Summer 2011

Issue 3

Thanks to volunteers and Young Rangers at the farm

Ashleigh Booker, Rebecca Marshall and Andrew Pearse have been part of a Volunteer Programme at the farm. We created specific roles for them after they had shown great commitment to long-term volunteering, helping to progress projects, staff, other volunteers, adults with learning difficulties and young people. We are very proud of all our volunteers on the farm and Ash, Becky and Andrew are an example of how Heeley City Farm supports, educates and encourages people through positive engagement and dedication to volunteering. Through their time at the farm they have experienced training, finance to take part on other courses and supervise their own projects. In a personal message to his volunteers, Lee Pearse said: Thanks for all your continuing hard work guys. Lee Pearse and Julie Blacker would like to celebrate the hard work and achievements of their learners. The Young Rangers Course at Heeley City Farm is proving to be a very positive experience for many 16-18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training. Lee and Julie support, train and progress young people both through personal development and progression into employment, training and placements. The Young Rangers receive a range of appropriate qualifications at appropriate levels in ABC Awards in Countryside Skills. For further information contact Lee on lee.pearse1@btinternet.com or Julie on 0114 258 0482.

New logo!
Cast your eyes down to the bottom left of this page and you will see our fabulous new logo designed by the very talented Andrew Pearse. The new-look logo coincides with the 30th anniversary of Heeley City Farm.

Events calendar
Sun 10th July 11am - 3pm
Fuel Busting Sunday Fun activities for children and free advice on how to save money on your utility bills. Free energy saving light bulbs!

Heeley City Farm's Birthday Bash at Tramlines Saturday 23rd July 12noon - 8pm Join us for live bands, beer tent, BBQ and mini festival to celebrate the farm's 30th Year. For a full line up check out the farm website. Sat 16th - Sun 31st July 10am - 4pm
Life at No 57 - Sheffield Community Dig Excavate a Victorian Terraced House! Finds washing, talks and hands on activities. Free! Booking only - ring 0114 2580482 for a booking form.

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Soapboxes proving a strong success in Sheffield schools

Soap boxes made at the farm, designed to encourage debate, are proving a huge success in schools across Sheffield. Bob Lister and members of the LDD group build the high-quality wooden soapboxes which are then sold to schools and used by pupils to stand on, discuss, converse and debate. Last year the team made 130 of the matchwood boxes and, due to their success, have received orders for scores more this year. Helen Fidler, of Inclusion and Learning Services, at Sheffield City Council, said: Heeley City Farm have to date produced over 100 soap boxes which have been sent out into Sheffield schools. The purpose of the boxes is to give children a voice within their classroom as part of ESCAL, the City Wide Literacy Strategy. The amount of work and effort that the students at the farm have put into making the boxes under the supervision of Bob and Malcolm has been tremendous and we are glad that we are supporting a local charity that supports many individuals. Without Bob and the team at Heeley City Farm the Soap Box project across the city would not have been as successful as it has been so far, which shows credit to the team. Bob said he and his team construct around eight or nine boxes per week and as long as there continues to be demand, will keep making them. He added: Weve made them so theyre really strong. Theyll take 13 stone no problem. We try and use recycled wood whenever possible, but because these boxes are for education, we use new, good quality wood so we know theyll be right. The boxes are supplied through the education department of Sheffield City Council and the logo used, ESCAL, stands for Every Sheffield Child will be Articulate and Literate by the age of 11. The skilled team can turn their hand to anything when it comes to woodwork, also making bird feeders and tables, chicken coups and much more!

The Garden Centre

The farms garden centre is always stocked to the brim with seasonal plants, vegetables and other trimmings to add sparkle to any home garden or venue. As well as making 250-300 hanging baskets yearly to customer orders, manager Sharon Claxton and her team of volunteers grow and nurture a wide variety of plants for general sale. The centre prides itself on being peat-free and everything is grown in coir, which is an organic compost derived from coconuts. Sharon and her team put in a tremendous amount of work to offer the large variety of plants and seedlings and produce the impressive seasonal baskets. This year has been a special challenge because of the harsh winter. She said: We have no heated facilities so last winter, even in the greenhouses, everything froze solid. Ive been at the farm since 1999 and this last winter was the worst for damage done to plants. Regardless of inclement weather, the garden centre will always offer superb produce and this, as Sharon explained is a team effort: I couldnt do it without the volunteers. The garden side couldnt work without them and they are just fantastic. Trefor, who is a volunteer, is brilliant. Work does not stop at the centre during winter, as preparations have to be made for the next growing season: Even though the busiest time is through April to September, people think there is nothing to do in winter. You have to wash and maintain everything and its an ongoing thing. There is always something to do, Sharon said. Vegetable seedlings available for purchase at the centre include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, courgettes, carrots, leeks and cabbages. Check in at the garden centre for superb value-for-money offers throughout the year.

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Young people help transform derelict site into vegetable patch

Young people from across Sheffield on the Vocational Skills Programme (VSP) at Heeley City Farm have been involved in the early stages of transforming a derelict tree nursery at Norfolk Park. Heeley City Farms Local Food Growing Team have recently taken over the site with the intention of transforming it into a vegetable patch for the community. So far VSP young people have helped clear the land, dig up old tree roots, coppice trees, plant new trees, cut back ivy, build fences and plant bulbs. The new skills the young people have learnt go towards their ABC Practical Countryside Skills Qualification. After two weeks hard work the site is really starting to take shape just in time for spring! Danielle Wright, one of the Youth Trainers at the farm who has supervised the students during the transformation of the green space said: I'd like to say a big thank you to our young people for all your efforts, the two weeks hard work you put in has really made a big difference to the site. Other groups who have been involved in the process include Heeley City farms Young Rangers and a group of young people from The Sheffield College. Many thanks to all involved.

