Murky puddles, field slime & mother suckers…
Mud. It’s everywhere. Currently, at Nonnington Farm we seem to be specialising in three distinct types:
a) The Murky Puddle – This is almost water, but don’t be fooled. Its brown, swirling surface disguises a foot of water that can easily breach your welly and an inch of silty gunk that rests at its bottom.
b) The Field Slime – Sludge. Renders all grassed areas as slippery as a post-pub ice rink. (Evidence for the prosecution, one twisted ankle)
c) The Mother Sucker – This clay-like substance can pull a size 10 welly off a size 11 foot. (Though the jelly removed from a bowl sound effect it supplies, does at least supply some comic relief.)
If anyone knows how to monetise this stuff, answers on postcards please to Nonnington Farm, Graffham. My suggestion? It’s time to provide a viable Glastonbury alternative. Come and roll in our mud! We’ll pipe in a playlist of this year’s headliners! Bring your own hangover for the full experience!
The point of this being?
Well, the arrival of the recent downpours got me thinking. It’s been nearly a year since I started working at the farm, a period neatly bracketed by… well, you’ve guessed it. Our gloopy, brown friend the mud. So, how did I get here? And what progress has been made on the farm?
First, a bit about myself. Prior to working at Nonnington, I was stuck in a safe, routine job on a small holding. A lack of opportunities left me jaded. In a rut. Helpless even. I made a wish from the depths of my bones. ‘Universe, deliver me something new…’
Ping!
A job advert appeared, buried amongst the gripes of the Nextdoor email list. I applied for a few extra hours of work. The rest, as they say, is history. (Well, a year of history at least.)
To meet Emma, hear her vision for the farm and immediately feel connected to it, was remarkable. To see it manifesting, more so. This year, paddocks have been fenced, staff hired, films shot, shelters built, animals born and homed, sheep sheared, microgreens grown… My few extra hours have bloomed into a full-time job. And it all still feels like the start.
Soon, the farm will be sharing its love with the wider community. The year ahead is brimming with hope. It’s time to stride out and put our best foot forwards. And we won’t leave a welly in the mud.
- Andrew Donaldson