Giving thanks for food and fellowship

‘Winter has come with scarcity, lakes have flooded their sides, frost crumbles the leaves, the merry wave begins to mutter.’

By anonymous author, Irish, 9th century

Dear friends of Pandy Farm,

As winter's hush descends, there's a profound beauty in the season's stillness. On the poncan (hillock) that rises up at the centre of our farm the ancient oak trees stand like sentinels, their crooked, winding branches etched against the slate-grey skies in intricate, fractal patterns.

These quiet months invite us to slow down, to observe, and to appreciate the subtle gifts that winter brings to our corner of the world. They are also months of planning ahead for the growing season to come, refining our crop rotation systems and developing strategies for a more sustainable future on the farm..

.. and on that very subject, read on for updates about our upcoming Sustainability Confest event in March, new volunteer information and a vacancy to join our team in 2025..

Job Available

Pandy Farm is recruiting for the 2025 Growing Season

We’re looking for a passionate horticulturalist to join our team at Pandy Farm, starting from March 2025.

The role will include:

• Propagation, bed preparation,  planting, irrigation, weeding and  harvesting. 

• Assisting with orders and deliveries

Essential requirements:

• Keen interest in the importance of organic/regenerative principles and/or locally grown food. 

• A can do attitude, someone with good fitness as this can be a physically demanding job. 

• Someone who is happy to work in all weather. 

• Good communication skills

Applications close January 31st, 2025. Contact us for more information or check out the info online.

Pandy Lamb

Once a year we offer our community the opportunity to buy some famous Pandy lamb. Our lambs this year have been a lively bunch, regularly escaping the fields into the gardens to eat our winter brassicas. We call them the very baaaaad sheep!

If you would like to order some lamb (whole carcass / half carcass / various cuts) feel free to join our WhatsApp Group for updates or contact us directly for more information. All cuts come vacuum sealed, ready to eat.

This is a great way to support our farm and eat local, ethically raised lamb. Feel free to pass on our details to friends or family who might be interested. Our email address is info@pandyfarm.org.

If you have any questions please contact us.

Harvest Hamper (aka veg bag) Update

Between frost, snow and the very baaaad sheep our gardens are now bare. Plantings will begin again in early spring and we aim to have our veg bags up and running as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience in the meantime :)

Sustainability Confest - March 2025

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural Pandy Farm Confest, an innovative hybrid event that combines conference-style discussion with the joy and celebration of a festival. Taking place on Friday, March 14th, this unique one-day even aims to explore community resilience in the face of climate change.

During the day, attendees will engage with thought-provoking lectures from local activists and invited guests, participate in hands-on workshops designed to develop practical skills, and join panel discussions exploring wide-ranging topics.

As the sun sets, Pandy Farm will transform into a vibrant festival grounds, where the evening's entertainment will feature live music performances, poetry and story-telling, creating an atmosphere of celebration and joy. Guests can look forward to dancing under the full moon, enjoying local food, and forming meaningful connections with friends.

Join us for this extraordinary day where education meets entertainment, and serious discussion flows seamlessly into joyful celebration. All are welcome!

More information about this event coming soon, if you would like to get involved, contact us.

Sustainability Confest - Supporting Young Leaders’ Fundraiser

Our Sustainability Confest is being organised by Alia Berry, a young leader in our community who is passionate about community action and ecological conservation. She is organising a fundraiser to help put on the event, which will help to pay for equipment, presenters and performers. Please check out her Go Fund Me page and support her work - here's the link.

A New WhatsApp Group for Volunteers

For anyone who would like to be part of our volunteering team we have set up a new WhatsApp Group. Those of you already on our Farm Shop WhatsApp group will have noticed that it is admin only. This new group, however, will be open for chatting, so volunteers can ask questions and get answers about all things farm-related: including the availability of rainproof trousers, wellie boots, gloves and sun hats! You can join the new Volunteer WhatsApp group here.

Volunteering is a great way to enjoy being outside in nature, to learn about local food production, to stay fit and healthy and to meet like-minded people. It is also fun. We have a diversity of activities that suit all ages and abilities.

Meet our new volunteer coordinator, Sam

Please meet Sam, our new volunteer coordinator at Pandy Farm. With a creative spirit shaped by his work as a filmmaker and musician, Sam brings a unique vibe to our farm community. His journey with growing food began in his early years, cultivating a deep-rooted passion that has flourished over time.

Since joining our team last year, Sam has become an integral part of Pandy Farm's operations. His natural ability to connect with people, combined with his hands-on, can-do attitude, makes him the perfect person to lead and inspire our volunteers. As our volunteer coordinator, he'll be helping to orchestrate the vital work that keeps our farm thriving, from seasonal plantings to harvest celebrations.

We're excited to have Sam step into this leadership role, where he'll be helping to strengthen our farm's connections within the broader community.

Join our new Volunteer WhatsApp group here. Volunteering opportunities will start again after the winter break.

Food Politics in the UK

By Elen Jones

Our recommended reading in this newsletter is the latest report by Professor Tim Jackson on the massive impact our unhealthy food system has on UK economics and society. [Link to PDF download]

Professor Jackson estimates (what he considers "a very conservative estimate") that the UK loses £268 billion annually due to the direct costs of diets high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt. These diets cause diseases such as cardiovascular and kidney disease, which cost the NHS billions to treat each year, while also generating indirect costs through reduced productivity when people become ill from consuming poor-quality food.

This is a serious call to our politicians to support local food initiatives like Menter Pandy, that are committed to providing healthy food for their communities. Most small farms like ours struggle to sell their produce, which is incredible given that the alternatives are making people sick, generating high food miles that cost the earth, or contributing to capitalist inequality by supporting massive supermarkets and agro-industrial giants. We need a revolution in the UK to radically transform our food system and educate children and adults about the benefits (and joy) of eating healthy, vital, naturally grown, local food.

That’s it for this season’s newsletter.

Thank you for being part of our Pandy Farm community.