You are invited to join the committee in the convivial atmosphere of Punnetts Town Village Hall for a great value Friday night out. The AGM is not only the most important event of the year in terms of the running of the group, it's also a great social occasion.
The ticket price this year is a subsidised £7.50 and includes a welcome drink and a delicious meal prepared by our very own Cat Bush and helpers. Please email Cat if you have any dietary requirements, including vegetarian. catrionabush@gmail.com
Bring your own drinks to go with the meal but we supply the rest.
Doors open at 6.00 pm. The formalities will start at 7pm with a review of the group's activities over the last year at and our plans for the next one. We'll also be voting for the new committee. This should take about an hour and then we'll eat, drink and, with any luck, be merry!
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.
Join members and group experts, Ben and Maggi Pratt in their honey room for
an evening workshop all about honey extraction.
You will need your apron and the willingness to get sticky as Ben and Maggi go through the extraction process with you; share their expert hints and tips for successful harvesting and talk through ways to use the products harvested for optimum results. For this occasion, they have saved a hive super just for us to work with. Come and see the incredible magic of nature produced by a colony of bees.
Ben and Maggi have been keeping bees for many, many years and are very well respected as experts in their field in the 'bee community'. We are incredibly fortunate to have their skill set as part of our group and this opportunity to 'pick their brains' and see inside their own honey room is one not to be missed!
Tickets are available now and are limited to just 10, giving you plenty of opportunities to ask your own questions and get a really personalised experience.
This workshop is suitable for those new to and experienced in bee keeping.
Member tickets are being subsidised by SFTG and are only £10 - get them whilst you can!
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 member Jules as he gives a tour of Ashburnham Place,
the wonderful grounds
and its beautiful kitchen garden
Jules and his family live and work on this stunning estate and have offered a bespoke, members only evening for SFTG members with a behind the scenes look at the workings of the kitchen garden as well as an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful surroundings Asburnham has to offer. Following the tour, there will be a soup making session using vegetables grown on the estate with a shared soup supper to conclude.
This is an opportunity not to be missed
Prepare for kitchen garden envy, delicious food and friendly company!
Wonderful!
WWW.ASHBURNHAM.ORG.UK
Tickets just £7.50 each
(includes tour, soup making experience and supper!)
TICKETS AVAILABLE UNTIL FRIDAY 29TH AUGUST
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.
NEXT DATE JUST ADDED - - SATURDAY 11TH APRIL 2026 -- PLEASE BOOK TICKETS VIA OUR EVENTS PAGE
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.
