A day at the farm with

Tiffany Fleming

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 co-farmers, young people and adults alike, to help bring about a sense of well-being and self-worth that many have never experienced before’.

It is rare I get a chance to visit High Mead after hours, but I was lucky enough to be invited to a recent ‘works do’ hosted at the Farm, a private party in the field organised by AF OLIVER, a Bournemouth-based marketing company. Bad weather threatened, but it was fine on the night. The Farm’s much-loved Secon World War ex-army tent was transformed into a live-music venue and bar, with seating inside and out.

Despite us being slightly hampered in our set-up by several alpacas and countless chickens (helping, not helping), the field was transformed from farm to festival – think Woodstock, then think much, much smaller. Glastonbury need not worry about the competition, but the revellers agreed unanimously that a great night was had by all. There was live music by RJ SoulCoaster, Dorset’s premier soul cover band; a seven-piece, whose

GUNS WANTED FOR CASH

ALSO GUNS FOR SALE

SOS to all air rifles and pistols, any make or model, any condition.

We collect in any area.

Top prices paid in cash.

07970 742471 brass section really rocked. We had fabulous farm-supplied food and, as the sun set and the skies turned dark, there was a chance to toast marshmallows around the fire.

There is no question that the feeling of freedom and friendship High Mead offers permeates everything it does, and the AF OLIVER festivalgoers all cited the Farm as the perfect venue to kick back and chill out.

It’s been quite a month for the Farm, as the first of the raised wheelchair-friendly planters has been completed. Wood donated by housebuilders Taylor Wimpey finally allowed Mark to realise a 10-year dream of having accessible planters for all.

The sturdy structures are ready and waiting for planting and will be home to our salad crops and any shallow rooting veg such as Chantenay carrots, and radishes.

The money raised by the festival will be used to fill the planters and purchase the seeds, so we can plot the party-toplanter journey.

July was all set to be chalked up as a good month, with the success of the Open Day, milestones marked and a great event to boot. Then the bad weather forecast for earlier in the week hit, and our trusty tent of many, many years took the brunt. We are exposed to the full force of the wind at the Farm, due to it being flat and a little exposed. It finally got the better of the brittle fabric, causing it to tear beyond repair tIn the meantime, in true High Mead fashion, we will simply make the best of it.

- a major setback for our events team as we still have months to go.

Once again, the generosity of the friends of the Farm will temporarily see us through this disaster, but, in the event that a kind and generous reader has a 5m x 15m marquee (or similar) at their disposal and would be willing to gift it as a replacement, then we’d love to hear from you!