The farm is alive with blossom - check out these photos!
Friday, 27 April 2007
Annual IFST Lecture
Last night I went to the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) 2007 Lecture in London. Before the start of the lecture I was presented with a copy of the IFST Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice 5th Edition to mark the work that I have done as Editor of GMPV. The lecture was both entertaining and informative and reviewed the current issues of human nutrition and health. A thoroughly enjoyable evening!
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Medieval Fishpools
Last year we had a local archaelogist visit the farm to look at what we believed were fishpools in the wood, aptly named Fishpool Wood! The report is now on the Historic Herefordshire On-line website - see what they say:
A series of three, probably medieval, fishponds are located within a small valley on the Catley Brook. The woodland was known as Fishpool Coppice on the Castle Frome tithe map of 1841. The three ponds have been created by the construction of three large dams and modification of the valley sides. The top (northernmost) dam (SO 6781 4545) is about 30m long, 10m wide and a maximum of 2.5m high. It is the most rounded of the three dams and the pond is the most silted up, which suggests this pool went out of use prior to the lower two. The middle dam (SO 6785 4540) is 40m long, 10m wide and a maximum of 2.5m high. The bottom dam (SO 6791 4533) is the longest at about 50m long, 10m wide and a maximum of 4m high. A bypass channel, 3m wide and about 0.5m deep, runs along the west side of the ponds. The channel becomes more incised below the bottom dam, where it is 2m deep. A woodbank follows the west side of the fishponds, separating the fishpond area out from the woodland area.The fishponds are likely to have been constructed in the medieval period and been associated with the medieval motte and bailey 800m to the northeast, as they occupy the nearest suitable site to the castle. Their size and the relationship with the woodbank support this interpretation. The lower two dams are still well defined, suggesting use after the medieval period. They have gone out of use by the production of the tithe map in 1841, as the Catley Brook is shown without a broadening in the location of the ponds.The fishponds are in an area of deciduous woodland, a mix of natural regeneration and coppice management. The dams are all breached and the Catley Brook has an incised course through the silted up ponds. (1)
Very exciting - and lots of poultrydiscussion here at Hill Farm as a result.
A series of three, probably medieval, fishponds are located within a small valley on the Catley Brook. The woodland was known as Fishpool Coppice on the Castle Frome tithe map of 1841. The three ponds have been created by the construction of three large dams and modification of the valley sides. The top (northernmost) dam (SO 6781 4545) is about 30m long, 10m wide and a maximum of 2.5m high. It is the most rounded of the three dams and the pond is the most silted up, which suggests this pool went out of use prior to the lower two. The middle dam (SO 6785 4540) is 40m long, 10m wide and a maximum of 2.5m high. The bottom dam (SO 6791 4533) is the longest at about 50m long, 10m wide and a maximum of 4m high. A bypass channel, 3m wide and about 0.5m deep, runs along the west side of the ponds. The channel becomes more incised below the bottom dam, where it is 2m deep. A woodbank follows the west side of the fishponds, separating the fishpond area out from the woodland area.The fishponds are likely to have been constructed in the medieval period and been associated with the medieval motte and bailey 800m to the northeast, as they occupy the nearest suitable site to the castle. Their size and the relationship with the woodbank support this interpretation. The lower two dams are still well defined, suggesting use after the medieval period. They have gone out of use by the production of the tithe map in 1841, as the Catley Brook is shown without a broadening in the location of the ponds.The fishponds are in an area of deciduous woodland, a mix of natural regeneration and coppice management. The dams are all breached and the Catley Brook has an incised course through the silted up ponds. (1)
Very exciting - and lots of poultrydiscussion here at Hill Farm as a result.
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
Mormon connections
We had a steady stream of visitors during April who came to visit the farm and primarily the baptism pond, which is a historic church site. In March 1840, the American missionary Wilford Woodruff came to the farm and after meeting the farmers, John and Jane Benbow, proceeded to convert them and over 600 local people to the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Many were baptised at Hill Farm. The Benbows went over to the US and undertook the trek to Utah, sadly Jane Benbow died on the journey in Nebraska.
We have many visitors from all over the world who come to see the pond and other local LDS historic sites.
More of the story in another poultrydiscussion post!
We have many visitors from all over the world who come to see the pond and other local LDS historic sites.
More of the story in another poultrydiscussion post!
Its been raining!
We haven't had any rain for at least three weeks and everything was looking very tired! This week two days of rain and everything looks brighter and a little greener. The lilac trees are now out in full bloom as a result!
Another poultrydiscussion!
Another poultrydiscussion!
Sunday, 22 April 2007
Cuckoo arrives
This morning the cuckoo was heard for the first time on the farm! Makes you think that spring is well and truly here!
Did you know that there are 127 species of birds in the cuckoo family?
To find out more about cuckoos check out the RSPB website!
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cuckoo/index.asp
Did you know that there are 127 species of birds in the cuckoo family?
To find out more about cuckoos check out the RSPB website!
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cuckoo/index.asp
Eating fruit and vegetables
In my research I have recently been looking at data on how much fruit and vegetables we eat nationally and globally. I was very interested to see that in the UK we are still falling well below the minimum World Health Organisation guideline of 400 grammes per person per day of fruit and vegetables (excluding potatoes). In the UK this has been transposed into the 5-a-day campaign. This week as a family of five if we ate our kilo (kg) of conventional fruit per day we would have to buy 1.5kg a day to cover wastage as strawberries it would cost us £3.75 a day; grapes £2.96; apples and pears at least £1.92; bananas £1.04! For vegetables per family 1.5kg it would cost for mange-tout £8.40; frozen peas between £0.95 and £2.48 depending on the type of frozen peas; broccoli £1.92; swede £1.12; carrots £1.05!
An average UK family of five is spending around £3 - £4 a day on fruit and vegetables just to meet minimum WHO guidelines!
Well we are getting our "veggie patch" going - but over a tonne of fruit and vegetables a year is a tall order! Checkout poultrydiscussion again to see how we progress!
An average UK family of five is spending around £3 - £4 a day on fruit and vegetables just to meet minimum WHO guidelines!
Well we are getting our "veggie patch" going - but over a tonne of fruit and vegetables a year is a tall order! Checkout poultrydiscussion again to see how we progress!
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