http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk Growing mattresses from nature. en-gb Fri, 7th May 14:00:00 GMT Fri, 18 May 2012 19:10:01 GMT http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1013 At last a dry spell. We are now drilling hemp two weeks later than last year, because of the consistent showers since early April making the land waterlogged and unworkable. We're still confident that with the moist soil to germinate the seed and a barbecue summer ahead we will harvest a great crop by the end of August. Fingers crossed! 2012-05-18T00:00:00 Blog#1013 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1012 Joanne's Recipes 2012-05-08T00:00:00 Blog#1012 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1006 Yet another first for Jo and Gary this lambing season! 2012-05-04T00:00:00 Blog#1006 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1008 For the last twenty days we've had a lot of heavy showers, which has resulted in the flooding of my grazing land. It's now nearly a full time job walking around saving stranded lambs and returning them to their mothers. Oh what a drought! 2012-04-27T00:00:00 Blog#1008 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1009 We had the first of four visits from RSPB at 6.30 this morning. I met them later and they were overwhelmed. 'Unlike other farms' they said, and 'Couldn't improve on what we've already done'. They were delighted with the bird boxes, and the feeders. They found 38 species of birds, 11 of which are on the amber list of conservation and 8 were on the red. 2012-04-27T00:00:00 Blog#1009 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1011 Today Emily and Julia from the House and Garden, luxury interiors magazine visited our farm to experience where we grow our own fillings and rear our sheep. We all certainly enjoyed meeting the lambs in the nursery which have all been named after characters for Coronation Street. Elise and I shared a special bond and she was quiet content to sit on my lap for cuddles. 2012-04-23T00:00:00 Blog#1011 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1007 With all the rain we have been experiencing recently, 3 astute little lambs have found a genious place to stay dry! 2012-04-19T00:00:00 Blog#1007 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1010 Harrison kicked off their first of many busy training schedules, educating retailers about the benefits of a Harrison Beds and the natural fillings that go into them. 2012-04-18T00:00:00 Blog#1010 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1005 We are almost there now with our lambing, latest count is 265 lambs with 9 ewes still to give birth, as usual we have gathered a small flock of lambs which have needed that little bit of extra assistance and are now permanent residents at the Harrison Spinks nursery. One little lamb in particular was given no hope of surviving as her temperature was only 33, below what it should be of around 39. Jo tried the usual trick of putting her in the Aga but to no avail and I went to bed not expecting her to make it through the night. Liam took the lamb up to bed with him to monitor her through the night, and then when I got up the next day there she was toddling around the kitchen. I am now very pleased to report that she is now happily reunited with her mother. 2012-04-11T00:00:00 Blog#1005 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1004 'James Grieve and Tom Putt are not local village characters, nor is a Hornsea Herring anything to do with fish. These are, along with Balsam, Ribston Pippin and Greenup's Pippin, all old apple tree varieties which have just been introduced to the farms ancient orchard which is under renovation. With the help of Natural England and good advice from the Northern Fruit group we have been able to look after the rare varieties already present and fill a few of the gaps with some new old varieties. Gary is already looking forward to home baked apple crumble and cream this autumn' 2012-04-04T00:00:00 Blog#1004 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1002 Lastest lambs count is 127! all these lambs in just one week! On Thursday 16 ewes gave birth so this was a very busy day for Gary and Liam. Fortunately the ewes which gave birth first can now relax and enjoy the warm weather we've been having. 2012-03-30T00:00:00 Blog#1002 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#1003 Whilst the other female sheep on the farm are busy giving birth to their lambs, there are a group of young ladies (Gimmers) who can sit back and relax this spring. Gimmers are young female sheep who were born last year and so we have decided not to breed them,although some farmers do. They were all born on our farm last year and we will use them for breeding next spring. 