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Broom House Farm June News
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Hello everybody!
It always seems to rain just as the silage is ready to cut! Open Farm Sunday is this weekend - 11th June, fingers crossed for dry weather. Come along! It's always a great day with lots to see and do whilst raising funds for the Great North Air Ambulance. Please bring cash to spend in the Coffee Shop/Farm Shop/BBQ - this will save you time! Sunday is also National Yarnbombing Day...watch out! If you don't already get this newsletter by email sign up here! Thanks for visiting the top of the world - see you soon!
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Broom House Open Farm Sunday
What colour are Aberdeen Angus Cattle? How many eggs does a hen lay a year? When does lamb become mutton? How do border collies round up sheep? Which pieces of machinery do we need for haymaking? Why do we plant hedges? Is our beef grass fed? What is organic farming? How do you make sausages?
If you'd like to find out the answer to any of these questions then come along on from 10.30am on 11th June.
Open Farm Sunday is a national event that we first took part in on a rainswept Sunday in 2007....If you have ever wondered about the story of beef or lamb from field to fork, or how we farm in the North East of England, then this event is for you
- Sheep shearing demonstration
- Trailer Ride to see Aberdeen Angus cows and calves
- Hens & Haymeadows walk - visit the egg layers, look at traditional hay meadows
- Steven Ledger Sheepdogs demonstration & Lleyn sheep farm walk
- Farmyard and haymaking machinery
- Butchery demonstrations in the Farm Shop
- George from South Durham Honey - honey bees and producing Durham honey.
- The Broom House Knitting group will be spinning wool #yarnbombing
- Cheese tastings and chatter with Carol of Parlour Made
Keep an eye on our facebook event page or website for up to date information.
We will be asking for a minimum £1 per head entrance donation to the Great North Air Ambulance. Please bring cash - this will save time.
If you would like to come along please just turn up, wearing sensible warm clothing and sturdy shoes. It could be quiet, or it could be chaos....all aspects of life on the farm are unpredictable and weather dependent...that includes the arrival of the public!
You'll get the chance to visit parts of the farm that are normally inaccessible and to ask questions about production methods, organic farming and how machinery works. Open Farm Sunday is staffed by family, friends and volunteers....activities and timings are approximate and subject to change depending on numbers and the weather!
We will be having a BBQ at the Coffee Shop, with pop ups from Rountons coffee roasters and Steam Machine brewers.
If you choose to bring a picnic, please bring rugs etc (please note the picnic area is in the overflow carpark and not by the Coffee Shop).
D
ogs are welcome to come on the farm walks. Pushchairs are welcome to give it a go but the walks will be cross country.
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Broom House Farming News
Today the bulls are being turned out with the cows, the 2 young bulls that were purchased from Northumberland have arrived safely and look great. All the bulls and cows at Broom House are 100% pure Aberdeen Angus. Our heifer replacements have been selected and will also be put to the bull, they will have their first calf at 2 years old. The cows come into season every 21 days and so hopefully after 6 weeks (2 cycles) most of the cows will be in calf. The bulls will stay with the cows for 9-10 weeks. As their calves were only born between March and May, the cows will still have their calves with them. Each bull will run with between 35-45 cows and if you'd like to see the cows, then come along on Open Farm Sunday.
The rotational 'mob' approach to stocking the cows and also the ewes and lambs has been set in motion and the first lambs are almost ready for sale. Moving sheep skillfully from field to field is one of Shepherd Steven's favourite jobs, his dogs also enjoy it, although number 1 collie, Tia, is out of action, looking after her 8 puppies. Steven and his other dogs will be showing their skill on Open Farm Sunday.
