Spring Newsletter 2010

I think we were lucky enough to have one of the first days of spring last Sunday at our Open Day - the weather was perfect. Thank you to friends old and new for coming to see us - Jon and his team from Yorkshire Wildlife did another great job taking people on guided walks down to the heronry. Even the herons obliged by starting to hatch so there was lots of activity for all to see.

We are finally getting our act together and as you will see have a list of forthcoming dates for diaries for summer and early autumn. The dawn chorus walk should be fun although I have to say our loyal team of helpers are jibbing rather at a 4.30 am start - once up, the walk will be fabulous! Early mornings in springtime are a special time of year here on the farm with everything coming to life and breakfast will taste all the better for having had a good walk!

Some dates and finer details for August, September and October are still to be confirmed so it is a case of watch this space and we shall keep you posted. Alternatively, do please ring or email bakery@sideoven.com with queries.

Spring is a manic time of year with so much to do and think about. Due to the wet start to the year we are still ploughing, however, with a few of these fine drying days we hope to start drilling in the next ten days. We have oats, wheat and barley to sow.

The apple trees have been pruned and Tim has been busy doing some re-organisation in the blackcurrant patch! Rob and Barnaby have been busy replenishing the log pile for the bakery as well as dressing seed and de-hulling spelt wheat.

Due to the cool weather the snowdrops have been wonderful lasting for well over a month, the first daffodils have just come into flower today so should be at their peak for Easter. Happy Easter to all and fingers crossed for some dry weather for farmers and gardeners alike!

Forward Dates Summer/Autumn 2010 - at Carr House Farm, Foston on the Wolds

Saturday, 17 April - Course - A gentle introduction to bread making at the Side Oven Bakery using different doughs and methods. To include milling demonstration, refreshments and lunch. Fully Booked.

Sunday 9th May - Dawn Chorus Walk around the farm with Tony Martin from Yorkshire Wildlife to start 4.30 am followed by breakfast at the Side Oven Bakery - bird walk free there will be a small charge for breakfast. All places to be pre-booked.

Sunday 16 May - Open Day on the farm 10.00 - 4.00. Come and enjoy the blossom and learn about insects and other creepy crawlies with Yorkshire Wildlife. Bakery open and light refreshments will be available. Mill Tours and the nature trails will be open.

Sunday 27 June - Wild Workshop with Jon Trail from Yorkshire Wildlife. More details to follow. This event is free but all places to be pre-booked - there will be a small charge for lunch to be provided by the Side Oven Bakery.

Wednesday 21st July - Driffield Show

Sunday 25 July - Open Day on the farm - harvest 1940 (weather permitting!!) plus Pond Dipping with Yorkshire Wildlife. A very busy day as we also hope to open our newly renovated Fishing Hut Information Centre.

Sunday 29 August - provisional date and start time to be confirmed an evening of bats and moths with Yorkshire Wildlife.

Sunday 26 September - Open Day on the farm more details to be confirmed. 10.00 - 4.00 Mill, Bakery and Nature Trails open.

Sunday 17 October - Open Day on the farm with Apple Pressing and Tasting! More details to follow. Mill, Bakery and Nature Trails open. 10.00 - 4.00

Farmers Markets: 1st Saturday every month Driffield Farmers Market 9.00 - 1.00 On the Showground at Kelleythorpe, Driffield Last Saturday every month Malton Farmers Market 9.00 - 1.00 At the Cattle Market, Malton.

Please note that private group and school visits to the farm and bakery can be arranged - please ring or email for details.

New Year Newsletter

A Happy New Year to you

Here on the farm we are slowly springing back to life after the Christmas break. The big freeze has proved challenging - normal everyday tasks take twice as long. Being near the coast we rarely get heavy snow, however, this year has been the exception.

Weather permitting we shall be welcoming visitors to the farm on Sunday 24th January 10.00 - 4.00. Yorkshire Wildlife will once again be taking guided walks around the farm spotting winter visitors and to see how our resident wildlife are coping during this harsh weather. We seem to have an abundance of hares on the farm which are very easy to spot in the snow. Similarly, the deer are generally seen out and about scavenging for food. Yesterday we saw a barn owl was still busy hunting in the middle of the day, food being scarce in the frost and snow. If you decide to brave the elements on the 24th do come well prepared with plenty of warm clothing and suitable boots. As always the bakery will be open for light refreshments and the nature trails and mill house will also be open.

Pond update - it is now full of water!

We are being asked by a number of people about bread making courses and are looking at arranging a day in the spring. If you would like some information please let us know and we shall forward details on to you.

