FARM JOURNAL
Read Tom’s Journal for updates and thoughts from life on the farm, alongside seasonal recipes inspired by the fresh produce available in our Farm Shop.
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September
With beautiful misty mornings and woodsmoke hanging in the evening air, we’ve well and truly landed in autumn. Despite a mini-heatwave for a couple of weeks in this month, the nights are certainly...
August
August has brought with it searing, stifling heat to top off what has been an excellent summer, and we certainly needed it. Not just to put a spring in our step with all the doom and gloom of the...
The Garden Kitchen at Hartley Farm
With the news at the start of July that cafes can reopen, we got our thinking hats on to see what we could do to make this summer a special one for everyone as we move into our new normal. We love...
May
If you’ve been up to the farm shop over the last few weeks, you’ll see the calves at Hartley Farm have been the main focus of attention for us on the farm. Our calving season has now finished on the...
The New Normal
We’re almost at the stage where we’ve begun to find some rhythm and dare I say it, routine in our day’s work. Which in recent times, means it is time for another government announcement to shake it...
The importance of local food during the Coronavirus Crisis
Let it be known that there is no doubt about it, the real heroes through this current climate are those front-line NHS workers. Knowing the risks involved and having to turn up every day to face...
March
March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb as they say. I can’t help thinking about this as I write this month’s blog just off the back of two bracing storms in Ciara and Dennis. The latter part...
A New Year’s resolution all about meat
January is about reflection and goal setting for the year ahead. Many of my musings recently have been regarding the press and their portrayal of livestock farming and the environment. The key...
October
Well, here we are heading towards the end of another year already. This is certainly the business end of the year for us in the farm shop and all of the efforts in planning and preparation over the...
September
September at Hartley Farm Darkness has started to set in earlier in the evenings but the trade-off has been some picture-perfect autumn scenes at the beginning and end of the day. The sloes and...
August
Last month we bought a new (old) member of the family back to the farm in the shape of our 1953 Fordson Major Tractor. As a special feature, I thought I’d ask my father Richard to write this month’s...
July
July has certainly had more of a Summer’s feel to it compared to a very wet June. With the kids breaking up later in the month all hands have been on deck to bring a new feel to our outdoor areas to...
June
I always challenge myself not to start our monthly blog with any reference to the weather, but alas once again I will fail. My interest in what the weather is doing and how the grass is growing has...
May
This month has been a busy month for us as the kind spring weather meant silage making began and the beginning of building up our feed stores for our cattle for next winter. The balance of rain and...
April
This month we kicked off the year’s event’s calendar with our Spring Farm Open day. Thank you to everyone who came to the farm to see a little bit of what we get up to behind the scenes. We hope you...
