East Essex Smallholders
Newsletter:
February 2012
Welcome to
our February news letter how lucky we have been with the weather so far this
year; frosts could be counted on one hand and still none of the old white stuff!
A lovely
thought that spring is only just around the corner although many animals and
plants seem to think it’s already here my cockerel are sparing with each other
to see who can have the biggest harem of ladies, spring is certainly in the
air.
I expect we
all have a list as long as our arms of jobs to be done but make a cuppa and
have a read of the newsletter, we have lots of news this month to come and a
lovely recipe so please take a minute and read on.
********** BREAKING NEWS ***********
East Essex Smallholders have secured their first corporate sponsorship deal.
Farm and
Country Supplies Ltd (Epping) have agreed to be the group’s founder sponsor and
will be supplying us with a much needed gazebo for our showing season.
Many thanks
to Keith and his team and here’s to a long and happy future working relationship.
Read report
on January meeting for more news on Farm and Country.
Plea from your committee
We are aware
of how busy lives can be and how our livestock can fill up so........ much of
our free time, however please try to take an hour or so to attend a few of the
group meetings if you can.
As most of you know meetings are a very
informal get together and catch up held at The Blue Boar Maldon held on the
third Tuesday evening once a month.
In the last
few months we have many new members although some of our old regulars are missing
and we would love to see you and hear your news.
Also if you
have any like minded friends who may enjoy the evening please bring them along. It’s especially nice to have a good turn out
when we have a guest speaker as they have often travelled a good few miles to
attend and don’t charge us for their time.
If you would
like any changes to our meetings or any requests for guest speakers or trips
please let us know by email - we welcome your ideas.
That being
said – our next meeting is on Tuesday 22 February 2012 7pm for
7.30pm when we will be Going Mad with Turkey’s! (read on for more details)
Free Pig keeping course comes to Essex
After much
badgering and many phone calls our Chairman has done it! We now have a free DEFRA funded ADAS Pig
Keeping Course coming to Essex on Saturday 25th February 2012 at Stisted
Village Hall. Time to be confirmed.
Members of
the Suffolk, Herts and Essex smallholders groups will be attending; so a chance
to meet more people with the same interests .
This course is open to
anybody so if you have any friends that would like to attend, get them to
contact Georgie ASAP
If anyone can share a
lift, it will help with parking and also our carbon footprint.
Hobby
Pig Keeping
|
|
ADAS
invites you to the first Defra-funded meetings for hobby farmers
with pigs.
The workshops will provide smallholders with easily
accessible, relevant practical and technical training delivered by experienced
pig specialists with a recognised track record in the small holder sector
training; to increase the health, welfare and productivity of the small pig
herd.
Topics covered:
· Pig Welfare
legislation – 5 Freedoms (Animal welfare Act 2006)
· Biosecurity,
disease control and effective quarantine
· Pig health,
vaccinations and worming, fallen stock
· Movements, ID
and legislation
· Feeding and
legislation
· On farm
record requirements
Address for
village hall is:
Stisted Village Hall
Rectory Road
Stisted
CM77 8AL
Stisted Village Hall
Rectory Road
Stisted
CM77 8AL
Report January News
Our guest speaker at the meeting was Keith Badman from Farm & Country Supplies in Epping www.farmandcountrysupplies.co.uk
The meeting
started well, with Keith and his associate Mick O’Malley arriving to the sight
of our very full and delicious bring and share table - The only way is East
Essex when it comes to hosting.
The evening
soon settled into a very informative meeting with Keith explaining what his
company Farm & Country could offer us from all manner of items. Fencing and troughs through to clothing and
feeds, all there in one store - what more could us busy folks ask for!
Over the
course of the year they will be producing FREE guides, videos and holding
demonstrations and “hands on “ workshops and courses in all areas of livestock
keeping and animal husbandry .
These will
be FREE to all smallholders with a Farm & Country Discount Club Card free
with our membership.
Mick
O’Malley, a rare breds specialist for the past 21 years with significant
experience and knowledge with pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and cattle,
also attended.
Mick has
previously been on the council of the Rare Breed Survival Trust and was
recently honoured by them for his commitment to rare breeds over the past 20
years.
Mick’s aim
is for all smallholders in the country to be able to pick up the phone, or
email, any questions regarding the care of livestock, in addition to the guides,
demos and courses.
Farm &
Country will be publishing emails, blogs, forums, tweets and facebook updates
regarding seasonal tasks and the best practices, so please keep an eye out for
all of these. We will also be putting
items of interest on the blog – so make sure you are signed up to it!
We also understand
that they have a few money saving programmes in the pipeline – such as med
share and equipment sharing. (for
example, as some may know vaccines for sheep come in minimum doses of 25; with only 2 or 3 sheep requiring vaccination
by a smallholder, this can often work out very expensive with 23 does being
wasted). Watch this space.
Do sign up
for their online newsletter; they have a very good article on Muddy Gateways! I’m sure we all have a few of them at the
moment.
I think all
who attended the meeting will agreed Keith and Farm & Country have a vision
for the future and smallholding is going to play a large part,
The East
Essex Smallholders are a group with a vision also and we are so pleased Farm &
County wish to be our founder sponsor.
Orders can
be placed online or over the phone
Farm & Country Supplies Ltd
The Dutch Barn
Bury Lane, Epping, CM16 5JA
Opening hours are:
Monday to Friday 8.00am –
5.30pm,
Saturday 8.00am – 12.00pm
By freephone 0800 056 0002
Events
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Blue
Boar, Silver Street,Maldon, CM9 4QE
With a slight
change to our original scheduled meeting, which will now be held later in the
year, come and hear about our famous local Kelly Bronze Turkey's.
A member of
the Kelly Team will be joining members to give them the low down on all things
turkey - from raising and keeping turkeys, to how to carve in the best way
possible.
As our bring
and share evenings are such a success LETS HAVE ANOTHER!
Join us
promptly at 7pm, so that the fun can start soon after.
Starts 7 -
7.30 pm
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Blue
Boar, Silver Street, Maldon, CM9 4QE
A chance to
meet Essex Girl, Tracy, form the Giggly Pig Sausage Company and hear about her
exploits in the world of Giggly Pigs.
Starts 7 -
7.30 pm - don't be late