Autumn on the Farm: Frosty Mornings & Slower Days

Autumn has definitely arrived at Clavering Hill, and you can feel the farm take a breath.   The air's cooler, the grass is softer underfoot (or frozen in the early morning) and everything seems to slow down just a bit.

Our frosts start around the end of April and will continue until September and we have both fires going in the house.  The cows are fluffing up their coats, the chickens are still busy in the orchard and the figs have finished.  The citrus is coming on and I'm delighted that the lime that has never fruited, is now covered in fruit, all due, I'm sure to those industrious chickens.  We will be out in the orchard soon with the secateurs to prune the apples and pears to help shape next year's fruit.

The Maples, Ornamental Cherries, Hydrangeas and Crepe Myrtles are all gorgeous with their Autumnal colour. The Azaleas are spot flowering and the Rhododendrons are budding up.  The Daffodil and Jonquil bulbs are all poking their heads through the soil.

The Wiltipoll lambs are thriving in the cool, damp weather - this season suits them perfectly. They're hardy and calm and feel right at home here.  It's also the time of year when the Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos arrive.  We find them in the Radiata Pines, cracking open the impossibly hard pine cones with their beaks and sending the husks raining down like confetti.  And beneath those same pines, the Saffron Milk Cap and Slippery Jack mushrooms are popping up, hiding in the mulch like Autumn treasures.

This time of year is about looking after the land and the gardens after a productive summer. The brassicas, garlic, broad beans and peas are planted in the kitchen garden, some other beds are being rested and the bee hives have been prepared to manage the colder weather before the real chill sets in.  There's lots going on - tidying, fixing, feeding and setting up for a cold winter.

We are keeping a close eye on our cattle, making plans for our next harvest.  They're in great condition and we're working with our butcher to make sure the boxes will be packed with beautiful, pasture-raised, aged cuts to land on your table.  It's all about timing and care - letting the animals grow at their own pace.

Autumn is my favourite season on the farm, it's a bit slower in the garden and we find ourselves around the fire pit often, with clear, starry skies which means a cold night and a morning frost.  It also gives us a great reason to tuck into a slow-cooked meal, a glass of something local and a good book by the fire.  It's all about nourishing the farm and ourselves.

We're holding onto the last of Autumn and getting ready to welcome Winter - with a full woodpile, comforting meals, and boots by the fire.  Wherever you are, we hope you are enjoying the change of seasons.