Didn't get to tell it all last time so here's some extras.
The Pond has been dug - but not quite as planned. It was decided by the Wildlife Team that a slightly* different arrangement would be more beneficial to wildlife and be a little more aesthetically pleasing.
The main pond has been moved south about 10 feet and made about 50% bigger than originally planned. And there will now be a properly excavated runoff (which will be lined and seeded as a 'marginal' area) leading into a lower pond about 1/3 the size of the upper one. I'll get Mike to sketch the new arrangement so it can be posted. I think it'll improve that aspect of the project significantly.
Work on the chicken house has been suspended until freezing weather is less likely as any foundations for the building need to set normally.
We now have a Twitter account. If you Tweet then follow us at @UnderLancheFarm
* I understate it a little :)
Ian
Friday, 14 January 2011
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Updates
There's been quite a lot of activity offsite so I thought it timely to say where we're at.
Workdays have been a bit sporadic but then its been Celebration Season, and the weather's been pretty miserable. Subject to climate* the next workday is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. the 6th. At present we plan to start on paths and raised veg beds. but if other projects (chicken house) want to turn up we could make a good day of it.
Andy has been in contact with his polytunnel contact and will be negotiating the best gift he can get from them for us! Once it arrives it'll be all hands to the mill to erect it.
The girls have been hard at work with a bid for some of the Big Lottery Fund money. They've worked hard to get everything in that we might need. Let's just hope the Fund like our application and come up with a few pennies.
I've been in touch with the company building the Weymouth Relief road and their contact at DCC Roads Division and have secured a gift of a whole lot** of 20mm chicken wire. They've been using it as temporary fencing. It may not be available until April but I'll keep checking in the meantime.
The National Trust have been helpful with the design of a composting toilet. Construction should be simple but we still need a small shed. If you know of one anywhere that is serviceable but surplus to requirements please get in touch.
* If it's raining or completely frozen then check first before turning up. Or just turn up on the off-chance.
** There's miles of it in use - without exaggeration - honest.
Ian
Workdays have been a bit sporadic but then its been Celebration Season, and the weather's been pretty miserable. Subject to climate* the next workday is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. the 6th. At present we plan to start on paths and raised veg beds. but if other projects (chicken house) want to turn up we could make a good day of it.
Andy has been in contact with his polytunnel contact and will be negotiating the best gift he can get from them for us! Once it arrives it'll be all hands to the mill to erect it.
The girls have been hard at work with a bid for some of the Big Lottery Fund money. They've worked hard to get everything in that we might need. Let's just hope the Fund like our application and come up with a few pennies.
I've been in touch with the company building the Weymouth Relief road and their contact at DCC Roads Division and have secured a gift of a whole lot** of 20mm chicken wire. They've been using it as temporary fencing. It may not be available until April but I'll keep checking in the meantime.
The National Trust have been helpful with the design of a composting toilet. Construction should be simple but we still need a small shed. If you know of one anywhere that is serviceable but surplus to requirements please get in touch.
* If it's raining or completely frozen then check first before turning up. Or just turn up on the off-chance.
** There's miles of it in use - without exaggeration - honest.
Ian
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Brrrrrr....
It's been b****y cold just lately.
The Farm ended up with a good layer of snow, and under that a good layer of what might be likened to permafrost. I couldn't get a garden fork more than about 1 cm into the soil - thus scuppering any chance of achieving anything on-site over the period.
To give an idea of the weather take a look at this picture of the road outside the front of my house.
And it stayed like that for 6 days!
My parents got stuck in Tolpuddle and we ended up spending Christmas there instead of in Dorchester. No cars were getting out of their close so we parked at the top of their road.
The team hope you all had the sort of Christmas you wanted and wish you well for the coming year.
Ian
The Farm ended up with a good layer of snow, and under that a good layer of what might be likened to permafrost. I couldn't get a garden fork more than about 1 cm into the soil - thus scuppering any chance of achieving anything on-site over the period.
To give an idea of the weather take a look at this picture of the road outside the front of my house.
And it stayed like that for 6 days!
My parents got stuck in Tolpuddle and we ended up spending Christmas there instead of in Dorchester. No cars were getting out of their close so we parked at the top of their road.
The team hope you all had the sort of Christmas you wanted and wish you well for the coming year.
Ian
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Hi All,
Just thought you might be interested in these Freebies.
Ian
FREE Water Widget
Just thought you might be interested in these Freebies.
Ian
FREE Energy Saving Plug
Don't just standby, start saving energy with a free LIME energy saving plug worth £19.99. This intelligent plug turns your appliances off standby in one easy click via your remote control. Households in the UK now spend around 10% of their electricity bill on standby power, with the average household having up to 12 gadgets left on standby at any one time. (source: Energy Saving Trust). Leaving items on standby wastes energy and money, so start thinking 'savings' not 'standby' with a free LIME energy saving plug and you could save up to £20 on your energy bills.
