Posts by Alison Park
Shops and markets
Cumbria Life interviewed me for a May 2010 article on Cumbria’s farm shops and I pointed out that farmers have always sold directly to customers in one way or another. When he saw the piece my Grandad phoned and told me about how he, aged 11, drove his mother in the horse and trap to…
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Lots of visitors
Today is turning out to be a day of visitors, large and small. Reception class from Grasmere School came to see the cows and hens and to plant seeds at Growing Well as part of the Food for Life curriculum. Richard showed round visitors from Pimhill Organic Farm in Shropshire. They grow and mill cereals…
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Cows Out
The cows left their winter housing quite late this year because the grass didn’t grow in the low temperatures. The fields had to be dry enough for a 150-strong herd. Even with 4 star indoor accommodations throughout the winter the cows race to the pasture, eager to munch juicy fresh grass. We are excited at…
Read MoreDamson blossom
The damson blossom is beautiful. After a long wait the pretty white blossom is out, and it’s a bucolic scene with the hens in the field beyond (known as the bull coppe) and the sheep and lambs under the trees. Damson day in Lyth valley was April 17th, the annual celebration of the distinctive local…
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Field Work
After ploughing and picking off a few large stones in our Lyth Valley fields, lime was spread to increase the soil pH. The land was last ploughed 25 or 30 years ago and it is encouraging to see and feel the quality of the soil. It has been planted with a grass and clover mix…
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Counting Lambs
Lambing continues into mid-April when all the sheep will have had their lambs. This year 4 sheep had 3 lambs each. With 2 teats, ewes can successfully rear only twins, so the third lamb from 2 sets of triplets has been ‘mothered on’ to a sheep with only 1 lamb, the remaining 2 being reared…
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