Projects, Projects and more Projects!

Hello all, and a Happy 2011 to everyone! This year is one for projects……..PROJECT SECRET GARDEN……..PROJECT FENCE THAT HILL……..PROJECT PLANT THOSE TREES…….and probably project keep your sanity!!!

First and foremost though, we have inadvertently become involved in a competition to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Movie Highlander, the prize being having a stunning gorge named after you, on Orbost Farm, which will be published in the next edition of Collins atlas – http://www.blinkbox.com/immortal .

PROJECT SECRET GARDEN

There is a beautiful gnarly old walled garden on Orbost Estate, which we plan to transform and reclaim over the next few years. Stage one of the project is to get the weeds and brambles cleared – and what better way to do that than with pigs! They are amazing clearing machines, and have done a cracking job of clearing 1/4 of the overgrowth in the garden towards the end of last year. In the spring, once the ground has dried up a bit, we will put them back in to continue the job, and also get work started on repairing the walls. This garden is magical, and for years was used as the kitchen and market garden for the big house on the Estate. We’re absolutely passionate about getting the garden back to its former glory, and making it a destination for visitors to Orbost…..watch this space!

PROJECT FENCE THAT HILL

In 2010 we worked very hard on putting together an application for the Scottish Rural Development Fund to transform the farm into a more ecologically sustainable unit. The key element is to fence the 18km boundary around the farm, in order to allow us to develop sustainable grazing regimes with the soay sheep and highland cows to maximise biodiversity on the estate. YAY!! We got accepted, which means over the next two years we will be fencing, planting a native woodland (more on this soon) re-seeding inbye fields for corncrakes and planting hedges. It is a mammoth project, but will transform the unit. It’s really exciting to have the opportunity through this scheme to be able to make a difference to the long term sustainability of both the wildlife and the farm here. It is project with a capital P!

KEEPING ONE’S SANITY

I suppose it is our passion and enthusiasm for what we are doing that keeps us sane! We are so privileged to be working the land, feeding ourselves and our family, and endeavoring to preserve and protect the wildife and ecology that surrounds us. Don’t get me wrong, it is hard graft, and Keith has to battle against snow and ice, wind and rain to feed everything during the winter……..but then we get days like this one in the pic, and well it just all makes sense!