Meet the Team Monday: Rebekah
I am starting my blog with a little bit about me! I’ve been working at Hall Farm Eastoft for just over a year now and I have absolutely loved every minute of it. I am very passionate about the work we all do as a team at Hall Farm. I am a big animal lover which is why I am mostly responsible for all the animals!
My job at the farm is extremely varied and one day is never the same as the next!
I feel really lucky to be involved with the Care Farm and to be actually working on it. I help to look after all the animals which includes alpacas, pigs, chickens and of course the dogs. Looking after the pigs involves mucking out and strawing - up weekly which is no mean feat when there are 2,000 of them nipping at your wellies! These jobs are vital to maintaining healthy and happy pigs! My passion for animals means making sure that they are all healthy and happy is very important to me. The alpacas and chickens need to be fed and watered daily. Working on the farm side is not all about animals though as there are always lots of farm jobs to be done.
I also work along side Caitlin in sessions on the farm. In the sessions I work with adults and children with additional needs or who are in receipt of alternative provision, children in mainstream education and our farm club kids. I try to help Caitlin with her jobs, Louise in the garden and Ged with anything DIY, although I think I just end up annoying him!
Just recently I passed my forklift licence which has now become a major part of my job as I use the forklift everyday. Over the past few weeks Mark has been teaching me how to use the tractor and straw spreader. I started in the big pig shed and the ranch which went really well and I felt good about it. However, when it came to doing the new shed I got a little nervous as it is a very tight space to get a big tractor and straw spreader through. I am proud to say that the other day I did it and I must admit I had a little dance to myself in the tractor! One of the things that I enjoy is that I am always learning new skills.
Over the Easter holidays it was all go on the farm! I had the fun part of taking all the kids on a tractor trailer ride. This is another skill I have been learning to do over recent weeks. I must admit I love taking a tractor trailer ride, especially the part when we reveal the tractor driver’s identity (me) to the kids. All their faces drop and almost every time they tell Caitlin, Louise or Ged that I’m going to crash. Don’t worry I never have, they’ll just have to get used to women driving tractors!
Next week we will be shearing the alpacas – something that I am looking forward to. I will be doing this with Caitlin and a few other willing helpers who come to the farm. We will be shearing all 15 of our alpacas in one day so it will be all hands on deck! I have to admit that the alpacas have a special place in my heart – last Summer I was present when all four Cria were born. I also host ‘The Alpaca Experience’ which gives people an introduction to this gorgeous animal, with an opportunity to feed and walk them down the farm.
“One of the things that I enjoy is that I am always learning new skills”
Soon all of the pigs will be gone so it is going to be very busy for Mark and myself! Mark has been teaching me all the techniques for mucking out pigs with the forklift. No doubt all my practising will be put to the test when we muck out all of the pig sheds! After mucking out we will need to disinfect all the pig pens and put fresh straw down ready for our new consignment of pigs arriving and so the cycle begins again. Undoubtedly the next few weeks will be very busy on the farm!