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We are a group of micro farmers who welcome anyone who keeps animals or grows vegetables and fruit, or loves cooking! Who would like to come along to our meetings or events and share their experiences with others. You don't need to have lots of animals to be a "smallholder." Many people who grow vegetables, have some bees or maybe a couple of backyard chickens come along and enjoy the meetings and events as well.
East Essex Smallholders Chitchat Headline Animator
CONTACT EESG
Friday, 31 August 2012
Ascott Offers - September 2012
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september 12 newsletter
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Hens in Heat and Rain
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Chicken vet,
chickens,
heat,
rain
Recipe of the Week - Member - Nick Elcombe
COURGETTE FRITTERS
To reduce this years glut into a different way of eating them
1 lb courgettes grated coarsely
2 eggs
3 desert spoons of flour
4 fl oz whole milk
1 table spoon of olive oil
Mix grated Courgettes with flour and eggs add milk so that a very thick batter in made.
Place tablespoons in heated oil. Turn when browned well and cook otherside to similar colour. Should make 8 about 3 inches in diameter.
Serve hot with salad as a starter or with fish or poultry
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Recipe of the Week - Member - Nick Elcombe
CHEESE AND BACON TARTE
INGREDIENTS
Serves 16
2 sheets ready made puff pastry
1 lb streaky bacon rind removed cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 lb onions diced small
12 eggs
1 pint double cream
1 pint milk
1 lb grated cheese I use cheddar or Lancashire
1 tablespoon olive oil and same of butter
Line a tin with the puff pastry sheets. I use the large Aga roasting to which is 14" x !0 " x 2 1/2 ". The sheets should just overlap use a pastry brush with water to fix 2 sheets together. The sheets should just cover the rim of the tin. Place somewhere cool while the filling is prepared.
Heat the oil in a frying pan cook the bacon for about 7/8 minutes remove. Place on 1 side
Using the bacon fat add butter cook onion until soft and just starting to take colour
Place bacon and onion over base of pastry add about 1/3 of the cheese. Mix eggs cream and milk in a bowl pour gently over bacon and cheese, strew with the remaining cheese.
Place on floor of Roasting Oven in Aga for about 35 minutes turning round after 15 to 20 minutes.
There should be that very important wobble remaining in the centre of the Tart when removed from the oven.
Allow to cool.
If 8 are to be served use the small Aga roasting tin and halve the ingredients and cook for about 25 minutes.
It is great sliced into squares at lunch with a salad
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Red Mite - Prevention better than cure!
Stay on top of Red Mite with Predator Mite
You must remain vigilant where Red Mite are concerned. Remember to keep monitoring the levels of Red Mite, check the coop and your birds for signs at least once a week. The mite's short life cycle of 7 - 10 days means it reappears very rapidly.
If you have recently purchased the Predator Mite Booster Cartridge Insert and Holder, it may soon be time to top up your predator mite levels with a new Cartridge Insert Depending on level of infestation this would normally be required every 3-6 weeks. The cartridge works best when attached as close to the infestation as possible.
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The Sprinkler and Shaker contain a higher concentration of predator mite that can be used to dust the nest boxes and house, and should be used to complement the Booster Cartridges.
Do not apply using a double dose thinking this will work better. If the Predator Mite eat all the Red Mite and have nothing to survive on they will die themselves before the Red Mites re-hatch. Always use as per instructions.
If the biological (Predator Mite) method of control is not for you then a more conventional regime will need to be followed.
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Prevention, not cure
Remember, it is difficult to eradicate Red Mite completely, and it takes regular cleanouts and management of your coop to stay on top of it. Red Mite can often stay dormant and be much less obvious or cause many problems during the colder weather and winter months. If you had an infestation last year they will probably re-emerge as soon as the weather gets warmer. Next year try and start preventive treatment as early as March or April. A programme of keeping levels low should then be followed throughout the summer months.
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Red Mite Treatment - Best practice
Remove all bedding from your house and burn if possible or compost as far away from the coop as possible. The following is a good programme to use for prevention or low mite levels.
