Events at Fordhall Farm and Beyond

Fordhall Farm is emerging as a fantastic location to host events.

There is a range of activities from small to large to engage as many people as possible. For details on all the below please contact Hannah on 01630 638696 or project@fordhallfarm.com. We need your help both with maintenance and with ensuring that every event is a success. As volunteers, you are our greatest resource and we are very proud to have you aboard.

Upcoming Events

* May 31st - June 1st - Volunteer Weekend and Open Farm Sunday. Another fantastic mix of events. Help us prepare the farm for a lovely Open Day on Sunday with games for children to learn about farming and food. We will also be making benches for our picnic area from resident oak on the farm. Your chance to make your mark.

* June 25th - July 12th - Arthurs Plough 2008 (click here for more information) . This exciting performance will be the talk of the summer! Twelve performances are taking place at both the farm and Home Organic Farm, Attingham, Shrewsbury. These will sell out quick so buy your ticket now from Ben's online shop!

* July 5-6th - Volunteer Weekend and FORDHALL FAMILY FUN DAY (6th) - the biggest day of the year with a Farmers Market, hog roast, BBQ, guided walks, games and activities, demonstrations, vintage tractors and so on. We need as many volunteers as possible to ensure the day runs smoothly.

* August 9th - More Invertebrates of Fordhall Farm - with Pete Boardman. Further investigations into the biodiversity at Fordhall Farm. Must be booked through the Field Studies Council.

* September 6-7th - Volunteer Weekend - Progressing with the Nature Trail amongst other jobs.

Past Events

* May 3rd - An Introduction to the Invertebrates of Fordhall Farm - with Pete Boardman from the Field Studies Council. This was a training event to asses the importance of Fordhall Farm for insects and invertebrates.

* April 5th - Grassland Relationships - Dr. Cath Price from the Field Studies Council hosted a course studying small mammals and owls using the habitats at Fordhall Farm as perfect examples.

* March 15-16th - AGM, Conference and Farmers' Market. Saturday 15th was the exciting Conference in partnership for Land For People at Harper Adams Agricultural College. During the day, Fordhall Community Land Initiative's AGM took place. On Sunday 16th there was an Open Day at Fordhall Farm from 11am-4pm.

* March 8th - Three Men in a Bowtie. Chris Eldon Lee has produced a fantastic collection of silly songs and manic monologues for one night only at the Festival Drayton centre in Market Drayton. A night not to be missed! 01630 654444, call for tickets.

• February 23-24th - Volunteer Working Weekend. The first volunteer weekend on the year - lots to catch up on!
  
• December 7th - Christmas Ceilidh A fantastic, fun and exciting evening of foot-stomping laughter.
  
• November 24-25th - Hedgelaying Course - at Melverley Meadows near Witchurch where Ben rents land from the Shropshire Wildlife Trust to graze his cows.
  
• November 3rd - 4th - Volunteer Working Weekend. What a lovely, fantastic, friendly and productive weekend. Over 50 volunteers helped to plant daffodils, manage the kitchen, move on the new building work, clear a ditch (in the fog) and lots of other essential work. Thank you everyone.
  
• October 14th - Big Draw - CANCELLED. We are very sorry to have to cancel out exciting event but we feel the risk of foot and mouth is too high. Thank for your understanding.
  
• September 29th-30th - Volunteer Working Weekend.
  
• June 9-10th - Volunteer weekend and Open Farm Sunday - Very efficient and productive weekend with everyone working together to begin buiding a roundhouse using coppiced wood from the farm and building an otter holt. Other jobs included clearing nettles and varnishing.
  
• April 29th - May 12th - Permaculture Design Course - A well attended, fascinating course which taught participants fundamental skills to leaving a balanced life with the resources around them. We look forward to seeing you again.
  
• April 21-22nd - Volunteer Weekend - A mixture of activities around the farm including fitting a temporary community kitchen, planting trees as part of a carbon offset project, planting wildflowers along the roadside and fencing.

• April 1st - Fordhall Fools Festival An amazing day. The food festival was complimented by otehr activities around the farm including name the lamb and guided walks. Over 1,000 people attended from all over the country.
  
