Winter is here to look ahead!

Last Sunday we welcomed 15 participants to the barn for our Butter, Yoghurt and Labneh workshop. It was a wonderful afternoon, filled with plenty of laughter as we churned butter, learnt how simple it is to make yoghurt at home, and everyone took home their own freshly made labneh.

These workshops are always a reminder that traditional skills don’t have to be complicated—they just need someone willing to share them.

The rest of the week was spent enjoying the slower pace that winter brings.

We continued pruning roses and shrubs in our perennial beds and even found time to clear a small walking path through our little patch of forest.

They’re the kinds of jobs that often get pushed aside during the growing season, so it’s satisfying to finally give them some attention.

One exciting meeting this week involved a couple of local people who share our passion for good, clean food.

Together we’re beginning to plan a small festival on Saturday, 5 December. It’s still in its early stages, but we’re excited about what it could become. Watch this space.

As June draws to a close, there’s another side of farming that isn’t nearly as enjoyable. The end of the financial year means more than simply balancing the books and preparing tax returns.

For dairy farmers, it also marks the beginning of a new milk season.

Each year we wait for processors to announce their indicative milk prices, and this year the announcements have been particularly slow. Budgets and income estimates have been sitting on the table for weeks, with plenty of conversations happening around our kitchen table as we work through what the year ahead might look like.

Some years you simply carry on as usual.

Other years call for a closer look.

After much thought, we’ve made the difficult decision to change milk processors.

It hasn’t been an easy choice, especially after building relationships over many years with people who have become mentors as much as business contacts.

Change is never simple, but sometimes it’s the right step for the future.

I’ll be glad when the calendar turns to July and we can settle back into the familiar rhythm of the farm, the garden, the kitchen—and just the ordinary bookkeeping that comes with it.

Winter may slow the garden, but it certainly doesn’t slow life on the farm. There are always new plans taking shape, old jobs waiting to be tackled, and another season just around the corner.