The Small Farm Training Group

Meet The Members
2026-05-06 14:30 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Jenny Cloke, The Oast Farmhouse, Hellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4EB, United Kingdom
Come and meet our long standing member Jenny Cloke.
Jenny lives near Hellingly on a 45 acre smallholding and your are invited to join her for a walk around her farm and to discuss how she manages her land and livestock
Jenny has a flock of pedigree Lleyn sheep that will have been lambing throughout April. She will explain how she handles lambing her ewes and her management of the flock throughout the seasons
Tea and Cake ( an important ingredient for any farm meeting ) will be available after the walk.
Jenny often has some sock lambs that need bottle feeding at around 4:30.
This is a members only event with limited spaces so please book early.
Please do not bring dogs to this event

FRIDAY NIGHT TALK - MAY - LOST WOODS OF THE LOW WEALD AND DOWNS PROJECT - BOB EPSOM
2026-05-15 18:30 - 20:45 | TBC, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs
Speaker: Bob Epsom
Friday 15th May 2026
Burwash Common Pavilion
The Lost Woods project is bringing local people together to learn about, explore, and care for woods across the Low Weald and Downs. It is funded for 5 years by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is run by four partners: The Woodland Trust, Action in Rural Sussex, Small Woods and the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
The presentation will include where to go to find advice on managing existing woods and trees in farms and options for integrating more trees into the farmed landscape.
Doors open 6.30pm for drinks, nibbles, chat, library books and SFTG sale table
Talk from 7pm
Doors close 8.45pm
FREE to members and just £3 for non-members

An Introduction to Smallholding - May 2026
2026-05-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Hope Springs, Honeywick Lane, Chiddingly, BN8 6ET, United Kingdom
AN INTRODUCTION TO SMALLHOLDING
Hope Springs Smallholding, Chiddingly
16th May 2026 2-4pm
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.

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.

Heathfield Show 2026
2026-05-23 | HEATHFIELD
Heathfield Show 2026
Saturday 23rd May 2026
Tottingworth Farm, Broad Oak, Heathfield TN21 8UE
Come and find us in Education marquee!
www.heathfieldshow.org

FRIDAY NIGHT TALK - JUNE - Ashdown Forest: Past, present, and future
2026-06-19 18:30 - 20:45 | Fairwarp Village Hall, Nursery Lane, Fairward, TN22 3BP
ASHDOWN FOREST: Past, present, and future
Beth Morgan and Ash Walmsley
Friday 19th June 2026, Fairwarp Village Hall
Off Nursery Lane, Fairwarp TN22 3BP
Ashdown Forest is a living time capsule of the culture and history of our county and nation. The internationally important heathland that the Conservators care for, alongside the woodlands, represent generations of human activity. At the heart of the Forest's ecosystem is grazing by wild and domestic animals that, alongside woodland clearance, created the original Forest landscape. Join Ashdown Forest's Head of Countryside, Ash Walmsley, and Head of Engagement, Beth Morgan, as they take you on a virtual tour of this special landscape, its wildlife, its people, and its diverse calendar of activities, sharing how its past has shaped the Forest we know and love today.
Doors open 6.30pm for drinks, nibbles, chat, library books and SFTG sale table
Talk from 7pm
Doors close 8.45pm
FREE to members and just £3 for non-members

FRIDAY NIGHT TALK - SEPTEMBER - SPEAKER TBC
2026-09-11 18:30 - 20:45 | TBC, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Friday 11th September 2026, Burwash Common Pavilion

SAVE THE DATE!

MORE DETAILS AND TICKET RELEASE TO FOLLOW IN DUE COURSE

Doors open 6.30pm for drinks, nibbles, chat, library books and SFTG sale table
Talk from 7pm
Doors close 8.45pm
FREE to members and just £3 for non-members

Bring and Share Picnic 2026
2026-09-13 12:00 - 16:00 | TBC, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Join us for our Annual Picnic - this year's venue will be confirmed soon.
It's 'Bring-and-Share, so bring either a savoury, sweet or salad dish to share with everyone. You can bring some of your own produce - many people do!
It's a great chance to meet and socialise with other SFTG members share tips and advice.
Tea and coffee is provided.
Please bring your own cutlery, plates, glasses, drinks and chairs. Please label your dishes, for people with dietary needs.
Sorry, no dogs.
Please RSVP using the form below.

FRIDAY NIGHT TALK - OCTOBER - Managing Wild Deer in the High Weald
2026-10-16 18:30 - 20:45 | Burwash Common, United Kingdom
Friday 16th October 2026, Burwash Common Pavilion
Managing Wild Deer in the High Weald
Why are deer so important to the High Weald?
What problems are caused by excessive numbers of deer?
Without natural predators, how do we manage deer numbers and impact?
What types of deer are we dealing with?

Doors open 6.30pm for drinks, nibbles, chat, library books and SFTG sale table
Talk from 7pm
Doors close 8.45pm
FREE to members and just £3 for non-members

SFTG 2026 AGM
2026-11-20 18:00 - 22:00 | Village Hall, Punnetts Town, Hall, Battle Road, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 9DH, United Kingdom
You are invited to join the committee at Punnetts Town Village Hall for our AGM followed by a tasty meal...
This is 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.
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 7.00pm 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!
Put the date in your diary and watch this space... tickets will go on sale later in the year!