This editions victim is:

Alison Lewis
Alison started working at the farm two years ago as a catering assistant before the cafe was refurbished. After the reopening last year, she became one of the managers and now co-manages the Farm Kitchen with Clare Thompson. She previously worked in the restaurant attached to Polyannas, a couture shop in Barnsley and then Zaras in Meadowhall. Alison came to work at the Farm Kitchen because she missed cooking and because she really believes in the farms ethics. She is really proud of the fact that everyone feels able to contribute to the running of the caf; both staff and volunteers

Staff Profile
are encouraged to share their ideas about everything from recipes to the direction of the social enterprises projects. In the long term she wants the Farm Kitchen to become more widely recognised for all the work that it does in food education, providing supported training placements and for producing great home cooked meals and cakes. She would also like to continue increasing the use of produce grown on site at the farm and at our sister garden at Wortley Hall Walled Garden. When Alison is not at work, she loves to cook for friends. She is also trying to finish decorating her house and above everything else loves to spend time with her daughter Olivia who is 7.

Spring Fayre!
The Spring Fayre proved popular once again as well over 2000 visitors came to the event on Saturday 2 April. The day started off cool, but after the clouds vanished the temperature rose and it remained sunny all day. There was entertainment from The Generics and Boggarts Breakfast and childrens activities continued throughout the day. At one point Boggarts Breakfast managed to get all the onlookers and their families to join in with a huge routine. There was also a superb performance from Unbeatable Energy, an African drumming group who donated their time to come and do a performance. One little boy from the crowd got up and danced through the entire show! We even had a makeshift guess the sound competition after a number of puzzled enquiries. It was the sound of a pair of Wellington boots rubbing together whilst cleaning the farm pond. Over 2,700 was raised for the farms charitable projects and some stalls even sold out. Many thanks to all who visited!

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New rare breed animals

The farm has welcomed three new rare breed arrivals over the Easter Holidays. Two of the farms black and white Bagot goats, Helena and Petal, have each given birth to a healthy goat kid. Helena gave birth to a spotty billy, or boy, kid in the early hours of Sunday 17th April, and her sister Petal gave birth to a beautiful nanny, or girl kid, on the afternoon of Tuesday the 19 the. Both the kids are doing really well and are enjoying frolicking around in the pen with their big sister Capricorn, said Sarah Wild one of the farms youth workers They are very sweet and seem to love sleeping in their Mums black feeding bowls! All the staff and the young volunteers who work at the farm, have decided to name them Spencer and Alexandra which continues our theme of naming animals after road names in the area Even more exciting news is that one of our rare-breed Soay sheep, Heather, gave birth to a spectacular ewe lamb on Easter Monday morning, continues Sarah She is a very unusual piebald, black and white lamb which we have been hoping for, for a long time. At only a few hours old she was already up and ready for visitors and running around in her pen with her Mum. All the babies are now running around in the sunshine, in the fields and would welcome visitors!

Piglet named Tabitha

Our Large Black pig has been named Tabitha after being chosen as the best name in a competition run by the Sheffield Star. An article in the Star, by Nancy Fielder, told of how Shirley Mason picked the winning name in a tribute to her daughter, Tabitha. She was born premature and the tubes needed to feed her made her grunt like a baby pig. Now 25, Tabitha now has the nickname Pig! Shirley, her daughter and Tabitha the pig got to know each other when they met at the farm earlier this year. They fed her carrots and discovered she loved having the back of her ears scratched. Everyone at the farm agreed it was a suitable name and we look forward to seeing her grow up.

Were growing!
There are three new starters in the Local Food Growing Team, which has got lots of exciting projects in the pipeline, including being involved in the Sheffield Food Festival and one in the Farm Kitchen. The new starters are: Dot Rodman: Firth Park SureStart Allotment Support Worker Rachel Sanchez: Meersbrook Park Walled Garden Mental Health Worker Daryl Ross: School Food Growing Assistant Lucy Crookes: Farm Kitchen Assistant

Our new rare-breed Soay lamb

Spencer, one of the new Bagot goat kids

Cheers! To the farms birthday beer

Sheffields Blue Bee Brewery has brewed a special beer for Heeley City Farm, which will be available to enjoy in various pubs around the city. Richard Hough of the Blue Bee Brewery said: Heeley City Farm does such great work in Sheffield and with their milestone 30th birthday being this year it was a pleasure to be able to brew a beer specially for them. By designing a special pump clip using the 30th birthday logo to go alongside the beer, it will also help to spread the message across the city where ever the beer is sold and make their 30th year and celebratory events one to remember. Sarah Wild, who has grown up with around the farm and is now an animal worker there, said: Walking into a pub when weve finished a working week and seeing our own beer on sale at the bar will be fantastic. Its such a quirky way of raising public awareness about the farm and the fact that weve been here for thirty years serving the local community. Richard and the team at Blue Bee embraced working with us and have endeavoured to create a beer which will be suitable to sell at our small festivals as well as in pubs around the city. It is really exciting to have a Heeley City Farm beer created by Richard, one of Sheffields brewing legends. On behalf of everyone at the farm, I would like to say thanks to him, and to Andy Stephens his business partner, for doing this. I cannot wait to try a pint. Cheers guys! The beer is on sale in The Sheaf View and in various pubs around the city centre.

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Heeley City Farm is a registered Charity No. 1111482. Heeley City Farm is company limited by guarantee without share capital.

Edited by JimCook. Artwork by AndrewPearse. ContributionsbySarah Hardy and staffatHeeleyCityFarm.