With temperatures rising, this Thursday was the day to fire up the clippers and give our flock their annual trim! Derek the shearer had quite a long list of customers, with our flock of sheep as our two alpacas and three lovely llamas. However, everyone is looking neat and tidy following shearing and they will certainly be feeling much cooler. Shearing has also produced lots of lovely wool and fibre. If you might be interested in any of our fleeces or fibre, please get in touch by email to farm_office@mudchute.org, come along to our monthly wool crafting group this Saturday (June 27th) and see our website.
Back in May, you may have noticed a few small signs up around the farm and vehicles up on our big field. We couldn’t say much then, but we can now reveal that the production team and visiting dogs were here to film Dogs: Their Secret Lives. Episodes began airing last week and continue this evening and next Thursday on Channel 4.
Here at Mudchute, we welcome dogs on site and in our cafe and are always happy to promote responsible dog ownership. The filming brought canine behaviour specialist Tamsin Durston on site to help a few dogs and their owners with some training issues such as jumping up, recall and giving up toys.
During the filming, we had some rather stormy weather, but the dramatic skies made for some lovely shots. Here are some photos from behind the scenes at the shoot. Thanks to the Arrow Media team for letting us tag along and choosing the farm as a filming location! For more information about filming at Mudchute, visit The Film Office.
As a part of our ongoing muck heap works, a new bank was created from well rotted manure behind the pens of our Saddleback and Potbellied pigs. This loose, nutrient-rich area was left unplanted to allow local flora to colonise and in just a few short months, it has quickly turned a lush green, filled with new foliage. This morning, I visited the site with local botanist and Mudchute trustee, John Swindells, to find out more about some of the plants which have found their way to the new bank.

Mayweed flowers. The delicate feathery foliage of this plant makes up much of the growth on the mound.

Disturbed land and a lack of taller plants provides opportunities for low-lying plants like this Lesser Swinecress.

Invertebrates such as this ladybird larva have also moved onto the mound and we found evidence of fox activity as well.
It was great to see so many wild species moving into the area so quickly and we look forward to watching the area develop and mature. The plants found growing on the mound are also found throughout Mudchute, so be sure to keep an eye out for these species on your next visit!