2012-03-30T00:00:00 Blog#1003 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#999 The due date of the lambs has been in my diary since Gary told me when it was, and I've been eagerly waiting for this date to arrive, so that I could visit the farm and gain some first-hand experience of lambing. Whilst I was there (in the space of an hour) 2 ewes gave birth to twins, Gary who is doing a fantastic job was clearly immune to this amazing spectacle, but I was amazed at how easy the ewes seemed to give birth and how they instinctively know to clean the lambs and give them a gentle push and a kick to get them going. Within 10 minutes or so the lambs were up and about on their feet, all be it a little wobbly. 2012-03-26T00:00:00 Blog#999 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#998 Although today was the due date for the start of lambing, somebody forgot to tell the ewes and now 5 days later we have over 30. A first for Harrison Spinks Farm, a ewe which we thought was expecting triplets surprised everyone by popping out quads, mother and lambs are all doing fine, shes a natural. Gary and Liam are both camping in the lambing barn around the clock, taking turns to do shifts throughout the night. The ewes and their lambs stay in the barn for 24 hours after giving birth to ensure the lambs are feeding well and are healthy and they are given vaccinations. After this they are let out into the nursery area to make way for the other ewes yet to have their lambs. 2012-03-26T00:00:00 Blog#998 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#997 These are my first lambs this season to be born. As you can see they are quite small, but considering they are five days early they seem ok. Although the mother is a first timer she had an easy birth and looks to be a natural mum! 2012-03-22T00:00:00 Blog#997 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#994 Look carefully and you can just make out the familiar profile of the Lapwing in a ploughed field at the farm. Another British Trust for Onithology (BTO) 'Red' listed species, ie of high conservation concern, has found a home at Hornington Manor where we have dedicated an area of land for these birds to 'Nest in Peace'. Lapwings like slightly rough bare ground with little vegetation, where they nest on the ground and are able to see oncoming threats. They lay a clutch of well hidden eggs in a rudimentary 'nest', which consists of very little indeed - this way it blends into the landscape. One bird will sit on the eggs and the other acts as a decoy and will attack most things (including cattle and horses) if they get too close to the eggs. The other name for this bird is 'Peewit' which comes from its distinctive call 2012-03-19T00:00:00 Blog#994 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#996 Spotted recently a pair of loving Grey or English Partridge enjoying the early spring sunshine and the grass buffer margins around the cultivated fields. These birds are BTO listed 'RED' in other words their conservation levels are of 'concern'. Good farming practice and habitat creation at Hornington Manor mean these birds can flourish on the farm. 2012-03-19T00:00:00 Blog#996 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#993 This year on the farm we are growing some Spring Barley. This picture, taken from the tractor cab, shows the ploughed field being 'drilled' with the barley seeds. It's taken on a bright Sunday morning, 11th March. The left hand side is the land has been cultivated and sown. We have sown some spring barley this year as last year's hemp crop yielded so well we haven't needed to plant as much this year. The barley seed will be harvested in August and will be used mainly for producing 'malt' used in foodstuffs and beer or distilling whisky. Some of the seed will be used as a supplementary feed for the ewes in the winter, helping to boost their nutrition prior to lambing, and the straw will provide them with a comfy bed in the winter, as they grow their fleeces to help provide our customers with a comfy bed. 2012-03-11T00:00:00 Blog#993 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#991 Ladies that Lunch 2012-03-04T00:00:00 Blog#991 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#989 The female lambs, 10-11 months old. 2012-03-01T00:00:00 Blog#989 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#990 Less than a month before the first arrival. 2012-03-01T00:00:00 Blog#990 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#987 Recently Otters have been spotted along the riverbank, and they live in underground 'holts'. So in support of our agreement with Natural England we have decided to instal an otter holt, which Liam has made. It consists of two entrances or exits, and corridors leading to a draught free nesting area. Let's hope that they take advantage of their new home. 2012-02-24T00:00:00 Blog#987 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#986 The new barn is at last complete, and this now enables Liam to move last year's entire hemp crop inside. The bales are in good condition after being tightly stacked under a huge tarpaulin sheet and will remain in storage ready for processing to make the hemp fibre used in the mattresses. Meanwhile I'm busy getting the lambing barns ready. Only four weeks to go! Look out for our live feeds from the barn, which will be turned back on once it has been nicely prepared. 