32 New Stour & Avon, January 14, 2022
Farming & Environment Tiffany Fleming is a volunteer at High Mead Farm in Longham, Ferndown. High Mead Farm is a working farm run to promote the benefits of engaging with animals, soil, and nature. They ‘create purposeful roles for our cofarmers, young people and adults alike, to help bring about a sense of well-being and self-worth that many have never experienced before’. Well, here we are, midJanuary already! I think it is fair to say 2021 ended on a bit of a High Mead Farm high, the team having safely navigated their way through Elf week, six days of pre-Christmas carnage which raised more than £329 for the Alzheimer’s Society. Hannah, a longstanding volunteer, was a complete star and gave Mary Berry a good run for her money, providing bountiful buffets every day, not only for the co-farmers but for the staff and volunteers too. The animal team received confirmation that Domino, our poorly pony, was recovering well, collections at carol concerts added extra coins to our coffers, the generosity of our supporters never failing to impress, and December ended with a letter from The Screwfix
year, bringing news of a truly fabulous grant that far exceeded our application request. We can but hope that the next few months are just as kind. The start of the new year signalled the reawakening of the kitchen garden, but the period between Christmas
COWS COWS COWS To receive top price for all barren cows. Brookfield Livestock Marketing Limited. Payment on the day of purchase.
07811 381 159
with Tiffany Fleming
Foundation, an organisation we wrote to earlier in the
Urgently wanted
Haulage arranged
A Day at the Farm
and New Year, when many of us were enjoying a little time off, is hard work for the farm’s staff, with just a few seasoned volunteers available to help. As anyone with animals knows only too well, there is no such thing as a day off – life at the farm doesn’t leave room for public holidays. With just four acres to the farm’s name, resting is a critical phase of the farm’s crop rotation and grazing plan, and winter affords the garden important soil preparation time, ahead of the early seed order. But, with a farm shop to supply, the team can’t rest on their laurels, and so the farm
was prepared ready for the Co-Farmers return; and return they did. Some full of tales of Christmas and New Year celebrations, or for those who find the time more challenging, full of excitement about being back with friends doing the jobs they love. For many, enforced time away from the farm is difficult. When I first started volunteering, I assumed the farm was a special place because of its fabric, that magical atmosphere I attributed to the place itself. But whilst visiting the farm during one of its quieter times, devoid of the busy
