EESG Jams and Chutneys

Danni, Donna, Toni, Belinda and Madeleine have been signed off by environmental health to make jams and chutneys to sell to raise funds for the group.

So if you have Any surplus fruit or veg that you would like to donate please contact Danni: danielle.perkins@yahoo.co.uk

This is what Danni and Toni have picked today!

Introducing the Exlana sheep

Introducing the Exlana sheep

Introducing the Exlana sheep – a new breed showcased this month at Sheep South West.

 

 

The concept of an easier care animal is not new – as SIG, a group of eight sheep farmers developing Sheep Improved Genetics, are the first to admit. But after years of breeding sheep through genetics, not cosmetics, the Exlana breeders say they have bred the ultimate animal.

 

"We knew we had a winning formula," commented Peter Baber, who farms at Christow, on the edge of Dartmoor.

 

"And judging by the positive response from those keen to find out more at the event, other farmers are fast coming to that conclusion too."

 

The Exlana – "lana" from the Latin for wool – was so called because of its ability to shed its fleece. It has been in development over the last eight years.

 

Following initial discussions in 2005 and a "road-mapping day" sponsored by Genesis Faraday in 2006, a group of leading progressive commercial breeders pledged to produce a low-input and easily managed ewe, fit for purpose in meeting the demands of a sustainable domestic sheep sector.

 

SIG Ltd evolved with the intention of becoming a leading sheep-breeding company in the UK. Originally based on high-performance native breeds, the group introduced wool shedding and disease-resistance traits from a selection of breeds around the world to create the Exlana.

 

"Between us, the members have close to 5,000 fully recorded females," commented David Disney, chairman of SIG. "But what makes the group unique is that they are managed as one flock, making them one of the largest performance-recorded nucleus flocks in the world."

 

Using the most advanced breeding tools currently available, all sheep in the breed are fully recorded.

 

SIG is making use of EID using the Shearwell Farmworks data management system, recording ease of birth, lamb vigour, carcass growth rates, milk production and mothering ability, as well as natural resistance to worms.

 

Through performance recording, the group is now able to demonstrate that its current lamb crop is genetically superior for the classical production traits, such as milking ability and growth and carcass, but they are now able to lamb outside, shed their own fleeces and show some resistance to worms through FEC monitoring and recording.

 

The group is now preparing for the major national launch of the Exlana at the internationally recognised Sheep 2014, organised by the National Sheep Association and held at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.

 

For more information, contact Peter Baber on 01647 252549 or visit www.sig.uk.com/exlana-sheep.

Read more: http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/years-development-wraps-come-easy-care-sheep/story-19395262-detail/story.html#ixzz2XL4P4gHq
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Farming News Daily Supporting British Pig Farmers

Source: Argentine Beef Packers S.A.

http://www.farmingnewsdaily.co.uk/news/010713/introducing_the_exlana_sheep_.aspx

Cool Coops! - Pallet Coop

I've just stumbled across this lovely little blog!

Cool Coops! - Pallet Coop

Friday, July 13, 2012  16 comments

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by Rebecca Nickols

Once again, I'm amazed at how clever and creative some chicken keepers are when it comes to constructing their coops. I especially appreciate the coops that repurpose and recycle materials. I've about decided that with a little imagination (and some basic building skills) you can make a coop out of about anything!

This week as I was admiring creative coops onCommunity Chickens' Pinterest board, I came across a unique coop constructed out of recycled wooden pallets! With the permission of the chicken keeper herself, Shannon Duffy, I thought I'd share this coop with the Community Chicken readers!

"Happy Chickens!" Shannon writes. "They finally have a place to call their own." It took about three (half) days to construct the coop, including one rainy day (which prevented taking any photos during that round of work).

The project cost $245, according to Shannon. "It's completely made from pallets and recycled wood from an old building and playground," she notes. The linoleum flooring was given to her by a friend, and the paint was a mis-tint from Lowe's that cost $5. On the inside, she made the perch ladder with material found at her husband's golf course. A door at one end opens for raking the bedding and cleaning ... and egg collecting!

You think it looks too big? Well, Shannon writes, they have four chickens, and two are silkie bantams, "so they have plenty of room and we can add about two more chickens to the flock! We have added the nesting boxes made from milk crates and the food and water. Whatcha' think?"

Shannon, I think everyone would agree: Your coop is awesome! Thanks for sharing it with our community of chicken fanatics.

You can visit Shannon's website at this link:
Helicopter Studios

Do you have a "cool coop" you'd like to share? Email me at rebeccasbirdgardens@gmail.com.
To see what else is happening on our Southwest Missouri property, visit ...the garden-roof coop.

Cool Coops, coop design, Coop Plans, coop snoop, Coops, Rebecca Nickols, recycled

Source: http://communitychickens.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/cool-coops.html#

In the Vegetable Garden - Things to do this Month - August

In the Vegetable Garden - Things to do this Month - August

Refer to the Vegetable Planting Diary – Month by Month.

