This Farming Life

At Castlefarm the craziness of spring farming continues this month writes Jenny Young.

We have 85 cows to milk twice a day and 32 calves to feed. We are still waiting for our last 16 spring cows to calve. We have 120 hens and 31 ducks to feed and their eggs to collect. We also have to tend to our 15 six month old pullets that seem to be doubling in size every week. The bull and pigs also need to be fed twice a day.

The garden may sound a lot quieter but there is also an urgency here to get work done. We need to prepare ground for spring growing, seeding and plant.

We are lucky enough to have a polytunnel in which early lettuces, rocket, spinach and carrots are growing. We will sell these to customers who visit the farm shop when it opens on the last weekend of the month.

With the nights still very cold we have only done a little bit of planting outside. April is the season of showers, so plans to rotovate and prepare ground are often delayed. Luckily our spuds were planted in early March as well as a few rows of carrots.

In terms of enjoying whats in season, rhubarb is very firmly on the menu. We are poaching it in orange juice for breakfast, filling flans and pastry cases with it for dessert and of course making jams and chutneys to enjoy later in the year.

Castlefarm Shop opens the last Friday and Saturday of every month, and last month we were extremely busy with shoppers and visitors to the farm. We are also serving teas and coffees and icecream, so a visit to our farm shop has certainly become a day out in itself.

We are tidying the farm up a little for our Easter egg trail which takes on 23th April. It is also the season for school tours and group visits. Although our farm is a fun place to visit it is a real working farm, and not always as clean and tidy as visitors might expect!


Castlefarm Shop opens the last Friday and Saturday of each month from 10am until 6pm. We are next open on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th April

Our free farm activities on Saturday 30th April are:

• Helping to feed the pigs 11am sharp
• Egg collecting 2.30pm
• A talk on seeding and planting at 3pm.

The Castlefarm Easter trail will take place on Saturday 23rd of April from 12pm-2pm and always a fun filled family day. Each child who follows the clues around the farm trail will receive a chocolate Easter egg. The price is €5 per child and places should be booked in advance. Please contact Michelle Hourihan (tours@castlefarmshop.ie or 086-373 6402) or email me and I will forward your details to Michelle.

To receive our newsletter and news of new products by email please contact Castlefarm Shop, Narraghmore, Athy, Co Kildare, Email jenny@castlefarmshop.ie, log onto www.castlefarmshop.ie or telephone +353 (0)59 863 6948

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