Community Fund – Batley Girls’ High School – March Update

The period of fine weather in February soon gave way to blizzard conditions during March preventing access to the land and seed beds.The allotments are unfortunately about a month behind schedule and student involvement equally being reduced to more delicate work in the greenhouse pricking out the vegetable seedlings and potting on.

This activity has provided opportunity with students looking on during break times and asking all sorts of questions to recruit several more students from the year seven. The enthusiasm from within this group is brilliant while the year eight group are a little more laid back but still wanting to be involved in the various farm support activities.

The chicks arrived as planned on the 16th March with slightly low returns with only 3 from 12 hatching.We have discussed this with our local chicken farmer and egg supplier and it is suggested that our next batch should provide a better result as it may have been a little early in the season!

We currently have 6 duck eggs from our own stock in the incubator so April should see more activity for the students to watch the hatching process.

The chickens look to be producing more eggs with the daylight hours on the increase. We have changed their roosting habit by allowing them a more free range access to the coupe instead of putting them away as we leave the school at the end of the day. So far things are looking good and Mr. Fox has not paid a visit.

The cuttings taken from the geranium show plants have taken and potting on after the Easter break will see that increase in stock and provide additional activity to the students.

The community allotment and gardens are currently receiving an upgrade with raised beds and improved access for the local residents and tenants and with an abundance of vegetable plug plants available we are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labours.