July news from the farm

After each cut of grass for silage- making the soil needs to be fertilized. In an organic system cow manure is used. It is a very efficient way of building up the health of the soil, since the manure (or slurry) is stored underneath the building where the cows are housed in winter. The machine pictured is spreading the slurry using a trailing shoe. It places the slurry in lines on the soil preventing any loss of nitrogen, which is essential for growing crops like grass.

The barley, peas and vetches growing near the castle are a new departure for us. Until this year we have concentrated on harvesting wheat to add to the cows’ feed in winter. The new crop will be richer in protein which we have found to be the most expensive ingredient in the cows’ diet. With the ever-rising cost of transport we want to be as self-sufficient as possible in our feed requirements.

Using stone picked from the fields after ploughing, the farm trail has been re-routed around the cows’ drinking trough. When we laid the trail we had no idea it would be so popular. At the places where people, soil and water met it had become rather muddy underfoot.

For further information please contact us on 015395 61777.

News from Growing Well

Growing Well is a Soil Association certified social enterprise based at Low Sizergh Farm. We grow organic vegetables on our 6 acre site (sold in the farm shop), we train all kinds of people in horticulture and we run a programme of educational visits to our site. We do all these things as a means of creating volunteer placements for local people recovering from mental health issues, giving everyone opportunities to build their confidence and skills in a busy work environment.

During June we began to use a new tractor pulled planting machine. Comprising of a simple roller and bench, the new contraption is towed slowly up the field with two people sitting on it, planting the plants directly into holes made by the roller. What used to take us one day to plant with three people, now takes us an hour! Whilst the machine isn't called the 'gutbuster' for nothing, it does take a lot of hard work out of planting, giving our volunteer team more time to keep our vegetable beds weed-free.

Growing Well Wins Sustainable Farming and Food Award

The volunteers and staff at Growing Well were delighted to win the Sustainable Farming and Food Award at the prestigious North West Food Awards at the Liverpool Arena. The award was sponsored by the North West Organic Centre but was open to any farming business. Growing Well saw off stiff competition from a number of highly successful companies.