• Continue to water, mulch and hoe depending on the weather!
• Tomatoes: need regular watering, (especially in the greenhouse) – irregular or infrequent watering may lead to ‘blossom end rot’ - see main image. In extreme heat, don’t feed tomatoes, as this can stress the plant.
• Potatoes: harvest second early varieties, and the first of the maincrop. Clean the tubers and leave in sun to dry skins before storing in hessian or paper sacks, and check after a few days to make sure none are rotting. Continue to watch for blight on maincrops (brown, blotchy leaves – remove at the first sign)
• Crops to sow from seed: lettuce, spring cabbage (lime soil first), spinach, chicory, radishes, spring onions
• Transplant cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower and kale plants to their final growing positions, having limed the soil in readiness
• Pick French and runner beans regularly – any that get left behind can be dried on the vines, then store the beans in jars to use in casseroles and soups
• Pick out growing tips of tomato, cucumber and pepper plants to concentrate energy into the fruits, and continue to feed regularly
• Check brassicas leaves daily for Cabbage White butterfly eggs – small clusters of yellow eggs, usually on the underside of leaves – and rub off to prevent caterpillars developing
• Try planting a ‘green manure’ on harvested or fallow areas of the vegetable garden to add fertility and humus to the soil, and suppress weeds – two of our favourites are Phacelia, which has beautiful blue flowers, and Lupins, which are leguminous meaning they have nitrogen-producing nodules on their roots so help to fertilise the soil. Both these can be planted between May and September (www.greenmanure.co.uk)
• Finally, try to find the time to freeze, bottle, store, dry and preserve all the excess vegetables you’ve successfully grown – there are some recipes and ideas for preserving your bounty HERE, and if you have any of your own please send them to us and we will post on this website for others to share!

http://www.smallholderseries.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=590:in-the-vegetable-garden-things-to-do-this-month-aug13&catid=84:things-to-do-this-month&Itemid=184

Mint Jelly Recipe

Mint Jelly Recipe

The tarter the apples, the more pectin they will usually have. If you are using home picked apples, earliest in the season is best, and the smaller apples will have proportionally more pectin as well.

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lbs of tart apples (e.g. Granny Smith), unpeeled, chopped into big pieces, including the cores (including the cores is important as this is where most of the natural pectin is)
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh spearmint leaves, chopped, lightly packed
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 3 1/2 cups sugar (7/8 cups for each cup of juice)

METHOD

1 Combine apple pieces with water and mint in a large pan. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat and cook 20 minutes, until apples are soft.

2 Add vinegar, return to boil. Simmer covered, 5 more minutes.

3 Use a potato masher to mash up the apple pieces to the consistency of thin apple sauce.

4 Spoon the apple pulp into a muslin cloth (or a couple layers of cheesecloth) or a large, fine mesh sieve, suspended over a large bowl. Leave to strain for several hours. Do not squeeze. Note that if your mash is too thick, you can add 1/2 a cup to a cup more of water to it. You should have 4 to 5 cups of resulting juice.

5 Measure the juice, then pour into a large pot. Add the sugar (7/8 a cup for each cup of juice). Heat gently, stirring to make sure the sugar gets dissolved and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

6 Bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, using a metal spoon to skim off the surface scum. Continue to boil until a candy thermometer
shows that the temperature has reached 8-10°F above the boiling point at your altitude (boiling point is 212°F at sea level, so at sea level the temperature should read 220-222°F). Additional time needed for cooking can be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or longer, depending on the amount of water, sugar, and apple pectin in the mix.

Candy thermometers aren't always the most reliable indicators of whether or not a jelly is done. Another way to test is put a half teaspoonful of the jelly on a chilled (in the freezer) plate. Allow the jelly to cool a few seconds, then push it with your fingertip. If it wrinkles up, it's ready.

7 Pour into sterilized* canning jars to within 1/4" from the top and seal.

Makes approximately 4 8-ounce jars.

*There are several ways to sterilize jars for canning. You can run the jars through a short cycle in a dishwasher. You can place the jars in a large pot (12 quart) of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don't touch the bottom of the pan), and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Or you can rinse the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mint_jelly/

Annual General Meeting

Annual General Meeting
 

East Essex Smallholders Group

 

Tuesday 6^th August 2013

7.30PM
 

The Blue Boar Hotel

Silver Street

Maldon

Essex

CM94QE

 

1. Welcome
2. Minutes of Previous AGM
3. Chair's Report
4. Secretary's Report
5. Financial Report
6. Election of Committee

Poultry For Sale

EESG Member Nigel Brunt has various poultry for sale

Waterfowl (all 2012 hatched)

 

Female Muscovy. various colours £15 each.

Male Muscovy Chocolate £15

 

Rouen Ducks £15 each  Drakes £15.  8 ducks and 2 drakes available.

Pair Apricot Rouen (Rare) £40

 

Trio Dewlap Toulouse Geese £150

 

Chickens

 

2013hatched (between 10 and 15 weeks old)

 

2 Ancona bantam pullets  £10 each

Various Old English Game Bantam Pullets £10 each

2 Cream Legbar Pullets £15 each

Light Sussex pullets £15 each

Trio Ixworth £30

Speckled Susses Pullets £15 each(cockerels also available)

Araucana Pullets (Green Eggs) in cuckoo and partridge £15 each

Various Sussex Type Pullets (pretty colours) £15 each

Trio Silver Grey Dorking £30

Gold Top Pullets £20 each

Trio Copper Blue Maran £45

2 welsummer Pullets £15 each

Indian game (Cornish and Jubilee) Various

 

2012 hatched

 

Black Silkie Hen £20

Blue Silkie Hen £20

Lavender Araucana Hen £20

Cream Legbar Hen £20

3 La Bresse Hen £20 each

Light Sussex Hen £20 each

 

Contact Nigel: N.brunt777@btinternet.com or 07917525128