The thaw has started - wonder if there will be any snowdrops daring to show themselves! The first sign of spring will not be far away.

Kind Regards

Caroline

Winter Open Day 24th January 2010

Please join us between 10am and 4pm for our Winter Wonderland Open Day when Yorkshire Wildlife will be conducting their popular guided walks in pursuit of winter visitors and the bakery will be serving hot drinks and refreshments.

Autumn Newsletter October 2009

Well its a case of second time lucky - modern technology drives me mad - how is it possible to spend and afternoon writing a newsleter only to have it seized by gremlins to be lost forever! However, there is a plus, since sitting down for the second attempt of the autumn newsletter, the pond's facelift is complete so there is more news.

The pond will, all being well, be our new wildlife feature with a pier and walkway around the perimeter. It is still to be planted up and needs the all important water! The site is the old cart horse pond where at the end of a hard day's work the horses were brought to the pond for a well earned drink. For years it has been a muddy hole which filled up with water in winter time. Working with Yorkshire Wildlife and Natural England renovation has been underway for the past month with the help of our neighbour Chris and his digger and Mike from the village who has been leading soil. Hopefully, next spring this will be another wildlife haven for our visitors to enjoy and possibly to sit by just to soak up abit of peace an tranquillity.

Autumn is the busiest time of year here on the farm. Tim appears to be glued to his tractor, with faithful terriers Tugger and Brian, working land around the clock to start sowing our spelt, winter wheat and beans. There are so many jobs to do before the nights get dark, the weather cold and the rain sets in. We are busy working land, apple pressing plus re-roofing a farm building before the bad weather sets in.

Hopefully some of you will be able to join us in this mayhem on Sunday 11th October 10.00 am - 4.00 pm when we shall press apples by hand with plenty of tasting. As always the millhouse, bakery and nature trail will be open. Yorkshire Wildlife are joining us for a small mammal day. There will be two guided walks - the first walk starts at 10.30 am. On the walks people will have the opportunity to get up close to see small mammals eg. bank voles, shrews and water voles as they check live capture traps set around the farm the night before. A great chance to learn about habitats on the farm and how important they are for small mammals. This should be a day full of surprises and great fun. Admission is free and there will be light refreshments will be available. Don't forget waterproof clothing and strong outdoor shoes or boots for walking.

Not wishing to alarm you but Christmas is not far away. We are beginning to put together some ideas for Christmas 'survival boxes', gifts and hampers. Any ideas or requests please let us know and we shall see what we can come up with. Coffeetime is brainstorming time here when we all sit around the kitchen table putting the world right, tasting new recipes and coming up with new ideas. Hope to meet some old and new friends at the round of Christmas Fairs and Festivals starting this month.

On Sunday 4th October we are at the Beverley Food Festival which is always a fun busy day with some delicious local food, tastings and demonstrations.

Must tear myself away from the computer and make another cup of tea for the workers!

Kind Regards

Caroline

June Newsletter

I am sat upstairs in the old granary writing this amid wafts of elderflower and lemons. Yes the cordial season is well underway, our first batch of elderflower is bottled and fingers crossed it looks like a good brew. The cooler weather earlier this month meant we were later starting than usual, however, the flowers are now coming thick and fast keeping the pickers and brewers very busy. Similarly, the blackcurrants are beginning to ripen so hopefully we shall start making the blackcurrant cordial in 10 days - the overlap with blackcurrants and elderflower will no doubt be frantic, however, all very satisfying as literally you can see the fruits of all the hardwork, plus there is the added bonus of tastings!

As mentioned in an earlier letter, farmers are rarely happy with the weather! However, there was serious lack of rain here in May our spring cereals were beginning to show real signs of stress. Thankfully the rain came just in time and the crops are now looking well.

We are now looking forward to our next open day on Sunday 12th July - this time there is a ’watery theme’. Jon Trail and his team from Yorkshire Wildlife will be here again to answer questions and to show visitors wildlife that live and rely on water to survive - there will be organised walks. The Chalk Stream Trust are also coming - Alan Mullinger works for the trust and also manages the river that flows through the farm. His tank of river water never ceases to surprise and is a must for all ages. As always the mill house and bakery will be open for tours and light refreshments will be available. Also the new footpath has just been completed so that there is now a short circular route taking in the river and paddocks suitable for wheelchairs and prams.

Moving on into August, Yorkshire Wildlife will be holding an evening Introduction to Bats and Moths. This will be held on Sunday, 16th August starting at 7.30 pm lasting approx 2hours. This will include a talk and walk. Some of the walk will be on rough and uneven surfaces so a torch is recommended plus suitable outdoor shoes and a warm coat.

