I can’t believe it’s almost time for our next Farm & Feast meet-up! How the time has flown this “summer”. After lots of farming jobs at our last gathering, we have included a few more fun activities this time around for the little kids (and the big kids alike!). We will be painting stones galore as we create giant 0s and Xs boards, and some very pretty vegetable markers for the beds! I’m also very excited to say that this month it’s time for our annual Farm & Feast wood-fired pizza. Read on for all the details…
10am – Members arrive at Laurelbank Farm
Get settled and grab a cup of tea or coffee and a morning snack.
Once we all have all arrived and settled in The Gallery (or the courtyard if the weather is good) I’ll talk through the plan for the day.
10:45 – Activities begin!
Naughts & Crosses: I’ve transformed a giant old tree stump into a knots and crosses board - thanks to my handy chainsaw! Now all we need is some counters to play a game! So, as a fun activity for the kids (and adults!) I thought we could paint some stones to create bumblebee and ladybird counters!
Vegetable Markers: And while we have the paints out could make we create some vegetable markers for the beds? Check-out the images below for some inspiration and then let your imagination and creative juices run wild!
Farming Tasks: As always, there are lots of things to do around the farm to keep the fruit, vegetables, salad leaves and flowers coming… Depending on the weather, we’ll either be weeding and mulching two of our favourite perennial edible crops, rhubarb and raspberries. Or if it’s raining, we’ll be sorting the our shallots, garlic and spuds, finding suitable tubers and bulbs for planting out next year. We’re thinking the 2025 season already!
1pm – Lunch in the Gallery
The Menu
On arrival:
Tea, coffee & Laurelbank jam tarts
To Feast:
Homemade wood-fired pizza with
Sauteed leeks & young buck
Rainbow chard, grated beetroot & st totla
Tomato & morrarella & basil
Turkish onions
Pink fir apple potato salad
Laurelbank Farm green salad
To Finish:
Rice pudding with sumac strawberries
(or ice cream & sumac strawberries for the few people who hate rice pudding with a passion!)
2:30pm - Back to our activities
After lunch (if you fancy it) we can finish off any odds and ends that remain.
3:30pm - Time to head home
The time: From 10am to around 3:30pm on Sunday 25th August 2024.
The place: Laurelbank Farm, 121 Middle Road, Saintfield, Co. Down, BT24 7LS
The cost: This event is free for Farm & Feast Members (to find out more about the scheme, click here).
The refreshments: We’ll serve a hearty lunch and there will be plenty of tea, coffee & water to help yourself to throughout the day. Feel free to bring extra snacks for small children.
Dietary Requirements: Lunch will be suitable for vegetarians but if you have any other dietary requirement please let us know so we can plan the menu around your needs.
What to bring: Bring suitable clothing for the weather. We will aim to head outside even if it is raining. Bring sturdy, comfortable shoes if you have them. Just incase the sun pops out please bring along suncream and a hat for protection.
Please note: This event is for Farm & Feast members only. If you’re not a member and want to find out more click here. If you’re a veg-only member and want to upgrade, please email Jo on jo@laurelbankfarm.org