Cawl Workshop at Treffonen School

I went into class 4 on Tuesday 24th September as part of our

British Food Fortnight celebrations.

This is a little late in being posted, but I did promise the children that I would, I have just received a disc of the photo's taken by the teacher, Mr Williams, during the workshop, and they are fantastic. You can see from just these three images that the children are engrossed with their cookery 100%.

I had precooked a boned and rolled shoulder of lamb having shopped it into small pieces prior to putting it into a pan of water. The children then peeled and chopped parsnips, leeks, potatoes, carrots and swedes to add to the bubbling pot, whilst we went on to talk about our farm where the lamb came from and all the different cuts of Welsh Lamb that you can get and how you can cook them.

The finale of the workshop is of course where the children get to eat the Cawl that they have made, they all lined up like Oliver twists soup kitchen and true to form there was a few who came back and said "Please can I have some more"?

Anouther School Visit

Today we have hosted a visit from Knighton primary school, years 5/6, and we had a really smashing day. the weather held out for us, actual sun shine for some of the time, and only a light shower when we were in the sheep shed in the wood, describing what it would be like during lambing time.
They arrived at 10am and left at 2pm and we never stopped and they thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, even when two of them fell bottoms up in the mud going down a slippery field. (you both know who you are!!!)

We started off with a tour of the farm yard, including the various sheds we have, the machinery which is housed in them, and what it is like through winter with stock in them. We then visited the three orphan calves including Nemo (see an earlier blog), the children were all able to come into the pen, accompanied by me and stroke and feel Nemo, probably the closest they have ever been, or may well ever be to a calf of this size. they also saw the two little bulls (18 months old).

Two groups had turns in the butchers shop, watching sausage making demonstration, and looking at cuts of Welsh Lamb. they were most interested in the kidneys which were still intact in a full lamb carcass. They ate their dinner during this time sat on straw bales in the shed.

Two trailer rides took them to the top of the hill ready for our walk to Caergynant, our new farm in organic conversion. we had a mile and a half walk to get to the farm buildings over there, which most of the children were not looking forward to. however they relished walking through the mud over the stream, and racing up a steep hill over the quarry, through yet more mud and into the buildings , where Wyn, our Shepherd, was tailing ewes ready to go to the tup.

Minx, his terrier stole the moment, lying on her back for 29 children to pet her, I'm sure she would have stayed there all day if we'd had the time.

A walk down past Malcolm's garage to meet the bus which appeared on time, the perfect ending to the perfect day.

I have arranged to go over and do a welsh lamb Cawl workshop with them after I return from my course in mid November, and i am really looking forward to it.

it was lovely to spend time with such well behaved children and to share our world with them, i hope they are now much better informed as to what goes on on our farms in order to get food to the general public,and also of the costs ad work involved in doing so.

They have taken loads of photo's ad I hope to publish some of these when I receive them.

thanks knighton