The pea/oat/clover mixture is growing well and t
he first bales of grass/clover silage have been made, these "aftermath" fields have enjoyed the wet weather and the red and white clovers are regrowing well. It's time to queue for the forage harvester, which comes to chop and collect the pit silage, the recent stormy, wet weather has flattened some of the grass, so it'll be good to get this cut. Delays have hampered progress with the mower falling to bits several times...wasting time and money. I was scoffing that David Archer couldn't possibly have to spend £22,000 on mending a tractor until a new knuckle joint was needed for the mower's shaft. A plain lump of metal the size of a fist cost over £300. In the meantime, mucking out has been completed up at Broom House, ready for shearing, the cattle sheds at Langley House are next on the list.
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Coffee Shop News
Melissa's range of "different" cakes expands further with curlywurly crispy slice, malteser tiffin and pecan bourbon fudge brownie (!)...golly.
Open every day 9am-5pm, the friendly young crew are excited for you to try their Springtime specials and vegetarian options alongside best selling Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch...of course there's always cake...
The children's menu is full of sensible options for children large and small - from beans on toast to a full Kids' Breakfast.
Afternoon Tea - a great way to spend a few hours catching up with friends and family.
We've updated our Afternoon Tea menu -
£15 per head (including tea and coffee) available daily by advance booking.
Weekend Brunch -
popular and delicious - There are some super walks on footpaths around the farm, food tastes great after exercise!
For any information or bookings - please ring the coffee shop
0191 371 8382
Remember to pick up your LOYALTY CARD!
Follow the Coffee Shop on
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Farm Shop News
Apple Juice, cinder toffee, yoghurt, honey, curry sauces, butter, charcoal, melting chocolate puddings, piccallili...just some of the things made locally that you can buy in the Farm Shop. We have a super range of local cheeses by
Parlour Made from Morden in South Durham, Weardale and the Northumbrian Cheese Company. Our Farm Shop
Instagram page
showcases many of products.
Of course the most important area of the shop is our fabulous butchery counter, stocked with pork and grass fed beef and lamb from Broom House Farm. At this time of year there's a need for comfort food for revising children and easy care meals that can bubble away while you garden, with the occasional BBQ breaking out here and there.
Please ring ahead if you're in a hurry and we will have your order ready
0191 3718839.
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The Forest Adventure
The Forest Adventure is a large woodland play area with nature trails aimed at all the family. Anyone who loves quizzes and outdoor adventuring will love our Forest, there's plenty to do to fill a few hours. Tickets last all day - letting you pop to the Coffee Shop for a snack!
If you've been before - visit again, we have a new zip wire & new trolley tunnel!
Open on Saturdays and Sundays 10am-4pm.
T
ickets £5 a head for everyone over 2, a family of 4 costs £18 with discount and our 2017 Family Season Passes start at £25. Please bring cash to spend on tickets/in the Coffee Shop/Farm Shop/BBQ - this weekend to save time.
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Little Farmers Club
Term time Monday mornings are kick started with these sessions starting at 10.00am on the dot (Little Farmers wait for no-one!), great fun for you and your 3-4 year old preschool children and free of charge (as long as you stay for brunch afterwards!) - please wrap up warmly, we venture forth in all kinds of weathers.
Our facebook page has up to date information
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and finally....the Broom House Call ducks
The Call duck
is a mini
breed of
domesticated duck
raised primarily as pets. Our Call ducks look similar to Aylesbury ducks, but are smaller in size. Call ducks are very chatty and were initially used in hunting, where their quacks would attract wild ducks towards the hunter's guns. This practice has now been replaced with artificial d
uck calls.
The little curl in this ducks' tail is a sign that he is actually a drake.
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FREE! Broom House Farm SAUSAGES!
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If you spend £40 in the farm shop we'll give you 1 packet of sausages absolutely free!
Stock up with some freezer essentials and BBQ goodies and claim your free pack!
Please present this voucher to our staff in the Farm Shop
Offer Expires 23.6.2017
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FREE! Forest Adventure Ticket
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This voucher allows free entry to 1 person when accompanied by at least 3 other full price paying people.
www.broomhousedurham.co.uk/fun-days-out.
Please present this voucher to our staff. Voucher may not be used in combination with any other discounts or vouchers.
Voucher not valid on Open Farm Sunday
Expiry 30.6.2017
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