Year of Food and Farming
at Forty Hall Farm 1st November 2007

This year is the Year of Food and Farming which links schools with farms and encourages activities to teach children about where their food comes from and how it is grown.

Forty Hall Farm is an organic farm and since becoming organic we have been working towards traditional methods of farming using the colleges Clydesdales horses to work the land. We are currently training the horses to pull farm implements and are restoring our horse drawn ploughs as well as the farm staff attending courses to learn how to plough with horses.

The plan is to graze the pigs on areas of grassland and then after they have foraged and replaced nutrients in the soil we then hope to plough with the horses and put in a crop.

Wheat crop at Forty Hall Farm

This summer we were approached by Alan Paulus, our resident wheelwright who was very keen to get involved in planting a wheat crop and has selected a variety where the straw can be used for thatching. Due to his enthusiasm we have planted his wheat crop early using a very modern tractor and plough as the horses are not quite ready.

Horse drawn and modern ploughs

Together, we will be inviting selected schools to visit and be involved in the wheat from planting to harvesting by hand with activities including making a scarecrow and grinding the wheat to make flour.

Hopefully by next year we will have the horses doing the majority of the work with different crops such as potatoes as well as cereals.

Alongside the schools being involved we are also offering courses to learn how to care and work our heavy horses as well as open weekends for all for lambing and shearing.

Last updated: 17 November, 2007