Remove all organic matter and disinfect with Chicken Vet Poultry Shield (right, 1litre, £11.00). Leave in place for one hour and then rinse with cold water.
Then use Chicken Vet Mite Powder (1kg, £12.30) weekly in nest boxes, dust baths and on the birds. It's safe to owners and birds, and kills mites within 3 days.
For more moderate levels of mites, use Chicken Vet Die-Mite (500ml, £13.13), a sticky silicone based product which entraps the mite and hinders movement - spray around the perches and nest boxes. If you have previously used Mite Powder then scrub thoroughly to remove all traces as this powder hinders the effectiveness of Die-Mite.
The above knockdown products will unfortunately kill Predator Mite and as such should not be used when Predator Mite have been released in the coop. We recommend using the above products to bring any serious infestation under control, before introducing Predator Mite 4 to 6 weeks later.
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All products and prices listed are exclusive of VAT and delivery charges.
For more information, please contact us on 01392 872885 or email info@chickenvet.co.uk. Alternatively, please visit our online shop for further details and ordering.
Many Thanks,
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Saturday, 25 August 2012
FOR SALE - Guinea fowl keets
Guinea fowl keets for sale
Off heat and growing well £8 each.
Please call Nick (Member) on mobile number 07850 665302
Supporting our pig farmers
To raise the awareness of how British pig producers are facing increasing pressures due to rising costs - and how this may force many out of business, the National Pig Association last week released a top ten list of facts, some of which can help shoppers support the industry.
This story joins our dairy farmers who are of course also under threat.
1. Bacon is Britain’s favourite According to the British Top 100 Foods Index compiled by Food Network UK, bacon is Britain’s favourite food.
2. The future of British bacon is under threat this summer Harvest failure around the world has made pig-feed so expensive that more British pig-farmers are quitting every week because of mounting losses.
3. Shoppers can save delicious British bacon for future generations If all shoppers make a special effort to choose bacon with the independent British Red Tractor logo they will push up demand and retailers will have to pay farmers a price that covers their costs of production.
4. Why British bacon is the best in the world British pig farmers are acknowledged world leaders in higher welfare pig husbandry — and meat scientists are clear that happier, stress-free pigs make better bacon.
5. Britain is only 25 percent self-sufficient in bacon Most shops and supermarkets sell mainly imported bacon which is usually produced on more intensive farms and is cheaper — sometimes they package it to make it look like British bacon.
6. Farmers who produce British bacon do not receive subsidies Unlike most farmers, British pig farmers do not receive European Union agricultural subsidies for their pig enterprises.
7. Britain’s pig farms are on a knife-edge Pig farming is a difficult way to make a living. It takes eight months to produce a bacon pig, and another six months for retail prices to reflect higher production costs — so pig farmers cannot respond instantly to changes in market conditions such as the current feed-cost crisis.
8. Shoppers reward supermarkets that support British farmers One retailer, which sells only British bacon, has seen its sales increase faster than any other retailer but some supermarkets don’t care where their supplies are coming from tomorrow... they are only interested in piling it high and selling it cheap today.
9. Supplies of cheap imported bacon will soon start to dwindle New European Union welfare rules come into force in January to force continental pig farmers up to the high welfare standards already used by British farmers.
10. Buying British Red Tractor bacon safeguards British sausages too Pork pies, sausages, Sunday roasts, chops, ham and spare-ribs all come from the same pigs as bacon... so when shoppers make a special effort to choose British Red Tractor bacon they are supporting the whole British higher-welfare pig industry.
The ESSG urges all consumers to buy British and support our hard-pressed farmers - we must not allow cheap, low-welfare imports to strangle our industry and must be prepared to pay a fair price for a good product. The upcoming Countryside Alliance Awards (opening on 3rd September) give the perfect platform for consumers to praise their producers, farm shops and butchers and help us highlight the excellence of British farming.
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Ascott - August Newsletter
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ascott,
august 12,
newsletter
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