A very pleasing day at Swan Barn Farm, work has at last begun on some of the wider project. A group of volunteers staying in Hunter Basecamp are spending this week on an orchard themed working holiday. 18 tree cages are being put up for the new orchard at the front of the basecamp (made from wood produced on the estate of course!), the volunteers will spend most of the week engaged in practical orchard based tasks and then on their last day we will be using our apple press and teaching how them how to make apple juice and then how that can be turned into cider. Here you can see our press being used last year.
The press is of a traditional sussex style, it has been in use locally since the 1800’s. The wardens restored it last year using oak from Swan Barn Farm.
About five years ago we planted an orchard behind the High Street in Haslemere and it is now beginning to bear fruit. We will be saving some of the apples from there to make a special batch of Swan Barn Farm Cider, with luck it will be used to celebrate the new building going up. (Failing that I guess we will be drowning our sorrows!)
Speckled Wood 