A farmer’s daybook is where they note everything going on with their herd; milk yields, health, behaviours, emotional states. Our online daybook is where you can keep up to date with the latest goings-on on the farm.
Maya, Miriam and Louisa kicked the year off by attending the Oxford Real Farming Conference.
The farm and garden team have just planted almost a thousand plants on the farm to create a new hedge.
It has long been a policy of Biodynamic husbandry to keep cattle with horns. As well as the aesthetic value, the horns have an important function in the life of the cow.
Your choice to shop directly with your local farms is more important than you may realise.
Approaching the halfway mark in my 2-year placement here at Old Plaw Hatch Farm, the coming of the shorter days has allowed me to reflect on what has been one hell of a ride this past year.
Growing vegetables in a political climate that has very little understanding of how food actually gets from the producer to anyone’s kitchen table (let alone the unpredictability of that same climate) means we are very grateful to the crops that have been successes, and we move on quickly from those that were or are, to put it bluntly, failures. Let me briefly talk you through our growing year so far…
Recently we’ve seen a real surge in new customers and have also noticed that existing customers are coming much more frequently and seem to be doing the majority of their food shopping with us. These changes are rarely down to one thing, and I believe at the moment there are several reasons.
Firstly, because we would really love you to. Of course, at an AGM there is the dry procedural stuff, it’s a legal requirement, but there is so much more. It’s an opportunity to hear directly from the people who grow your food.
The summer is flying by and we have already started to get the first harvests off the fields like onions, potatoes and squash. The Spring was very late this year, however, Summer is not over yet.
The Hungry Gap. The period at the beginning of the year when the cold, grey days mean little grows and little thrives. It’s time to rely on the roots in the store from autumn as we wait and look forward to warmer longer days and the promise of leafy greens and salad crops.
Read MoreThe ewes have been scanned and we’re expecting 109 lambs in six weeks! This year, Gala put our two new Shetland, Icelandic and Poll Dorset cross rams in with some of the flock, so we’re all excited to see their multicoloured lambs.
Read MoreWhen we think of seasonal produce we tend to think of tomatoes, rather than milk. However, the amount of milk a cow produces is very dependent on the food they are eating; this is especially true for our Meuse-Rhine-Issel cows.
Read MoreJenny Thornhill, shop manager, takes us on a whistle stop tour of all her updates. A bit on the success of Christmas, an update on the Spring House build and where we are with our ‘out of plastic and into glass’ project, a bit on Covid, and the ongoing support of the food bank. There’s always plenty to talk about!
Read MoreIn the many debates that erupt every January about food it can be easy to forget that farmers are people and that they eat too. Gala Bailey-Barker, shepherd of the Plaw Hatch Flock, doesn’t eat meat when she’s not cooking at home unless she know where it has come from. In her words “I choose to eat meat and would always rather eat an animal I have known than one I haven’t.”
Read MoreHerdsman, Robin, reflects on last year and the upcoming developments for the herd breeding programme.
Read MoreThis January, we welcome Emma Hams, our new gardener who will be co-managing the garden with Liz. A graduate of Warmonderhof in The Netherlands (alongside our arable farmer, Maya) she’s already got stuck in with planning the sowing calendar, and is looking forward to her first year here, at Plaw Hatch.
Read MoreMade by hand on New Year’s Eve, the Three Kings Preparation is named for the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh it contains. It is traditionally spread on the boundaries of the farm on Epiphany, January 6th.
Read MoreGarden manager, Liz Charnell, gives an insight into her experience at Plaw Hatch this year.
Read MoreMRI cows are unusual breed to find here, in the UK. Robin Hall, Herdsman at Plaw Hatch Farm, explains why the choice of this dual-purpose sturdy breed suits the land and needs of Plaw Hatch.
Read MoreNir Halfon, Garden Manager, writes his last Daybook entry. Nir is moving onto a training postion at Plumpton, and tells of his time at Plaw Hatch Farm and what he has found so unique about it. We wish you the best of luck on your next adventures, Nir!
Read MoreSome of the shop staff, Izzy, Maddy and Katharina, are off to pastures new. Jenny Thornhill, Shop Manager, explains how much help they’ve been in the shop over the Covid-19 period and what is next on each of their journeys.
Read MoreMeet our new farm Apprentice, Louisa. Louisa has travelled the world studying and working on farms, and now finds herself at Plaw Hatch Farm to combine her love of food and farming with the land-based training we provide.
Read MoreHow does an already busy dairy team deal with the impact of a global pandemic? Tali Eichner explains how her team has adapted and kept up with the demand, all whilst juggling seasonal changes in milk production.
Read MoreJenny Thornhill, Plaw Hatch Farm Shop Manager, explains where the farm is with the new glass yoghurt pot initiative. It’s a big project, and involves many moving parts, but the whole farm team is excited to have made a start!
Read MoreWhen the sun comes out, the poly tunnels start heating up. Great for tomatoes and cucumbers, but tough for the gardeners that keep everything growing. Nir Halfon, Garden Manager, explains how his team have managed with the 30℃+ temperatures this year.
Read MoreOver the Covid-19 outbreak, Plaw Hatch Farm customers have been generously donating to a Sussex-based food bank to ensure families in the area suffering from food poverty can eat. Emma Mahony, from Haywards Heath Emergency Food Bank, writes of how Plaw Hatch has shaped the food parcels people are receiving, and how it is making a difference in their lives.
Read MorePlanting is mostly done. The garden team’s sights now turn to preparing for the incoming harvest season.
Read MoreDairy Manager, Tali Eichner, explains how best to store your Plaw Hatch cheese to get the best flavour and texture.
Read MoreGrooming is universally recognised as a bonding experience. As well as seeing to personal hygiene, it helps to establish relationships between animals.
Read More
What we’re doing for our cows and customers.