TEST YOUR SOIL
INCREASE YOUR GARDEN'S/FARM'S/SMALLHOLDING'S PRODUCTIVITY
Following their successful Friday night talk on the soil food web, join Sylvie & Julia for a lively 2-hour introduction to soil microbiology designed especially for smallholders!
Discover the essential workings of the Soil Food Web, the vital roles of microorganisms, and how to recognise key functional groups.
Learn how to assess the life in your compost and garden soil using lab-quality microscopes, and unlock the secrets to growing more resilient plants and nutrient-rich food.
You’ll also gain practical tips on how to adjust your composting methods and soil treatments to better support soil life and improve soil health.
All attendees will be invited to bring a sample of their soil to analyse, making this a truly bespoke workshop
Places are limited to just 6 tickets per session to allow Julia and Sylvie to give you in-depth information about your soil and ways forward
We are running this same course on two dates
This event will take place on a private small holding where animals and machinery may be present. Attendees are responsible for their own safety at all times.
TEST YOUR SOIL
INCREASE YOUR GARDEN'S/FARM'S/SMALLHOLDING'S PRODUCTIVITY
Following their successful Friday night talk on the soil food web, join Sylvie & Julia for a lively 2-hour introduction to soil microbiology designed especially for smallholders!
Discover the essential workings of the Soil Food Web, the vital roles of microorganisms, and how to recognise key functional groups.
Learn how to assess the life in your compost and garden soil using lab-quality microscopes, and unlock the secrets to growing more resilient plants and nutrient-rich food.
You’ll also gain practical tips on how to adjust your composting methods and soil treatments to better support soil life and improve soil health.
All attendees will be invited to bring a sample of their soil to analyse, making this a truly bespoke workshop
Places are limited to just 6 tickets per session to allow Julia and Sylvie to give you in-depth information about your soil and ways forward
We are running this same course on two dates
This event will take place on a private small holding where animals and machinery may be present. Attendees are responsible for their own safety at all times.
Join members Kate and Jules as they give a tour of Ashburnham Place, the wonderful grounds and its beautiful kitchen garden.
The evening will conclude with a soup supper using vegetables grown on the estate.
This will be a member only event
More details to follow soon!
QUAIL MEAT AND EGGS FOR YOUR FAMILY DINNER TABLE
Quail are an inexpensive, low maintenance, space saving animal that provide wonderful eggs but also taste absolutely delicious if reared for meat!
Louise and her family have been rearing quail for their family diner table now for a few years and are keen to show others how they organise their flock and how it provides them with food for their family.
This course will give attendees an insight in to how quail can provide a valuable food source for your family. The course will include all the information you need about incubation of eggs, rearing young and keeping a breeding family. There will also be an opportunity to watch a quail dispatch and dressing of the bird for the table should you wish, as well as some freshly cooked quail to try.
Subject to dates and incubation windows, you should be able to see quail at all stages of growing too.
Perhaps you're about to take over a smallholding? Or are you relatively new to keeping land and animals? If so, perhaps you feel you'd like to talk the issues through with others in the same boat, and with someone who's been doing it for a while? If that sounds like you, then our "Introduction to Smallholding" workshop is just the thing for you.
Come and spend the afternoon finding out what smallholding entails from a practical perspective, as you visit this 7 acre plot. Paul Lovatt Smith has been working on the land for over 15 years, and has a wealth of knowledge that he's happy to share, including:
- How to get started - we know it's all a bit overwhelming at first
- What's involved with the paperwork and legal aspects, as well as the finances
- A basic overview of keeping poultry, sheep, cattle and pigs
- Growing veg
- Making hay and growing small-scale cereals
Please note:
this course will be held outdoors (and partly in a barn) - so please do wear suitable outdoors clothing, bearing in mind that this is England - it may well be cold and damp (or warm and sunny, boiling and dry, windy and snowing... you get the picture).
Can't make this date? Event sold out? Please email our training organiser so that you will be on the list when we run the workshop again.
