Catch us all on ITV's "Down to Earth" programme, presented by Hywel James, on sunday evenings between 5-6 pm. [ CLICK ON LINK, THEN PRESS PROGRAMMES IN LEFT CONTENTS BOX, THEN A LIST OF PROGRAMMES APPEARS ON THE RIGHT. SCROLL DOWN TO "DOWN TO EARTH"]
Hywel is following the progress of 3 farms in the run up to the Royal welsh show - See Rhidian singing and dancing at YFC rally, Rachel with her pet sheep and lambs, Geoff with the rams for the show, and Julie with her training hat on! They are now doing a second series running till end of September.
CAERLAN FARM LAMB
now available
Our next deliveries are planned for 4TH OCTOBER '08 - 8TH NOVEMBER '08
Half lambs, all packed as joints and chops, from £35 - £45. If you wish to order, we will need your order in 7 DAYS BEFORE!
OPEN FARM SUNDAY- SUNDAY 1ST JUNE 2008 at Lakeside Farm Park
Come along for a great day out!
Open Farm Sunday - June 10th 2007
at Lakeside Farm Park Hendre Ifan Goch Farm
The whole family (3 generations, sisters and nephews and niece) were up early getting ready for the day. Phone call at 7.40 a.m. a lady from Penarth had heard the coverage on Radio 4 and needed directions a welcome start to the day. Our hill sheep Farm was ready for visitors the new foal arrived 3 days before so was sure to be a big hit.
The first tractor & trailer ride driven by Russell left at 11.20 on a tour of the farm with Rhys Edwards (14) trainee farmer doing the tour guide. They arrived at the sheep shed and saw a shearing demonstration. Russell & Geoff answered lots of questions and commentated while shearing & winding the wool.
Then the visitors either followed the nature trail in the cool shade of the trees back to Lakeside or again boarded the trailer for the return. We lost count but I think we did 6 or 7 trailer rides up to 4 o’clock, less sheep for our contractors on Wednesday and happy cool sheep!!! Our neighbouring farm Sister, brother- in –law and nephew were roped in to help.
Julie & Geoff Thomas, Caerlan Farm Lamb & Simply the Best Training had a stand advertising their Lantra land based training courses with a chainsaw on display and protective clothing for people to see and try on. They offer information and help on eco projects in local schools and communities. They run a sheep farm and sell their lamb direct.
We had local Cheese, butter, fudge, preserves, Pork and Beef provided by Charles & Gill Morgan (also neighbours) from the Bridgend Farmers market and the produce was sold out.
The Food for Thought Project with Lynette Thomas a farmer from Llantwit Major showing people how to make smoothies with seasonal fruit and fresh local milk.
Usbourne books had a stand and sponsored the prize draw for the Nature quiz. John Ramsey from the RSPB came with a list of birds he has found on our farm during his survey and lots of information for people.
All the visitors seemed impressed and hopefully will now make their choice for British and local food. Amy my daughter who postponed her 11th birthday party to help on the day did a great job providing everyone with their clipboards for the nature quiz and giving away the freebies! Julie, Lynette and I are all members of Glamorgan WFU and we had our recruiting leaflets to hand on the day. The café downstairs was serving hot beef and home grown hot Lamb rolls. The weather had been ordered, everyone had a great day and one of our young fishermen caught a 5lb 12 oz fish.
We were all very tired but the effort was worth it and we will be planning our Open Farm day for next year. Eira Edwards
As summer approaches, the wool on the sheep- the fleece- changes, as grease is produced at end of wool follicle and this starts the opening up process of the fleece. The wool in winter is firmly "fastened" onto the sheep, but in the summer this grease rises, and the fleece begins to seperate away from the sheep's skin. If left to nature, the wool would be shed naturally anyway, this is why you see patches of wool on the fences, and on the pasture. However, Nature is cruel, as flies love to lay eggs in this lovely warm greasy area, and the eggs hatch to maggots and they can eat into the sheeps skin. This is the major reason we shear as early as we can, ie when the fleece begins to loosen. This maggot problem and what we refer to as fly strike, is also why we dip or shower the sheep now. The sheep is cooler after shearing, and there is nowhere for flies to strike, as their skin is smooth and clean.
Wool sales were very important for hill farms a hundred years ago, and even up to the second world war . In the 1940's and 1950's, when agents used to agree with tenant farmers an appropriate rent for a hill farm with the landlord, the farm was assessed by how many sheep it could carry and be self sufficient. The annual rent then tended to be the annual value of the wool clip.
Back in the 60's and 70's each fleece was worth approx £1 - £1.65. Shearing was always done with family labour and neighbours, with each farm paying back the favour to their neighbour.
At this time shearing contractors began to form gangs, going around the farms and charging per sheep. This was time efficient for farmers and cost efficient, as the shearing contractor would charge 25p-30p per sheep shorn.
The use of shearing contractors is now universal, but there is one big difference!! The value of a Caerlan fleece is now about 20p, and the contractors charge us 75p per sheep! Mind you they earn it - it is a backbreaking job, and a young man's job!!
But those of you quick at Maths have probably spotted the fatal flaw economically!
Geraint Jones shears for us - he has won many shearing competitions, and has sheared in New Zealand as well. He is also a wool board instructor and has done hedgelaying courses for Simply The best!
The first tractor & trailer ride driven by Russell left at 11.20 on a tour of the farm with Rhys Edwards (14) trainee farmer doing the tour guide. They arrived at the sheep shed and saw a shearing demonstration. Russell & Geoff answered lots of questions and commentated while shearing & winding the wool.
Julie & Geoff Thomas, Caerlan Farm Lamb & Simply the Best Training had a stand advertising their Lantra land based training courses with a chainsaw on display and protective clothing for people to see and try on. They offer information and help on eco projects in local schools and communities. They run a sheep farm and sell their lamb direct.
We had local Cheese, butter, fudge, preserves, Pork and Beef provided by Charles & Gill Morgan (also neighbours) from the Bridgend Farmers market and the produce was sold out.
Shearing time 
Wool sales were very important for hill farms a hundred years ago, and even up to the second world war . In the 1940's and 1950's, when agents used to agree with tenant farmers an appropriate rent for a hill farm with the landlord, the farm was assessed by how many sheep it could carry and be self sufficient. The annual rent then tended to be the annual value of the wool clip.