The Show season is here and we shall look forward to seeing some of you. Please take a look at our forthcoming events list to see where we shall be and when. Have a good summer.

Kind Regards

Caroline

May Newsletter

Just a quick reminder to those who have not seen our events sheet our next Open Day is on Sunday 17th May 10.00 - 4.00. The theme is blossom, birds and insects. Once again we shall be working with Yorkshire Wildlife who are organising a treasure hunt and a bug walk suitable for young and old!

As always the bakery and mill house will be open and light refreshments available. The blossom has been glorious for the last three weeks starting with the blackthorn and plum closely followed by the cherries then the apple. There is still plenty of apple blossom to see - some of the later varieties are just coming to there best. Also the lilac is in full bloom and smells magical - reminds me of being a child when we always crowned our may queen in the village. It was a great day with plays and maypole dancing and the may queen would ride through the village on a tractor and trailer decorated with lilac and other spring flowers.

However, to return to the present! Our spring sown wheat is all well through and Tim has been busy weed combing. We have also been busy de-hulling our spelt wheat ready for milling - for those who are interested, spelt flour is now available from the bakery.

Finally, the flaker has arrived so be prepared real Yorkshire porridge next winter made with our own Carr House oats and spelt!

Lets hope for a little less wind, some light rain and some warm sunshine - fingers crossed for Sunday and hope to see you there!

Caroline

PS. Dates for your diary:

Sunday 12 July Open Day 10.00 - 4.00 with a summery theme! Sunday 16 August Moth and Bat Evening 7.00pm start (time to be confirmed)

March Newsletter

As I sit here the sun is pouring in through the window - lets hope that spring is going to make an early appearance. We have arrived at the time of year when weather forecasts are listened to on an hourly basis! A week or so of fine wea.ther is badly needed to dry out the land so that work can begin on ploughing and spring sowing.

Our hedge planting for this year is complete and 300 trees were planted in a cleared area in Pidgeon Wood - a mixture of hardwoods interspersed with some cherry and holly plus dog roses, thorns and privets were planted for ground cover. Last week the apple trees were pruned and 1000 blackcurrant bushes were planted so things have been pretty hectic down here on the farm.

The snowdrops have been beautiful, I never know how they manage to survive all weathers and still manage to look like a snow white carpet. Some of the brave daffodils are just beginning to burst open - we hope that they will still be at their peak at our next Open Day on Sunday, 29th March. It was great seeing so many of you in January. The birdwalks with Yorkshire Wildlife proved very popular and will be repeated. Also later on in the summer we shall be having a ‘Bat and Moth Evening’ - more details to come.

Arrangements for our next Open Day on Sunday 29th March are now underway. Time: 10.00 - 4.00. We shall be continuing our bird theme, this time focusing on owls. We have for sometime been part of a project for the Owl Trust who have been erecting owl boxes along the River Hull corridor. This has been very successful in that we have seen a definite increase in the owl population. At the Open Day Yorkshire Wildlife will be here with lots of owl information. Also Tony Martin from Yorkshire Wildlife has kindly agreed to come and give talks and I gather will also be bringing a supply of owl pellets for people wanting to identify items in an owls diet! Park Rose Bird of Prey Centre from Carnaby will be bringing a barn owl and tawny owl so that people can get close up to the real thing. Similar to previous open days there will be mill tours plus the bakery and nature trail will be open. Light refreshments will be available. More information will be available nearer the time so please watch this space or log on to www.yorkshirewildlife.co.uk. Where details will be given about the open day and forthcoming events here at Carr House Farm during the summer months.

Hope to see you on 29th March - lets hope for some spring weather - don’t forget your waterproofs and suitable outdoor footwear if you intend to do some walking.

Caroline

January Newsletter

Hope you enjoyed the Christmas break. We had a great family Christmas and enjoyed the festivities. Moving on swiftly our winter open day is fast approaching. The date is Sunday 25th January 10.00 - 4.00. The theme is a ‘bird day’! Yorkshire Wildlife are joining us for the day and shall be taking two guided birdwalks around the farm. Each walk will take approximately one and a half hours and shall be starting at 10.30 am and 1.30 pm. There will also be milling tours and an opportunity to see the bakery and to taste and buy! There will also be some light refreshments available. Plus the nature trail will be open for the day which is a short walk exploring part of the farm, river and orchards. However, please come well prepared with suitable outdoor non-slip footwear and warm clothing.