FREE Water Widget
One fifth of a household's carbon footprint already comes just from heating water (source: Act On CO2), turn your shower into an ecoshower and save money on your energy and water bill. This clever gadget takes less than 5 minutes to fit and reduces the amount of water used by up to 70%. For an averaged sized 3 bedroom house this could result in a saving of up to £80 off your annual bill. Not suitable for low flow showers and not recommended for electric showers.
Offer ends 31st December 2010 so register now!
If you do not have an alternative promotional code please use: GADGET
Only one free product per GB household (excluding NI) across all free standby and water saver offers from energy suppliers. Unfortunately we will not be able to process your application if you have previously received either product from an energy supplier and we are unable to notify you. Water widget offer excludes households who already own a water saving shower device. Offer available to GB residents only. Please allow 28 days for delivery. Offer is subject to availability. Actual product supplied may look slightly different to the images shown.
*Annual savings comprise of up to £20 by using the energy saving plug and savings of up to £80 by using the water widget; based on a typical 3 bedroom semi detached house.
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Dig This!
The Duchy folk have come good again.
Kevin's offer of a digger to form the pond was honoured yesterday (Friday) and we now have the basis for the pond. Mike and Glenys were instrumental in settling on the final layout. All thanks to them too. All we need now is a rather large butyl pond liner!
They're just starting to dig. Mike and Kevin are stood in the midlle of the site for the pond
Kevin's offer of a digger to form the pond was honoured yesterday (Friday) and we now have the basis for the pond. Mike and Glenys were instrumental in settling on the final layout. All thanks to them too. All we need now is a rather large butyl pond liner!
They're just starting to dig. Mike and Kevin are stood in the midlle of the site for the pondIan
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Scuppered by the Weather
Hmm.
What can you say? We turned up last Saturday with all good intentions. At least it had stopped snowing on Friday so there was some hope some work could be done - but no sooner had we brewed up and supped our tea in preparation to get busy, it rained! Light at first but within 1/2 half an hour it was 'stair rods'.
The rain did hold off for a while so I got set to fill in a hole where there had obviously been a test scrape some time earlier. About 1 cubic metre of earth had been put to one side. Well, I tried stabbing the spade into the earth pile and promptly jarred my wrist! The earth was still frozen solid! Almost permafrost (I exagerate a tad!). I think that was the time we decided to abandon for the day, all cold and wet and some requiring a pee due to the tea!
We did discuss what the Duchy had offered to help us with. Kevin (God bless him) agreed to call in a digger to excavate the pond and Mike, with the help of Glenys, will be on site when we get word the digger be there, just to make sure its in the right place. That will save us some serious work.
Also outside the gate I noticed a huge pile of topsoil put there for our use. This for the raised beds and anywhere else we can use it. When Steve is free we can get set to form the beds then start importing soil.
If the Orchard is your thing then this Saturday is an Orchard Workday. PLEASE wear strong footwear - particularly hard soles (souls?) are required. We convene at 10 am. See you there.
Ian
What can you say? We turned up last Saturday with all good intentions. At least it had stopped snowing on Friday so there was some hope some work could be done - but no sooner had we brewed up and supped our tea in preparation to get busy, it rained! Light at first but within 1/2 half an hour it was 'stair rods'.
The rain did hold off for a while so I got set to fill in a hole where there had obviously been a test scrape some time earlier. About 1 cubic metre of earth had been put to one side. Well, I tried stabbing the spade into the earth pile and promptly jarred my wrist! The earth was still frozen solid! Almost permafrost (I exagerate a tad!). I think that was the time we decided to abandon for the day, all cold and wet and some requiring a pee due to the tea!
We did discuss what the Duchy had offered to help us with. Kevin (God bless him) agreed to call in a digger to excavate the pond and Mike, with the help of Glenys, will be on site when we get word the digger be there, just to make sure its in the right place. That will save us some serious work.
Also outside the gate I noticed a huge pile of topsoil put there for our use. This for the raised beds and anywhere else we can use it. When Steve is free we can get set to form the beds then start importing soil.
If the Orchard is your thing then this Saturday is an Orchard Workday. PLEASE wear strong footwear - particularly hard soles (souls?) are required. We convene at 10 am. See you there.
Ian
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
The Edible Hedge
Saturday the 13th saw about 15 of us down at the Farm planting the "trees" donated by the Woodland Trust. The pack contained over 100 trees and shrubs of varying sizes and consisted of dog rose, crab apple, elder, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and sea buckthorn.
Steve donated this Horse Chestnut,
which has been planted in what will be the recreation area
Yes, that twig in the corner really is a sapling!
If any member has a sapling that's getting too big for their garden just let us know and I'm sure we will find a place for it. Nut trees especially welcome.
Ian
Planted along the north perimeter fence to form a good screen when established, the hedge should produce some lovely nuts and berries for humans and wildlife alike. The planting was entirely random so a good mixed hedge!
Even the younger members got involved
Even the younger members got involved
Steve donated this Horse Chestnut,which has been planted in what will be the recreation area
Yes, that twig in the corner really is a sapling!
If any member has a sapling that's getting too big for their garden just let us know and I'm sure we will find a place for it. Nut trees especially welcome.
Ian
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