Norwich food festival

I am not embarrassed to say that I am a foodie, but only if I know where it's come from and I know what's in it, so visiting the Norwich food festival today was a joy.

I am always amazed when you go to these sort of events that stallholders expect you to buy without trying the stuff first, but that was not the case today.  All stallholders, that I visited, had plenty of produce on offer for you to try, taste, discuss and ponder over which one you liked best enough to take home.

This is my haul from today's event -

The above will be forming the basis of my tea, along with produce from the garden.

Other scenes from today's festival - 

Courtesy of Norfolk Young Farmers club, encouraging children and young adults to become involved in the countryside

One of a number of beer stalls

The excellent bread stall from Pye Baker in Norwich, where my bread came from

Kitchen Garden who run a veg box scheme, at Sisland, South Norfolk

The excellent Saffire chocolates, delicious handmade Belgian chocolates - the freebie Irish coffee liquer truffle was just to die for - Thank you

Norton's Dairy cheese, which will form part of my tea tonight.  They were also selling butter and cream.  Very friendly and happy to talk cows/milk/cheese - will hopefully be visiting them to do a further blog post solely on them

Sarah from Essence foods.  Conserves with a high fruit, low sugar content, looking forward to having some of her award winning Raspberry and Cranberry conserve on my toast in the morning

Richard from Stones Throw Food Co - a food delivery company based at Elveden, supplying and delivering local produce

Happy people at Norfolk Finest foods, where my Red Onion Marmalade came from, again forming part of my tea tonight

The excellent Samphire with Jeff in attendance

Ethnic Fusion foods - Indian Cuisine

Again the excellent bread stall of Pye Bakery, hopefully going to visit them and do a blog post on all things bread - really looking forward to that one!

The Norfolk Pure Apple Juice company, looking forward to a glass with my tea tonight also.  Since I stopped drinking, cider was always one of my favourites, I have a tendency to lean towards good apple juice and this certainly is!

I also spoke to the lovely Moya of FACE - Farming and Countryside Education, who is the East of England coordinator, 'an educational charity that helps pupils to learn about food, farming and the countryside.'  This is a nationwide charity, which as far as I'm concerned is an excellent one.  See www.face-online.org.uk for more information and/or to get your kids involved.  A worthy cause I think you'll agree.

Overall I think it was extremely successful.  There were also stalls outside cooking and selling meat products - sausages, burgers etc, from home produced and rare breed meat.  It was so packed that I couldn't get anywhere near the stalls never mind talk to anyone.  They seemed to be doing a roaring trade which is excellent.  A fabulous day all round, that was very well attended.

Weaning time

We finally managed to get the lambs weaned this afternoon, it's a job that's needed doing for a while now, but as usual, life gets in the way!

Separating lambs, ewes and ram into different fields, takes three people and a trailer!

Worming at the same time

'Who's next?'

Separated lambs

Ewes waiting and wondering!

'I don't care, I've got the bucket of food!'

All separated now

Loaded ready to go

'Oh no, you've forgotten us'

'Bye!'

Pastures new

Good to see the ewes off into another field to rest, eat and relax without their lambs, before the cycle starts for us again on Bonfire night.

It is rather noisy around here now though!

Update on the new arrivals

Just thought I'd update you on the new arrivals.

Today was scorchingly, stupidly hot, 34 degrees centigrade at lunchtime.  When I let the laying hens out, they all ran straight under my horse trailer to dust bath and chill.  Now the new ones, apart from Colin the Buff Orpington cockerel who's in with the laying hens, are in temporary accommodation in a large shed until their new hut is built.  Now this shed has an openable window, but that's all for ventilation, so on welfare terms I opened the door and left it open.

Three hours later they still hadn't come out!

'I'm not looking.  If I ignore it, it will go away'

'Don't look Elsie'

'Maybe you're right Mavis'

He's getting braver

'Hey Ladies, look out here'

'Now, how do I use this again?'

'On second thoughts'

'Right, come on, follow me'

'Look Mavis, I did it'

'Thats enough for one day'

He is darn handsome

Bless them, I am so impressed with them, really glad we bought them, AND, they all went back in the shed for bed, what clever little chickens they are.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 14, including one from the Exchequer Leghorns girlies

Sales -

1 & 1/2 dozen eggs £2.70

2 x bags Tomatoes £2.00

Expenses -

Nil

Fabulous day yesterday

Michael and I had a fabulous day yesterday.  We went to a poultry auction!

  

Now round these parts Fabian Eagle is renowned for his poultry auctions, regularly holding one at Swaffham.  Yesterday's sale was the 24th Annual Summer auction at Eldon Farm Auction Centre, Mildenhall.

Deadstock and Cagebirds started at 11am; 11.30am saw Waterfowl followed by Pheasants; 12noon saw Pigeons followed by Large fowl and finally Bantams.  Two auctioneers were simulaneously selling, it was a hive of activity.  Over 700 lots were auctioned off, excluding all the deadstock of drinkers, rearing equipment and incubators.

I was amazed at the number of birds for sale, especially of ducks, I never knew there was such a wide variety of breeds.

Here are just some of the birds that were for sale -

A pair of Bourbon Red Turkeys on the left, which made £25 and a pair of Pied Turkeys on the right

A pair of Peafowl made £85

Light Sussex trio

Seabrights

Bantam Buff Orpington quartet

Three Partridge Wyandotte pullets

Trio of Rouen, made £28

A pair of Buff African geese made £70

Trumpeter female Swan, lost her mate, made £150

Pair of Sebastopol Geese, made £70

Pair of Crested ducks

A pair of red and white Frillback pigeons, unsold, in fact not of the eight pens of pigeons sold

Two pairs of Arch Angel Pigeons

Trio of Speckled Sussex pullets, made £48

Trio of Buff Columbian Brahma, made £55, these were lovely, wanted to bring these home

Trio of Gold Seabrights

Pair of Bahama Pintails

One Ross Gander, made £90

Pair of Orange Ringed Teal

Pair of Ross geese, made £120

Trio of Buff Laced Wyandotte bantams

Quartet of Buff Sussex pullets

Blue Splash rosecomb bantams

As you can see all and sundry were there, with some amazing prices being reached, but most making between £25 - £50 per pen.  Top price went to a quartet of Vulturine Guinea fowl, one male and three females, which made, a whopping £850!

You'll have to check back tomorrow to see if we came home with anything!

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 11

Sales -

2 x bags of Tomatoes £2.00

1 x Cucumber £0.60

Expenses -

Nil

August Statistics

Well, August was a good month, takings were up on July, so am really pleased.

Here's the breakdown -

Sales -

22 dozen eggs £40.30
14 Cucumbers £8.40
8 Geranium plants £12.00
2 x Herb plants £1.00
3 bags Carrots £2.25
18 bags Tomatoes £16.50

Total £80.45

Expenses -

1 x Large Greenhouse £383.00

Still a long way to go to recoup the greenhouse money, but hey that was a long term investment, and it's now harvest time so fingers crossed we'll recoup in no time.

Today's stats -

Sales -

1 dozen eggs £1.80
1 x bag Bramley apples £1.00
1 x Tomatoes £1.00
1 x bag French beans £0.50

Expenses -

Nil