Much excitement at the Side Oven in the Autumn when we were lucky enough to be in the last three for the Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards - Food Producer of the Year. Tim and I had a fantastic day in November down at Birmingham at the BBC Food Show where the award ceremony was held. Tim and I felt very honoured to be included. An enormous thank you to all our customers - your support and enthusiasm is really appreciated.

The recent frosty weather has been a welcome change - drying up the land enough for Tim to plough and power harrow land ready for the arrival of some blackcurrants. We are now busy hedge planting and have been pruning some of the willows down by the river. Once into February spring will be starting to appear, there are as yet no sign of the snowdrops and we are awaiting the return of the herons - hopefully they will be back for the bird walkers to go and see in the woodland on the 25th.

Look forward to seeing some of you at our next Open Day on Sunday, 29th March.

Very Best Wishes from all at Carr House Farm for 2009.

Caroline

Autumn Newsletter

As I write apple pressing is underway in the juicery. First we pressed and juiced our own organic apples which this year have produced a delicious soft rounded juice. This morning Tim and Jimmy are going to a farm orchard high up on the Wolds to pick apples which will be brought straight back to start pressing this afternoon. By teatime tomorrow those same apples will be in the bottle, because we are small and farm based the time from branch to bottle is minimal contributing to the unique fresh flavour of our apple juices.

The last of harvest was finally brought into the shed last week. A great relief to all - the weather has been challenging to say the least. It is not often that we have to worry whether the combine is going to get stuck while combining wheat! Some dry weather is now needed to dry land so that we can drill our spelt wheat and beans.

Apologies to our bread makers patiently waiting for the new crop flour. Once the wheat has dried milling will be underway again.

Our Open Day in August was great fun meeting many new faces and catching up with old friends. The display set up by the Chalk Rivers Trust was brilliant. I never realised such a small tank of river water could hold so much life. I hadn't seen a bullhead or stick beetle since being a child. Also the big excitement of the day, one of the first walkers on the nature trail saw an otter. Our next Open Day will be on Sunday 19 October 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. As usual the bakery and mill house will be open for tours. Tim will be hand pressing apples so our visitors will be able to taste juice straight from the press. When pressing apples, its not just the taste that hits you it’s the wonderful smell.

Christmas is now on the horizon and next month we shall be starting the Christmas Fairs, do check our list of events on the stockists page. New this year are our hampers - all baked, pressed, processed and produced here on the farm. We have made up three hampers for you to choose from, however, if you have a special request please let us know and we shall do our best to include the products of your choice. Plus of course our stollens will be available to order for a simple special gift. Well the sun is still shining so just maybe that indian summer is just around the corner. Look forward to seeing some of you this autumn and, as always, any queries do please contact us.

Kind Regards

Caroline

Summer Newsletter

Stop Press - We’re delighted that our Organic Elderflower Cordial, Unbleached Organic Flour, Wholemeal and Malted Granary Flours have all won prestigious gold awards at the recent Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards.

We’ve had a very busy summer here at Carr House Farm. Before the Summer Shows began, we had a Sellers family holiday to Germany to buy a huller for our organic, home grown spelt wheat. Its delivery is imminent and we’re looking forward to trying it out on our harvest in September. Spelt is a primitive wheat that is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. It has a great nutty flavour and some people find the flour kinder on the digestion than the modern wheats.

We had a great time at the Great Yorkshire, Driffield and Malton shows and enjoyed the opportunity to talk to so many of our loyal and new customers. We’re having another of our popular Open Days from 10-4pm on Sunday 24th August if you’d like to come and learn about organic farming and the wildlife that lives in our chalk streams.

We have just started harvesting our first field of oats and, like all farmers, are hoping for good weather. Before we know it, Christmas will be upon us and we’re busy preparing our Christmas ranges, including our new organic hampers. We’ve also been experimenting in the kitchen and have developed a gorgeous and easy recipe Lemon Ice Cream using our Lemon Cordial - have a go at the recipe below and see if you agree.

Side Oven Easy Lemon Ice Cream

Delicious serve with fresh fruit or for something different try crumbling our Fruit and Nut Cereal Bar or Honey Toasted Muesli on top. Ingredients: 2 eggs (medium) 30 g sugar 150 ml double cream 4 x 15ml tablespoons lemon cordial Whip the egg whites to a soft peak consistency, add sugar and whip together. Fold in egg yolks, lightly whipped cream and lemon cordial. Pour into a freezer-proof container and freeze. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before eating to allow the ice cream to soften before serving. August 2008