feed the piglets.

6. Buy someone special one of our farm boxes. Present buying isn’t easy, especially when you don’t want to buy junk that will be forgotten about by the end of the week. Our farm boxes are a great idea for a gift (everybody's got to eat) And the difference between telling someone about the farm and involving them in the farm is massive.

Keep an eye out for more of this sort of thing to come and if you have any ideas on how we can spread the word or any suggestions in general, please do get in touch.

Rural Care co-farmers have been carefully incubating duck eggs over the past month and this week they've hatched.

Down in the chick brooding shed today

Welwyn Meeting Monday 4th October

One of our challenges as a small farm is connecting direct with the
customer. Neighbourhood groups make it easier for small farms to
deliver the freshest produce by agreeing to collect them from a single drop off point. It also helps to reduce food miles, support local business and is an opportunity for the group to meet up.

We are delighted that The White Hart in Welwyn has offered to be a
drop off point where people close by can collect their produce boxes weekly. Simply:

1) Sign up to a regular Farm Box. You can tailor the contents and choose exactly how much veg, fruit, meat, eggs and other essentials you need.

2) Collect your box from the White Hart every Friday. Don’t worry if you miss the delivery van, your box will be available for collection until the following morning.

You’ll also be entitled to a 20% discount on workshops, courses and events at the farm and invited to participation days where you can get involved in the life of the farm and see how it’s run and why.

To find out more about the box scheme, Church Farm, and the produce grown on the farm, we are holding an informal ‘info’ meeting at The White Hart, Welwyn from 7pm-8pm on Monday 4th October. Drinks and samples will be available too! If you wish to attend, please call 01438 861 447 or email georgina.hayes@churchfarmardeley.co.uk