Timely Help

With a number of staff and volunteers taking leave during the school holidays, it has been a real blessing to have some timely help this week! 

Bryn is helping for a few days and has got stuck into a myriad jobs in the Nurseries. One task which has kept him really busy is strawberry picking! 

Our 'grow gutter' crops in the poly tunnels have been fruiting beautifully, producing delicious strawberries which currently appear on the Granary Restaurant menu on site, and which are also being sold by the punnet. Spare strawberries are turned into jams and sweet vinegars in our production kitchen, so it really is "strawberry time” here at Crag House Farm, the home of Caring For Life!

Anastasia is volunteering for a couple of weeks and has already been involved with deadheading in the Nurseries, has assisted on the Poultry Project and helped out in the ArtShop Project. There is plenty more time for her to volunteer on other projects and we have a full list of tasks lined up!

At Caring For Life we really appreciate and value the help of all our volunteers, and a timely bit of help is always a big boost in helping us to cope during the summer. 

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#CragHouseFarm #CaringForLife #Volunteers #LendAHand #CFL #ArtShop #GardenNursery

Behind the Harvest Scenes

Some of us may be familiar with the sight of tractors working in the fields, cutting hay or silage, or making and loading up bales. But we may well be less familiar with what goes on behind the scenes. 

Cutting the 2019 hay harvest.

In addition to the Agriculture Project caring for the land here at Caring For Life, and watching when the hay crop is ready, the Mechanics Project plays an important “behind the scenes" role.

The Mechanics Project looks after various vehicles, including the farm ones, helping to keep other projects running smoothly, whilst providing important experience and opportunities for those on the project.

An impressive list of machinery had to be checked over, serviced, cleaned or repaired, ready for the hay harvest this year. It’s not good if machinery breaks down when there is a race against time to get the harvest in before the weather breaks!

Behind the scenes, the Mechanics Project checked over the following equipment:  Round baler  Conventional baler Mower  Tedder Haybob Tractor  

It’s all a vital part of bringing in the harvest. We are very thankful that the hay was safely gathered in during the fine spell a few weeks ago.

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#CragHouseFarm #CaringForLife #Agriculture #Mechanics #2019Harvest #Tractor #TherapeuticDaytimeActivities

Exploring the Valley

There can sometimes be really beautiful things right under our noses, but we don’t notice them! Or wonderful sounds all around us, but we fail to listen out for them. 

This week, the “summer special” activity on offer for people coming along to therapeutic activity projects here at Caring For Life on Thursdays, was an opportunity to explore the Farm in a little more detail, getting to know what is actually there!

The day included walking right along the valley, past the ponds, looking out for moorhen chicks, along by the beck, looking out for the dipper, and spotting bees, butterflies and dragonflies, using special binoculars purchased through a kind grant.

Everyone had the chance to spot different flowers and birds, and to learn to listen for specific bird songs.

Lunch was enjoyed outside and was a little “on the wild side”, with a salad containing herbs and flowers, to accompany hot dogs, cooked on a BBQ. Flower-themed cakes and biscuits went down well, with the chance for people to also try fresh mint or lemon balm tea. It was a bit of a taste test for folks who were not perhaps used to trying something different!

A "walk and talk" in the sensory garden area followed, along with pond dipping, in order to look at some of the tiniest creatures on the Farm. 

It was certainly an eye opener for everyone, a feast for all the senses, a chance to have a lot of fun and also to explore the incredible beauty of God’s creation.

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#CragHouseFarm #CaringForLife #Conservation #NatureScavengerHunt #DownTheValley #ExploringNature