It's been a while since we lost our black and white cow and I must admit the Farm didn’t really seem the same without a 650kg beast greeting our visitors, so when Alan phoned me to say that he had this good looking heifer (that's how us farmers describe young ladies too) looking for a good home, I eagerly accepted to pay over the odds for her. Abbie decided to wait until she had a large audience before giving birth to a very strong Aberdeen Angus Bull (boy) calf weighing in at over 40kg (88lbs). A few mums seemed to sympathise with her as she struggled to push the monster-sized baby out!
Conor was delighted with his twenty-first birthday present from the Farm: his very own three-week-old Jersey heifer calf. He beamed from cheek to cheek as the calf was delivered to the Farm, and acted like a broody hen when the calf coughed or sneezed; hopefully this calf is the foundation of Conor’s own herd over the next few years.
Hallowe’en was a great success this year with record numbers of scary-looking children (and some adults) soaking up the spooky atmosphere. Luckily we were able to use the overflow car park, with only one mini bus getting well and truly stuck in the mud. The two girls from The Creature Teachers did a fantastic job allowing our visitors to be hold Barn owls, rats, all sorts of creepy crawly creatures and even a raccoon!
Calum has decided to go travelling during the winter period and has packed his bags ready to explore Indonesia and other Far Eastern countries. He is even going to help on an elephant farm, so my guess is he will be suggesting that we introduce elephants at Longdown when he returns in February.
Some of you will remember Lisa Marsh who worked at Longdown for over 5 years, and is now a
teacher. I’m delighted to say that she recently got married, so our congratulations go to her and her new husband Dan as they start their lives together. We wish them every happiness and hope that it's not too long before they are bringing their children to the Farm.
During the October half-term we had our VAQAS inspection, which involves an unannounced visit from an inspector from the Tourist Board. Our inspector (mystery shopper) brought along his grandchildren and spent the day joining in with all the activities. At the end of the day he gave us a report which rated aspects of his visit; I was extremely pleased to hear him congratulate all the staff for being so friendly and helpful— they scored 10 out of 10 for customer care. The tearoom also scored highly for its
selection of food, and helpfulness of the staff. Overall, the Farm was awarded high points for its
interactive activities and cleanliness. Great news.
Steve has been busy digging out the goat pens with his mini-digger, creating a real rural aroma. I’m not too sure if our neighbours approve, however most of this well-rotted straw (with the added goat droppings ingredients) will be making its way down the A35 to Sunnyfields Organic Farm ,and to some local allotments. You have been warned!
The Straw Den has now been emptied with the help of our volunteers and students. Rolling the 250kg bales of straw around to the other end of the farm is no easy task, and tonnes of dusty wood bark swept up from the barn floor is now heaped outside ready to go into the duck enclosures during the winter months. All of this activity is what Father Christmas has requested so that he can bring in his tractor sleigh, and set up home in the cottage in the straw den area. I reckon he gets fussier each year: he has insisted that he has two cushions to sit on this year as apparently his seat was too hard for him last year. Judging by the calls enquiring about our Christmas Barn, I would strongly advise anyone to come and visit him during the week to avoid having to queue for too long. Father Christmas likes to spend time speaking to the children so unfortunately there could be a wait during busier times. Opens 6th December—take a look at our website for more details. Hope to see you soon. Farmer Bryan.
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