On a cold and dark evening, 4 Good Gymmers arrived to return the farm to normal operations following the day’s Christmas festivities. We developed an efficient system for taking down gazebos, carrying tables to the local church hall and dismantling an extremely large marquee. After all that effort, there was just enough time for a cup of warm mulled apple juice before heading out into the December night.

We spent the whole session with the goats today!

We mucked out their stalls, cleared up the poo, and laid down fresh hay to make their home clean and cozy again. We also did a few trips to the 'poo palace'. After the chores, we enjoyed hanging out with them in their area— they were as curious and playful as ever.

We were lucky with the weather too — rain only showed up right at the end and didn’t last long. A full, fun, and rewarding day!

The mission was to take old hay from the little calves and bring new one, but they did not agree and ate everything they could. They were adorable!! So we let them! We also gave them fresh water and picked up apples for the little pigglets. What a great day!

We volunteered at the Surrey Docks Farm Harvest Festival, helping set up tables, chairs, and animal enclosures to get the space ready for the day's celebrations. Together, we worked alongside farm staff to create a welcoming environment for visitors, and also took part in feeding the animals, which was a fun and hands-on experience. At the end of the day, we were rewarded with a quiet moment to admire the new born piglets, making the whole experience even more special and memorable.

Our latest session at Surrey Docks Farm had a fantastic mix of tasks.

We began with nettle cutting, tackling overgrown areas to keep pathways clear and safe for visitors and staff.

We then helped Pat by moving tables and chairs to set up a children’s party, ensuring everything was under shelter so the little ones could stay dry and enjoy their celebration despite the rain.

One of the highlights of the session was heading over to the orchard to pick fallen apples, which we then fed to the very grateful pigs—an enjoyable and enriching task for both volunteers and animals alike!

We kicked off by moving a variety of tomatoes to clear valuable space for new raised beds. This not only helped tidy up the growing area but also prepared the garden for more ambitious planting.

Over in the glass house, Asad and Kat tackled some essential groundwork — quite literally! They expertly levelled the ground, getting it ready for cucumber pots which we prepared as a group.

After all that heavy lifting (and soil shifting), the team cooled down with a rather unusual activity: snail picking. Not ones to let nature’s snacks go to waste, they fed the collected snails to the ducks, who were absolutely delighted with the surprise treat.

To wrap up the day, the team enjoyed apple picking. The gathered fruit didn’t just go into bags — they also became delicious snacks for the piglets, who gobbled them up with glee.