Venison:

Busy day today, I had to pop down to the local feed store to blag some extra pallets for the new chicken house, then go down to our local school and help with the gardening.

We’d asked the farmer to drop off some old tractor tyres to make planters and raised beds for the kids, and we also wanted to make a bed for a sensory garden. There was a good turn out of parents and friends and it soon all took shape in-between cups of tea and chats.

Straight after this, we had organised with the farmer to go up to one of the farms and see the calves. The kids absolutely loved this. The calves ranged from just born and being born (one heifer was in the process of discharging the water sack as we watched) to others a few weeks old. Our timing was excellent as it coincided with feeding time. Great for the kids to see where food comes from, and realise that animals aren’t born shrink wrapped on plastic plates. My little one wanted to bring a calf back for the garden, but then he never makes much sense.

On the way back we had to drop off at the other farm and pick up a deer that had been knocked down earlier. The farm hand had very kindly gutted it (gralloch) so all we had to do was bring it home and skin it on the back of the Landover. Half an hour later we had a huge stack of lovely meat, a foot to make into a walking stick handle and a happy satisfied grin brought about by the imminent eating of free venison.

It was a lovely moment as we cleaned up the last of the meat, with our own eggs in the fridge, Bramble wine bubbling away and a freezer packed full of pigeon and rabbits. And all this with the Pheasant shooting starting soon. The season opened on the 1^st of October, but our shoot doesn’t start til much later, gives the birds a bit more of a chance, which I like.