Welcome
Well we've had our first night at The Blue Boar, although there were only 13 of us, we had a good catch up and enjoyed the Farmers Ales and the warmth of the pub. Everyone agreed it was a good change of venue except the parking! People struggled to find the small car park which is located around the back of The Police Station and you have to pay and display £4 which is refundable at the bar when you spend £5. Spaces are limited so I suggest you park in the Main White Horse Car Park by the school which is a five minute walk and free in the evenings.
The evening was fast disappearing when we decided to get down to some business!
Extra greens for pigs
With the increased price in feed and wanting to vary the feed to improve the flavour of the meat, I have been in touch with a few carrot suppliers:
Stockfeed in Cambridge can offer a 20to Load of carrots @ £380 a load, sounds to me like too many carrots and a mess!
Ashbro in Suffolk, supply nets of carrots to feed merchants, if we take mixed nets delivered to one place they can offer. Carrots and Parsnips at £1.75 and Apples at £2.00.
If anyone is interested, please get in touch.
Alternatively if anyone has any ideas of how we may be able to get in with the supermarkets even if we are paying a small amount, or wholesale fruit and vegetable suppliers please let us no.
Christmas Party 14th December
The Blue Boar is booked and fifteen people have paid, if anyone else would like to come, please can you either bring the money to the next meeting or forward to me, The Pub requires numbers the money by the 1st December.
Please find the buffet menu:
Vol au vents filled with prawn and marie rose sauce
Chicken sate
Vegetable spring rolls
Cocktail sausages
Quiche
Spicy Potato wedges
Sandwiches filled with beef ham tuna mayo and cheese
Butchery Course
I have contacted Ansells in Maldon who are interested in offering a Sunday Morning butchery course in the new year, initially for Pigs but maybe another day for lambs. I am waiting for them to come back to me with a price. If you are interested can you email me so I can get an idea of numbers.
Table Birds for February
Me and a few others in the past have arranged for day old table birds. Last year I met one of the drivers from Poulet Anglais at Tiptree and took collection of 100 Hubbard chicks. If anyone is interested in these for this february, please get in touch so I can have numbers to get a quote. The birds normally take about 16 weeks to rear.
Tuesday 23rd November at The Blue Boar Maldon
NFU talk on the services they offer including insurance starts 7.15pm
Tuesday 14th December at The Blue Boar Maldon.
‘Smallholder Christmas Jolly’
Tuesday 25th January 2011 7.15pm Blue Boar Maldon
We have a local vet who is very keen on giving us a talk on Poultry. Again we can arrive from 7.15
Tuesday 22nd February 2011 7.15pm Blue Boar Maldon
DEFRA would like to attend to talk about their role in keeping livestock and rules and regulations we should abide by !!
Have your questions ready (this is one that shouldn’t be missed).
Tuesday 22nd March 2011 7.15pm Blue Boar Maldon
Carol Knight of the Alsa Farm Pedigree Gloucestershire old spot herd in Stansted Mountfitchet will be giving a talk on breeding and rearing pedigree pigs.
Tuesday 19th April 2011 7.15pm Blue Boar Maldon
McVeigh Parker will be giving a talk on fencing and the products they offer
That’s all your suggestions catered for so far,
Well, except for Fiona who has requested Alan Titchmarsh.
We seem to be having a few problems sorting that one out!!!
If anyone knows of somebody to ‘do a talk’ on vegetable growing please let us know as mother could do with some help.
So come on get your thinking caps on, you tell us who you would like or what subject you would like talks on and we will try our best to arrange it.
I am trying to persuade a fellow small holder to do a demonstration on her craft skills which are pretty amazing. She knows who she is.
Thinking past the winter would you like a summer BBQ and quiz night?
Well that’s it the end of our very long news letter
Best wishes to you all and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 26th October at the Blue Boar 7.15pm
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