The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Julie Taylor on September 15, 2013, 03:57:33 pm

Title: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Julie Taylor on September 15, 2013, 03:57:33 pm

Hello!
 :wave:

My name is Julie and I work at Bill Quay Community Farm in Gateshead.

The farm is an RBST approved farm park, and is home to the following rare and native breeds:
 Tamworth pigs
 Bagot goats
 Scots Grey chickens
 Longhorn cattle
 Jacob sheep
 Hebridean sheep
 Castlemilk Moorit sheep

The farm is open to the public and is FREE to visit. We also have a lovely Fairtrade café.

Everyone is welcome to pop in and say hello!

Julie

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Rosemary on September 15, 2013, 04:20:20 pm

Hello and welcome from  :sunshine: but windy Carnoustie  :wave:

A chap I dealt with at RBST was involved with a community farm up your way. His name was Ryan. Any connection?

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 15, 2013, 05:11:07 pm

Welcome from t'other end of the Wall (nearly)  :wave:

Must make it over your way and have a look at all your lovely sheep  :love: :sheep:

D'you sell their fleeces?   :spin: :knit:     I think I've heard of you guys on Ravelry?  :thinking:

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Julie Taylor on September 15, 2013, 06:15:11 pm

Hi Rosemary,  yes Ryan Perry used to work at Bill Quay, then went to work for the RBST, and is now back as a trustee on the Bill Quay Community Farm Association (bit of a mouthful!).  He showed Melody our Tamworth pig at the Great Yorkshire Show this year and came back with some impressive rosettes.

SallyintNorth, hello, yes we sell our fleeces to spinners and felters and such like, we have a group who get together once a week at the farm and tinker with wool.  We're very happy to barter fleeces too!

We're planning this year's tupping at the moment, it won't be long before we get the rams in and carry out their MOTs to make sure they're in good shape.

Julie

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: mowhaugh on September 15, 2013, 08:24:12 pm

hello!

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Lesley Silvester on September 15, 2013, 10:14:45 pm

 :wave:  and welcome from Shropshire. Sounds like a good set up, especially the goats. Mine are Sanaans.

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Mammyshaz on September 15, 2013, 10:53:03 pm

Hello  :wave: from just along the road Washington. Didn't realise there was a RBST farm near me. I'm itching for a visit now  :excited:
Only a few hens here until I can find somewhere but always looking to exchange a bit of work for livestock experience  :innocent:

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 15, 2013, 11:06:58 pm

Quote from: Mammyshaz on September 15, 2013, 10:53:03 pm

always looking to exchange a bit of work for livestock experience  :innocent:

Bite her arm off, Julie - she's gold dust  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Mammyshaz on September 15, 2013, 11:14:51 pm

Thanks Sally : just don't mention the little hiccups here and there  :innocent:  :roflanim:  it will of course be fitted around my much loved work with the most trusting couple in farming  :-*

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Kasana on September 16, 2013, 07:50:16 am

Hi - I love Jacobs  :love:

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Julie Taylor on September 16, 2013, 07:52:03 am

You should definitely pop along and see us, there's plenty of opportunity to get some practical livestock experience PLUS our new ducks are arriving later this week, Welsh Harlequins coming all the way from welsh Wales!

 :&>  :D

Julie

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Small Plot Big Ideas on September 16, 2013, 01:50:16 pm

Hello from the North Pennines! :wave:


Never managed to visit Bill Quay when we lived over that way but definitely should at some point as we sometimes get over that way to visit family. As we're new at all this it would certainly help to see what you're doing and how you do it!

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Ray Baxter on September 16, 2013, 10:28:30 pm

Hi Julie,

Great to hear about you. It would be great to pop by sometime.

Ray

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: shygirl on September 16, 2013, 10:38:37 pm

sorry if this is the wrong place to ask - but how did they spend £170k pa running the farm?
i thought my accounts per bad.  :innocent:
welldone for keeping it going  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Hello from Bill Quay Community Farm, Gateshead
Post by: Taran on September 16, 2013, 11:19:49 pm

Hello Julie. Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy your visits here x