Calendar
Our working days are very varied.
They generally begin with a meeting at 8.45 am when we look at the
tasks for the day. Each volunteer works in their own garden till a
short tea break when we move on to the main task of the day (some
volunteers come to do a specific job but most to try a little of
everything. There is lunch around 1.00 (45 mins). We continue till
4.15 and end with a cup of tea together. Everyone is expected to help
clear up all meals, and one morning a week to help with housework. We
share an evening meal around 7:00.
Some jobs - cooking, milking,
watering need to be done outside these hours so sometimes times are
adjusted for some volunteers. At weekends the volunteers do a minimum
of work - essentials like watering, feeding animals - but otherwise are free.
Some jobs like milking, calf
rearing and cheese making are not seasonal
and there are periods when we do not do them at all. Below is a
summary of tasks that
we tend to focus on each month
MARCH
Woodland work, tree planting, start of lambing, fire wood processing,
planting in glasshouse/polytunnel, preparing gardens for sowing,
feeding animals. Cleaning out cowsheds.
APRIL Firewood
processing, sowing gardens, care of lambs, opening
beehives. Setting up the camp. Sheep foot trimming.
MAY Gardening, planting bulbs,
courses, planting, wines.
JUNE Shearing, gardening,
courses, planting frost tender vegs.
JULY Haymaking, gardening, soft
fruit picking, courses. Ragwort pulling. hedge trimming.
AUGUST Honey
collection, gardening. Bracken bashing. Courses.
SEPTEMBER Bee feeding
and hive closure,
harvesting, storage, making pickles, jams, wines. Taking down the
camp.
OCTOBER
Harvesting, Preparing gardens for
winter, firewood processing, fencing, more pickles and jams. Hedge
trimming. Prepare sheep for rams.
NOVEMBER Woodland work, firewood
processing, pruning soft fruits.
This year (2012) we have no major
building projects planned but will be finishing our little roundhouse
(with wattle and daub), finishing lime work in the chapel,
constructing a neolithic sheep shelter and a compost loo in the woods.
ACCOMMODATION for volunteers is
in shared rooms or balconies. There are 2 small 'cells' for those who
do not wish to share. Bedding/towels are provided.
FOOD is provided from the farm
wherever possible - in 2011 we produced enough vegetables, meat, milk
and cheese to provide for most of our needs. The most difficult months
are March - May.
We do not have the resources to cater for different diets normally -
especially those relying heavily on bought-in food, so
anyone wanting to volunteer with special diets will have to be
prepared to cook for themselves on days that they can not eat the food
provided.
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Volunteers please bring old, warm
(yes it can be very cold in Wales even in mid summer!), Waterproof clothing. We don't have a stock of clothes to lend everyone. Wellies
are essential but we have a few spares if you don't have any. Working
gloves, hot water bottles and torches are useful.
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