Lyburn Farm News 2004

November 2004.

Stand up the other Mike Smales.

E- mails come and go , as they do, and suddenly an e-mail, from Mike Smales in South Africa. He and Carrie were about to visit England and Ireland for a holiday and would pop in to see us. This they did. Are we related? was the question, as our family tree goes back to the late 1600's, we were able to look at the possibilities, may be 300 years back, but not recently. The ironical thing being, that Mike and Carrie's son Barry and wife Melissa farm near George, in the Cape, and also make cheese from their own cows milk

As another manic pumpkin season unfolds, we find ourselves with reasonably good yields, but disappointingly small pumpkin , mainly due to the cool weather in August . This picture, taken 2 years ago, was a reflection of the sizes we had then, nothing like this, this year. As I write this 25/10/04, we are virtually sold out of pumpkin, the organic Broad Bean seed has arrived for the start of yet another growing year.

September 2004.

Another very successful weekend at the British cheese awards in the grounds of Blenhiem Palce at Woodstock. A total of two Silvers and two Bronze awards represents a good years progress with our products. This level of success is now clearly showing through in sales accross the board. For more details of the cheese awards click the picure to the right. For more detail of the cheeses, Click Here and you will be taken to the cheese page.

More prizes for our cheese at the World Cheese Awards in London at the begining of the month. To the right we have the Lyburn Gold, this was entered into a semi hard class, and won a Silver medal, having been beaten by an American and 2 German cheeses. In a different class for the smaller producer, the Winchester secured a Gold medal, and shared the honours with Dalesford Creamery and an American Goats cheese.

Lyburn Gold

In the region of 100 attended our last open evening, incorperating the Eastleigh Ramblers, more talking than rambling I think, and the Eling Trefoil Guild. With a welcome break in the weather, a good evening was had by all.

Organic vegetables having a good season, not too hot with some wetter periods.

Pumpkins completely out of control, I just hope that once the foliage recedes there are plenty of fruit under there.

Tractors working at Bridge farm, second cut silage, the weather is perfect not a cloud to be seen. This means more good quality silage for the cows this winter, with the result of good quality milk to make the cheese. The milk is so fresh that at 5 am. in the morning, it is in the cow and an hour later it is in the cheese vat, being pasteurised, ready for the days cheesemake.

Cheese tours 2004.

We have already had a number of enquires regarding the very popular cheese tours and suppers, held at the farm in 2003, in conjunction with the Hampshire Food Festival. There is one more date for this year and it is the 22nd September. Book either by e-mail link, to the right, or by phone 01794 390451

June 2004.
More good news for the cheesemakers, two second prizes in the cheese competitions. The Garlic and Nettle came second to Cornish Yarg in the flavour added class, and the Smoked came second to Ashley Chase.

After a late, wet, start the maize has now gone off like a rocket. Here we see a 60 acre field, late in the evening. Silage making also going well, plenty of good quality grass now in the clamp and not too wet. The new vat now progressing well, taken a while to get used to it, and having to run flat out to get caught up a bit as we are over sold on some lines.

April 2004.

We have applied for a second Rural Enterprise Scheme Gant, under the Goverment's ERDP program, and have been successful. This means that phase 3 can now move ahead.
A new cheese vat, the old 700 litre vat now too small, has now been taken out to be replaced by a much larger vat. Similar to the old one but much longer. Only one way in and that is through the side wall, and tipped on its side, weighs about half a ton, so was a bit of a struggle to move it. We have had to shut down for the week or two, the test run with water has gone well, and ready to start agian on the 26th. April. We will probably retain the old vat and put it to good use as a brine tank.

April 2004

Late evening down at Bridge farm, now part of Lyburn Farm. Heifers now finally out to grass much to their relief. Date, 9th April and grass growth very slow, the nights are still cold and as you can see from the setting sun, another frost tonight. Cows are out by day, but are going to be in, nights for some time yet. Cheese production running flat out at the moment, there is bigger cheese vat on the way in a few weeks time, and inevitably we will be shut down for a while, while we instal it.

March 2004

Students from the Southampton Catering College, visit Lyburn Cheese, to learn about the cheese making process, watch it being made and how the milk is produced on the farm. To discuss the issues of vegetarian rennet, pasteurisation and maturation. Then back to the college with the various types of cheese to use in there own imaginative way. More to come on this one

January 2004.

Our more recent cheese Winchester, is now enjoying some considersble success. We are now having to make more, but inevitably it is taking 9 months to ripen them. As a result we are now having to ration Winchester, and for those waiting, please bear with us.