As 2023 ticked over to 2024, I’m sure many of us were making that familiar list of resolutions and wishes for the 366 (it’s a leap year after all!) days ahead. If volunteering has made an appearance on that list, we at the farm can help you fulfil that!
Our wonderful volunteers get involved with so many different elements of farm life, from conservation, to maintenance, to event setup, to office and café support. Recently, a band of volunteers donated their time to expertly create a floating path along one of our popular walking trails – these paths use sheep fleece as a path underlay in boggy areas, in place of less environmentally friendly synthetic underlays. The fleeces didn’t have to travel far at all too – they were Fordhall’s own sheep fleece!
Volunteers are also getting stuck in with our Silvopasture appeal – helping to plant young trees out on the farm, and recording donations inside the office. With the planned first phase of this project including the installation of around 3000 trees, we really do need all the help we can get!
Volunteering certainly is a great way to learn some new skills, or indeed share your own, but it can also be a wonderfully fulfilling way to spend your free time. The ‘feel good factor’, combined with getting out and about to connect with like-minded individuals, is such a boost for mental health – especially when the days are short and the weather is cold!
If you would like to give volunteer life on the farm a whirl, we do have our first working weekend of 2024 coming up very soon – running on 27th-28th January. Worry not if you aren’t local to us too – we have beds available in our Straw Lodge eco-building, which was also built by volunteers. They really are invaluable to life on the farm!
- To read a lovely testimonial from Nim, one of our volunteers, please visit: fordhallfarm.com/volunteer-profile-naomi-boult
- To find out more about volunteering, please visit: fordhallfarm.com/get-involved/volunteer
- To find out more about our Silvopasture project, please visit: fordhallfarm.com/silvopastureappeal
Whether you are a volunteer, donor, supporter or customer, we are so looking forward to welcoming you all for 2024!
Francesca Lant, Marketing and Communications Officer