Spring 2023 at Rails Farm
This is the first new blog which will not be published anymore in our local parish magazine, to which I have contributed since January 2019. I cannot continue because the editors of the White Heart Vale decided to cut an essential paragraph out of my last article just because I criticised breeding of pheasants linked to the sacrifices we as smallholders have to inflict on our small feathered livestock because of bird flu restrictions. They neither informed me nor offered me an opportunity to reconsider or edit it. This is not in line with freedom of speech or any democratic rights.
New growth and longer days
Looking out of the window while writing those lines only one thing changed since my last blog and that is the new green from all the spring shoots, otherwise it is still wet. The willows and red current bushes at the pond are showing their new leaves. Spring has started both meteorologically and astronomically, not just made obvious by all the new growth but also by significantly longer days (British summer time also helps) and finally warmer nights. Even the grass has decided to grow again which is fantastic news for our live stock. Our window sills are full of little seedlings growing to be planted either into the poly tunnel or onto the field. Tomatoes, Chillies, celeriac etc. are looking towards the sun trying to photosynthesise as much as they can. Once they are planted, we hope that the slugs and fluffy bunnies leave them alone and allow them to grow properly.
More wool on the way
Apart from that we have taken more than 50 kilos of Shetland and Alpaca fleeces to Cornwall to be spun by the Natural Fibre Company. This is a big investment and we hope that customers will appreciate good quality wool to make their warm and super soft jumpers, hats, scarfs and maybe socks as well. Thanks to Gaby’s carding, spinning and knitting skills we are lucky to wear jumpers made from this beautiful material. Gaby is also expanding her expertise to weaving rugs. This is only possible thanks to friends from the Somerset Smallholding Association from whom we currently borrowing a very impressive eighty year old Dryad loom.
An interesting fact: the picture shows a loom produced by Mr Kilchido Toyoda’s initial business, before they founded the Toyota car company in 1933 as a division of the Toyoda automatic loom works. The incredible advantage is that weaving uses a lot of wool that does not necessarily need to be spun but only carded and therefore uses less time to produce a wonderful rug ready for the next winter. One might wonder why the use of lots of wool is advantageous, the reason is that even with currently only twenty two sheep and four alpacas every year a lot of fleece is generated which needs to be dealt with. Storing fleeces is not easy because moths love to lay their eggs into it and it takes up a lot of space. Hence, we were looking for another application. Unfortunately, wool as a raw product has no financial value in our society but there are still costs for shearing and the general welfare of the sheep. Anyway, we are looking forward to pick up the spun wool in the next couple of weeks and to share this wonderful natural product with our customers.
Growing our groups as well as produce
Finally I would like to mention our two new German learning groups. One is suitable for beginners and one for more advanced German speakers. Everyone enjoyed the sessions and we are always happy to welcome new participants. With a nice cup of coffee learning is a doddle.
Don’t forget our well established monthly Saturday’s ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ German breakfast.
Gaby & Christoph