Come along to our annual picnic, this year kindly hosted by Simon and Rachel Bishop at their lovely holding near Maynards Green.
It's bring-and-share, meaning you choose whether to bring a savoury, sweet or salad dish to share with everyone. You can bring some of your own produce if you like (and many people do).
It's a great chance to meet other SFTG members and to have a look around the Bishop's holding, where they keep sheep and have a really impressive walled vegetable garden.
Tea and coffee are provided. Please bring your own cutlery, plates, glasses and drinks. Please label your dishes, for people with dietary needs.
Sorry, no dogs.
Please RSVP using the form below.
SFTG would like to invite our smallest members and their families to a
BYO picnic, small holding tour and play session!
Tuesday 27th May
11AM - 1PM
Venue - Framfield
Details
The SFTG committee know how important our young people are to the future of farming/small holding/gardening/animal keeping etc etc! We would like to start hosting more Small, Small Farmer events in order to give our youngest members more learning experiences and opportunities to socialise too.
Committee member Helen, has kindly offered to host our first introductory event in May half term!
We'd love to see you there!
* All members welcome as long as they have small, small farmer to bring along! Perhaps it is your own child/children or your grandchild/ren
* This event is provided free of charge by SFTG and there will be tea and coffee made available.
* Bring along your own picnic; meet the animals on the small holding and play/catch up with other small, small farmers.
* There is no age restriction for this event as long as all young people are accompanied by a responsible adult. Babes in arms, toddlers, primary aged children and teens alike are all very welcome.
* This event will take place on a working smallholding with animals and machinery - all attendees take full responsibility for themselves and their minors
* This is a ticketed event so that we know how many people to expect - please book a ticket online for each adult and child
* Please dress appropriately for the event/venue/weather. Sensible footwear is must!
We hope to see as many of you there as possible
and look forward to using this opportunity to find out what our small, small farmers would like to see more of!
Any questions, please email GTO@SFTG.ORG.UK
TICKET SALES CLOSE MONDAY 26TH MAY @ 12PM
Come along to our summer barbeque, this year kindly hosted by Pauline and Colin Burnett-Dick at their lovely holding, which includes a lake, rheas and woodland, set in Winnie the Pooh country in the Ashdown Forest.
Cat Bush will be providing delicious barbeque food, including sausages and burgers from livestock reared on her own farm, followed by a lovely pudding. Tea and coffee also provided. All for the subsidised price of £5. Cat is happy to cater for any dietary requirements, including a veggie option. Please email her if this is what you require. catrionabush@gmail.com
It's a great opportunity to meet other SFTG members and to have a look around the Burnett-Dick's lovely smallholding.
The swimming pool will also be available, at your own risk.
Please bring your own chair, drinks and glasses.
Please no dogs, as they have four of their own plus cats and free-range poultry.
CHICKEN : MEAT AND EGGS FOR YOUR FAMILY DINNER TABLE
Le Bresse chickens are said to be the most delicious chicken in the world! They also happen to be good egg layers too!
Louise and her family have been rearing chicken for their family dinner table now for a few years and are keen to show others how they organise their flock and how it provides them with food for their family.
Le Bresse are a slower growing variety than commercial meat chickens which Louise and her family chose specifically for this reason.
They also raise their meat organically and their meat will be available to try on the day.
This course will give attendees an insight in to how chicken can provide a valuable food source for your family. The course will include all the information you need about incubation of eggs, rearing young and keeping a breeding family.
There will also be an opportunity to watch a chicken dispatch and dressing of the bird for the table should you wish.
This event will be held outside so please dress appropriately for the weather. The event is also held on a working smallholding where animals and machinery will be present. Attendees take responsibility for their own safety at all times.
More info coming soon!
SFTG will host a wool day at Burwash Common Pavilion celebrating all things wool
Come and meet talented producers of wool products, learning about shearing and wool collection and lots more!
SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2025
12-4PM
