Jamie's Farm – Winter 2009 Update
Down on Jamie's Farm
This spring we invite our supporters to see what's happening in the world of Jamie's Farm. Even if you have only got one minute, I urge you to click on the link below to view a slideshow of great images from the farm.
Take me to the pictures ... now!
Like all good things coming out of a cold winter, Jamie's Farm is currently experiencing an exciting period of growth, with visits from young people, staff and animal numbers all increasing as we take on the project full time! Read on for the full update on recent visits, new staff, fundraising, animal news and the future of Jamie's Farm…
Recent Visits
The lead up to Christmas was buzzing, with several groups visiting the project as well as a number of developments on the agricultural side of the farm. Kid's Company, a charity which provides practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children and young people has enjoyed three visits to Jamie's Farm to date. Following trips in October and December, this February half term another group of 12 young people from Kid's Co visited, some for the second time, and all helped deliver lambs at our partner farm. With positive feedback from the staff and young people we are really looking forward to the continued development of our relationship with this important children's charity over the coming months.
In January we had a group visiting from the City of London Academy who amongst other things nursed our first batch of chicks and puppies, built hazel fencing and helped keep our animals warm and well fed. They were followed by our first ever group from Liverpool, representing Knowsley Hey Arts College. As well as making the most of the remaining snow, they helped look after our Gloucester Old Spot pigs at the farm shop, built a new chicken coop, and produced some great art work in the studio.
New Staff
Ruth Carney and Chris Goodwin moved down to Bath at the beginning of the year to join the team on the farm on a permanent basis, growing our staff team number to seven. They have been involved in the project for a while, and have both had experience teaching in London schools (Chris has also been a forester in his time!). They are excited about working with young people in the farm context and developing Jamie's Farm to reach more young people and support their needs. We now have a diverse group of staff and volunteers who will help deliver a varied and enriching experience for the young people we work with.
Fundraising
Jamie's Farm has received several generous donations since its formal establishment, including from the Raby Foundation. In addition, many people have been very kind in offering their time and expertise; special thanks to Miles Essex, Tania Ashby, Emmy Charrington, Sam Charrington, Marianna Hay, Sophie Jones, Matt Leeson, Sam Henderson, Helen Graham Matheson, Anna Bryant and Catherine Irving. A huge thank you to Tish Feilden for hosting the project and staff to date: you have made it possible to help 150 young people so far.
A major focus for the upcoming months is fundraising. We need to secure key equipment such as a livestock trailer, cattle handling system and a Land Rover, as well as the ongoing running costs for the project. Our fundraising target for this year is £75,000. Any support would be greatly appreciated.
As demand for the project is high we have begun the hunt for a permanent site for the charity and we are fundraising to rent or buy a farm. Through this growth, we hope that as many students as possible will benefit from the unique experience Jamie's Farm provides.
If you would like to make a donation, or have a great fundraising idea, please get in touch with sam@jamiesfarm.org.uk we'd love to hear from you.
Livestock
Lambing started on the 26th February and our tally currently stands at 22 lambs. Our first Aberdeen Angus cow calved 8 days ago and our Saddleback Sow had 11 piglets last week. We now have a herd of 20 cattle and, with Maxwell the bull going from strength to strength; we are looking forward to registering our first calf (and our pedigree prefix of ‘Nuthatch') around Easter time.
In addition we have developed a link with Hartley Farm Shop, an enterprise established by a local farmer's son. We supply pigs for sale as sausages, bacon and joints. The first batch of pigs have been to the butchers and are for sale, and our Gloucester Old Spot pigs have a new home on land outside the farmhouse. View their website here
Following the popularity of the poultry with all the groups that have visited the farm we have invested in an incubator and have currently hatched two batches of chicks, both during visits. We are currently working on a batch of ducks.
To round it off, just as we were saying goodbye to Lily's puppies, Miffa entered labour and we now have a gorgeous collie pup to divert us from our admin.
Take me to the pictures - I want to see them again
The Future
With our documents sent off to the Charity Commission we are awaiting designation as a charity – many thanks to Steve Costello for all his work on the application.
The excellent video of a trip to the farm is now available online, and we are talking with its brilliant director Woody James about making a sequel.
In the next few months we are looking forward to further visits from Kids Company, the Globe Academy and Bow school. Spots really are filling up fast and we are looking very busy right until July. However, we do have a few available visit dates so if you are interested in finding out more or bringing a group down please visit the website or get in contact.
That's all from down on the farm, enjoy the Spring,
Love
The Jamie's Farm Team
