VOLUNTEERS

A new page dedicated to our volunteers who make such a difference to the running of the farm, whether regular help, or one-off group attendances, some being ‘given’ to us when a company invite their staff to make a difference in the community and the company ‘donate’ their workers for the day, a wonderful gesture by local companies.

We have lots of projects, some smaller and some quite extended, so we welcome local companies to take advantage of what could be called ‘team-building’ and our farm renovation gets to benefit by another piece in the jigsaw being completed by groups of volunteers

• Monday 15th August 2022 •

After the record-breaking scorching temperatures we had all been suffering outside, the ‘gods’ were kind and sent us some cloud cover so that the five cheery volunteers, released from a day in the office working for Freshleaf Media, a website design company in Wimborne, Dorset, didn’t get too frazzled.

Katie, Ollie, Damian, Lesley and Rowan got really stuck in, firstly helping make mobile field shelter bases, beef up hurdles so that our new goats don’t escape from their enclosure and finally, helped with a little bit more of the ‘goat trail’.

Thanks again one and all, and it can’t have been that bad as you said you’d come back – can’t wait.

Mud-pie making – oops, I mean mobile field shelter bases of car tyres, postcrete and 3×3 box section. 3×3 timber and roof to be added 🙂

Looking forward to welcoming this merry band of workers, from Fresh Leaf Media in Wimborne, back to our Funny Farm for a second dose of fun, frolics and work 🙂

• Sunday 24th April 2022 •

A gorgeous blue sky day welcomed five Occupational Therapy students (Ruth, Michelle, Mandy, Nathan and John), who attended to clear a disused corner of the farm, where old wood and old hay gets dumped for burning once a year but this was more like three years worth (due to Covid and respecting the ‘no bonfire’ policy), that they reconfigured to make one big bonfire which, with the fire brigade being notified, we will burn in November with them all returning with their families for some sparkler fun.

First job was to move mini horses from paddocks they were grazing that we needed access through to reach the fire area that you can see at the bottom of the land.

 

Born To Be Wild, retired palomino pintaloosa Falabella show horse stallion with Michelle and Ruth

 

The American Miniature horse girls (still partially coated in their winter woolies), (left to right) Libby with Ruth, Sugar with Michelle, John with Promise to his front, Mabel to his back and Nathan with Domino. We have foals due from Promise and Domino for sure and possibly from Mabel, the sire is our American miniature black and white stallion, Mardi, pictured below, the foals when born are the size of a lamb.

 

The sire of the miniature horse foals due – Crystal Ridge Carousel Mardi Gras

 

BEFORE – Job was to move the two smaller heaps to the larger one on the left.

 

John making light of cutting up some brush, our old American Paint Horse stallion grazing peacefully in the background

 

Rejected delivery to the new fire heap….

 

Slightly large ‘fork’ giving the group a helping hand, Mandy being instructed in the joys of a micro digger by Nigel, Head Honcho at the Farm

 

Nathan was rejected as effigy to top the fire heap 🙂

 

AFTER! Job well done by a truly fantastic group of people.

 

(Watch this space for details of a group of 14 volunteers from McCarthy Stone who will be attending this summer