PIP'S PAGE September 2008

Hello everyone, the tree house I mentioned in July is finished. Mac helped Eddy and Ralph. It is amazing it's really solid and sturdy so although you are quite high up there are no wobbles even when the wind is blowing. Joy is really quite strict about who goes up there and the students have to be really sensible. Joy has says hold on to both hand rails, don't overtake and no two way traffic. Everyone to either go up or down but not at the same time. The children from the Red Centre holiday club were the first children to go up. It was quite exciting for them. They liked climbing up high and seeing all round the farm. I liked the tree house but I found coming down the steps tricky. Eddy helped me.

During the holidays Some dads and children came from Burnley community farm they had a tour round the farm and were really interested in everything. The visit was after tea so everyone had some supper of pizza and a drink afterwards. We sat in the farmyards and chatted together about our farm. I stayed in my kennel as some children were a bit scared of me.

The Pennine festival of food and culture at the end of August had an event at the farm with Phillippa James from the cookery school at Mawdsley. Families were invited to the farm to look especially at the vegetable gardens, we picked then prepared vegetables for soup, cooked the soup and then we all ate together. While the soup was cooking each family made an edible window box for autumn. It was a really nice event, the baby loved the soup! All the bowls were clean when we finished.

We have a new rabbit. It is a giant. I'm sure it wants to play with me but Joy won't let it in case I get too excited and frighten it. It's called Ariel. When the children cuddle it they have to sit down as it's so heavy.

Of course our biggest news is that we now have a full time livestock manager, Ben. He has been looking after our sheep for a few years and now he's amalgamated his stock, mostly various types of goats with ours. So next time you visit there will be a lot of changes for you to see. He will be managing the farm for himself and us with the help of Des, his friend.