Farm Open Day

Silcocks Organic Farm, just up the lane from our house:

So *that's* where wool comes from

Our local farm Silcocks had an open day last weekend and we never have to think twice about sampling their hog roast.

I did feel a bit mean when I saw the cute piglets, but I'm not a veggie and Silcocks home-grown organic meat is delicious.


The shearer was hard at work in one of the barns. I hadn't realised he would work suspended in a sling, but I guess all the bending would wreck his back otherwise. He was very quick!


















The shearer almost tripped as he moved to the next sheep - he'd actually already started shearing again by the time I'd taken the next shot of the departing sheep.




I like this shot - look at the sheep at the back, pondering whether they're next, and wondering what that chap is doing with their fleece!



Mmmmm, how cute are these little piglets?! They've just started using twitter (the farm, not the piglets), so if you want to find out when the next open farm Day is, I suggest following them here @silcocksfarm

Open day at the farm - everybody say "aaaah" at the little lambs!

Baby22 had been snuggling with the others under the heatlamp. Mum was absolutely certain that it was feeding time, and baahed at the gate for ages until he decided to come out.




Baby 23 was my favourite, he looked very new. When he stood up, his skin was all wrinkly. He looked like his mum had bought him new school clothes "to grow into"!



And now that you're all warm and cuddly - did you enter my giveaway yet? Here's the link

OLd McNifty went to the farm, E I E I O...

My local farm SILCOCKS had its open day yesterday.



The stars of the show were of course the animals, and these tiny piglets grabbed everyone's hearts. They're four days old!



Only one was brave enough to venture out of the trailer - and then he discovered that the ramp was too big a leap to get home.



The farmer told us each piglet likes to return to the same teat - they certainly weren't gentle! It brought tears to my eyes....



The older piglets were busy playing football or sleeping...now what does that remind me of? The little stuffed pig in this picture is a geocache travel bug whose mission is to visit farms. Now her task is done, we can move her on to another geocache.

Well it's not a sheep!

Sheep we understand, there are lots of them in Kent.



But these aren't sheep.



They don't seem too sure what we are, either.



Who'd have thought they farmed alpaca in Kent?

Farm shop time?

I'm still working on being brave enough to go to the local organic farm (just down the lane from me) and ask them for space to sell my toys. They have diversified into butchery and sell their own meat, sausages (which are absolutely scrummy) and even make cheese, and do have a few other complementary items for sale such as local honey.

So...I've been building a stock of farm-compatible knits. I didn't want to be in the position of them saying yes, and me replying "Ok, I'll just go and knit something!"



So - pigs, cows, sheep, dogs, cats ... and for the non-Kent-dwellers, those little cylindrical things are Oast houses.

Some of the animals featured in the photos of my scarecrow (listed yesterday) cos it seemed apt! Maybe I'll ask if they'd like one of him.



Now I just have to work out what to go for - consignment or wholesale?
There was a really useful thread on Etsy about this dilemma, lots of great info especially from CricketsCreations.

So many helpful folk on Etsy, aren't there? I thought it would be a good idea to put a different range in the farmshop (if indeed they'll take anything at all!) then there won't be a pricing issue. I can pop a card in with each toy so people can check out my other stuff if they want to.

*fingers crossed!*