We’d like to think January might be a quieter time on the farm – it never is!  Despite that, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what’s happened since the last blog.

After our fabulous blossom in May and good weather whilst the fruit was setting, it was a great harvest.  On a gorgeous July day we beat the bounds of the farm, with members of local singing groups, Mariner’s Away (a shanty crew) and the Sandford Singers.  Jim Causley led the way and for the first time, performed his new song for Halstow “Beating the bounds of fields around on old Rogation Day…”  This tradition reminds us of the boundaries important in our lives and is linked to Rogation Days which are set aside by the church for prayers for a good harvest.

It certainly seemed to do the job this year with our bumper crop.  Picking up started in late October, but the subsequent heavy rain and saturated orchards meant our apple harvester had to stop slightly earlier in December than we’d hoped.  Rest assured, we still have plenty of cider on the way!

We’ll be racking the cider very soon, which means transferring it from one fermentation vessel to another.  This gets rid of any sediment and the process will be repeated a couple more times. 

This year’s cider should be ready to drink by the Devon County Show in May, so do please come along and try it.

Our ewes enjoy cider making!  They gobble up the mock/moque (this is an unrecorded word for the residue left after the apples have been pressed) which gives them extra nutrition in the winter.  We’re scanning the flock this week to see how many lambs to expect at the end of March and through April.  

So, soon we’ll be preparing in earnest for that – but first, we have to bless our apple trees again, this Friday at our Halstow Wassail!