2012-02-20T00:00:00 Blog#986 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#985 During a visit from Holly my vet, I made her aware of a lamb that was losing its fleece. She said it was caused by stress of the cold weather. Her only concern was to keep it indoors and keep it warm. So as you can see it didn't take Joanne long to get out her scissors and sewing machine! 2012-02-13T00:00:00 Blog#985 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#984 There has been more than a sprinkling of snow down on the farm this weekend. With over a 90% success rate for the expectant mums Gary and Liam are working hard to ensure they are all being well feed to keep them warm. They certainly didn't seem to be feeling the effects of the cold when I visited yesterday. 2012-02-06T00:00:00 Blog#984 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#983 It's time to pop open the bubbly, because it's congratulations to Monty, Edgar and my 3 new ram lambs. At 7am this morning, as the temperature read minus 7, my ewes were being scanned. After weeks of worry I was relieved to find that out of my 162 ewes only 2 were empty of lambs! 100 were scanned with twins, 25 triplets and 35 singles, which is a possible 310 lambs due in April. Now I need to feed the triplet bearers more than the twins, and the twins more than the singles to encourage equal size healthy lambs. 2012-02-03T00:00:00 Blog#983 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#982 Finally we've planted and guarded the last of the 1200 hedgerow plants that will fill in any gaps and re-establish any lost hedges. The plants are a mixture of Hawthorn, Blackthorn, and Hazel and will make an ideal habitat for nesting and feeding wild birds such as finches, tits, linnets, and hedge sparrows. 2012-02-02T00:00:00 Blog#982 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#981 Around this time of year I tag the ears of my lambs. Although this is law, it's also helpful because it allows me to separate my males and females. The gimmers (female lambs) are kept away from the wethers (male lambs) and are now running on pasture alone to prepare them for breeding and to ensure their fleeces are in perfect condition. The wethers are given plenty of pellets before they have to go to the sheep farm in the sky. It's very sad to see them go but most farmers send their stock at three or four months old, whereas mine are already ten or eleven months old, they've been treated with lots of love and care. Awww! 2012-01-24T00:00:00 Blog#981 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#979 The foundations of the new hemp storage barn have at last started. The barn measures 32m wide by 32m long, or 120 foot by 120 foot if you're as ancient as me. The space will allow me to house all the hemp bales I provide, plus all the bales other farmers grow for us. The concrete strips around the barn will make an ideal area to administer any medication, worm, shear, scan etc. to my sheep. I will update a photograph on the completion of the barn. 2012-01-18T00:00:00 Blog#979 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#969 Hemp Crop 2011-10-15T00:00:00 Blog#969 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#967 The emergence of the new showroom. 2011-10-14T00:00:00 Blog#967 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#970 Spring Lambs 2011-10-14T00:00:00 Blog#970 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#964 The Wild Flower Field 2011-07-26T00:00:00 Blog#964 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#965 The Hemp Reaches 7 Feet 2011-07-25T00:00:00 Blog#965 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#962 Harvesting the flax 2011-07-25T00:00:00 Blog#962 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#955 June on the farm. 2011-06-16T00:00:00 Blog#955 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#956 Hemp growing 2011-06-16T00:00:00 Blog#956 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#958 Pond Area 2011-06-16T00:00:00 Blog#958 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#959 The Drive 2011-06-16T00:00:00 Blog#959 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#960 Jo's big babies 2011-06-16T00:00:00 Blog#960 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#954 'Flowing pleasing results trialing flax growing last year, we are increasing the area of flax being grown for our beds. Flax fibre differs from hemp and we are looking to include more of it in our mattresses. 2011-05-11T00:00:00 Blog#954 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#951 The Hemp is Drilled 2011-05-09T00:00:00 Blog#951 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#950 Spring Sunshine 2011-05-06T00:00:00 Blog#950 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#949 Customers Visit the Farm 2011-05-05T00:00:00 Blog#949 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#946 Bryony Assists. 2011-04-13T00:00:00 Blog#946 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#945 Jo and the bottle fed babies. 2011-04-03T00:00:00 Blog#945 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#944 . 2011-03-28T00:00:00 Blog#944 http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/our-blog.html#941 68 and Counting! 2011-03-18T00:00:00 Blog#941