• March 31st - AGM and Conference. History in the making. The eventful AGM was followed by a variety of speakers, inlcuding Patrick Holden. The day was finished with a foot-stamping ceilidh. Click here for a full run down
  
• February 24th and 25th. Volunteer Weekend
  
• January 14th - Hedgelaying at Fordhall A fantastic one-of day with new volunteers from all over the country working alongside those who were practising their skills.

• 16th December - Guided Walks and Fordhall Festive Feast- An excellent day and night. Everyone dressed up in Medival clothes and enjoyed the fantastic hog roast. Although it was a little chilly (!) the Churnet Male Voice Choir inspired everyone to join in with Christmas Carols. Thank you to Rosie and John Hegarty for being so accomodating at Blore Heath.

• 4th-5th November - Hedge-Laying Volunteer Working Weekend A brilliant weekend. Volunteers from all over had excellent training to hedge-lay and can't wait for an opportuntity to practice. An excellent skill to have.

• 14th October - Big Draw 2006 - Naturally Inspired People of all ages joined in actvities at Fordhall and created masterpeices.
• 23rd-24th September-Volunteer Working Weekend We were joined by Hannah Throughgood who gave an introductory talk into Permaculture. Volunteers revamped the portacabins in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.
• 29th - 30th July - Volunteer Working Weekend - Jobs included stimming, painting, varnishing, clearning rubble and weeds, gardening and building a fence around the new pig pen. There was once again, a fantastic mix of people from all over the country and everyone left having learnt new skills and met new friends.
• 15th July - Charity Dinner and Auction This event was kindly hoseted by Harper Adams University College in Newport. It was a great evening with local and organic food, great people, great atmosphere and great dancing! The guest speaker was Tom Oliver, Head of Rural Policy for the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
• 14th May - Guided Walks at Fordhall Farm
• 9th - 12th June - Working Weekend and Fordhall Family Fun Day
• 11th June - Fordhall Family Fun Day Always a great day. There were games, competitions, stalls, crafts, music, food and nature walks and much more. Lots of the local community and sports groups played key roles on the day.
• 8th May: Hardgraft Theatre Company descended on Fordhall as they walk across the UK.
• 6th May - Ben attended the Shrewsbury Slow Food Fair.
• 29 - 30th April - Working Weeknd What a productive weekend! Over 50 volunteers passed through Fordhall's (newly varnished) gates and helped make a difference.
• 18 - 19th March - Working Weekend. A great weekend mixing old volunteers with new and shareholders. See the photo library for more.
• 27th February - Inside Out documentary in West Midlands
• 4 - 5th February - Working Weekend. What a fantastic weekend. Click here for photos. Jobs ranged between fencing, painting, hedge laying and tree planting.
• 6 - 7th January - Soil Association 18th National Annual Conference 2006. Ben and Charlotte Hollins are to lead a seminar on 'The Next Generation - 'Attracting the Young Into Farming'. Other speakers include Monty Don and Ken Livingstone.

2005

• 8th December - The Farming Year - An entertaining evening of traditional folk music arranged by a local group to raise funds for the Initiative. Swing your partner!
• 3rd December - 'Thank you' meal to the volunteers from Charlotte and Sophie to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.
• 26th November - Christmas Fair - featuring a visit from Santa himself and the Shop Relaunch. Definately worth a visit.
• 12-13th November - Working Weekend - A weekend of denailing, sanding and varnishing reclaimed wood for the new shop floor. Smaller activities included making bird feeders and finishing the giant mosaic.
• 5-6th November - Deliciously Shropshire Home Style Exhibition at Telford International Centre.
• 23rd October - Big Draw - An national week which is deisgned to encourage people of all ages to harness their artistic side!
• 27th September - Wildlife Walk
• 20-21st September - Working Weekend - Erected a chicken shed, a fence and painted buildings.
• 10th Septemeber - Organic Food Event - This has been organised to coincide with the national Organic Week movement, constructed by the Soil Association.
• 4th September - Calverhall Food Fete, Calverhall
• 16th July - Newport Show, Newport, Shropshire
• 15-17th July -Catton Hall Food and Drink Fair, Catton Hall, Derbyshire
• 25-26th June - West Midlands Agricultural Show, Shrewsbury
• 18th June - Leek Farmers Market, Leek, Staffordshire
• 4th June - Wolseley Food and Beer Festival, Wolseley, Staffordshire
• 30th May - FAMILY FUN DAY and Nature Trail Launch
• 28-29th May - Working Weekend

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