Mirriam

There is plenty of new life to see at Swan Barn Farm at the moment. This years lambs are gambling about and causing mischief in the orchard and in the fields behind the countryside team office is my favourite new addition of the year.

It’s our new calf “Mirriam”, seen here standing next to her mother. She is one of our Belted Galloway cattle. She is at the farm for the summer with the other cows to help us manage the grassland and encourage wildlife. She is very calm and patient and as long as you don’t try to get too close her mum is happy to show her off to visitors.

The NT owned herd are vital for our management of a number of sites around Haslemere. They munch through the scrub on our heathlands and encourage wild flowers in our grasslands. We couldn’t do the job without them.

Somehow when they aren’t around the landscape here just doesn’t make sense. They are a crucial part of the jigsaw of our management of the countryside… And are cute as anything too!

In the orchard

The blossom in the orchard just behind Haslemere High Street looks amazing at the moment. If you are nearby and the sun is shining it is well worth a look.

Last year we had a terrible apple harvest. It was so cold and wet in the spring the bees never really got chance to get out and pollinate. Fingers crossed for better weather this blossom season.

In January with six inches of snow underfoot and flaming torches all around we wassailed our orchard hoping to bring it luck for the coming year.

Here’s to thee old apple tree,
Whence thou mayst bud
And whence thou mayst blow!
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow!
Hats full! Caps full!
Bushel bushel sacks full,
And my pockets full too!

Here’s wishing better luck for the bees this year. So much of what we eat depends on them.

New beginnings (maybe)

Spring is steaming ahead full tilt here, I was out checking on our cattle this morning and couldn’t resist a few photos… Kind of made me think maybe I ought to share them too.

The bluebells in the woods were looking fantastic.

The cattle were happily chewing the cud under a tree and in the orchard the lambs were causing mischief again.

The speckled wood building is starting to season and settle into the landscape as the wood mellows and ages.

We recently built some new veg beds beside it to grow useful plants in. The current bushes and herb plants are settling in well. We even found an old kettle to grow some thyme in.

It was nice to think of sharing some pictures again, maybe there will be some more news from here soon.