Welcoming Ernie and Sancho

A fortnight ago we welcomed our lovely new donkey pair, Ernie and Sancho, who came to us from a New Forest pony auction that our Farmyard Manager Jenny attended in May. They were running wild in New Forest, and sold by the New Forest Commoners, who are a recognized national minority and local landholders with ancient legal rights to graze livestock and use resources in the New Forest of southern England.

We went with the intention of getting one, but we discovered that they're a bonded pair, and really didn't want to split them up. Sancho is timid, and more cautious than Ernie, but he's slowly softening and getting used to human interaction.

They currently both have equine flu, which is common and not life-threatening, so they're in quarantine. Once vaccinated and castrated they will be introduced to the others, Derek, Gilbert and Sullivan.

They were named with the help of our Summer Fayre visitors! Come and say hi soon, they'd love to meet you. Photo credits: Gregoire Chaillet

Summer Fayre

Thanks to everyone who came along to our Summer Fayre on Sunday 31st May! We loved seeing you all. We had various stalls selling lots of farm-related merch, food, and drinks, and plenty of fun workshops for the kids - as well as our now-famous sheep shearing which was held every hour throughout the day, run by the Harrison's. Photo credits: Andy Barker.

Quail UPDATE!

The quails that we introduced to you in the last edition are settling in very well! They're happy, laying eggs, and making plenty of noise. Come and say hi if you have not already. See their eggs in the next section...

Photo credit: Gregoire Chaillet

EGGS! Turkey, duck, chicken, bantam and quail

We have plenty of interesting and nutritious eggs for sale in our Farm shop right now - including turkey eggs, which many people in the UK have never tried. Some interesting facts about turkey eggs!

Bigger than chicken eggs 🦃
A turkey egg is about 50% larger than a standard chicken egg, with a thicker shell and heavier feel.

Speckled and distinctive 🦃
Turkey eggs are usually light cream or tan with brown spots, giving them a natural “freckled” look that stands out in a nest.

Stronger shells 🦃
Their shells are thicker and tougher than chicken eggs, which helps protect them during incubation.

Longer incubation time 🦃
It takes about 28 days for a turkey egg to hatch, compared to 21 days for chicken eggs.

Richer in flavor 🦃
Many people say turkey eggs taste creamier and richer than chicken eggs, thanks to a slightly higher fat content.

Rarely sold in stores 🦃
You almost never see turkey eggs in supermarkets because farmers usually save them for breeding, as a turkey hen lays only about 80–120 eggs a year, while a chicken can lay over 300.

Seasonal layers 🦃
Turkeys are seasonal egg-layers, typically producing eggs in the spring, unlike chickens that lay year-round.

Edible but underused 🦃
Turkey eggs are perfectly safe to eat and can be used just like chicken eggs in cooking and baking. In fact, the consensus of Farm staff and volunteers so far is that they are VERY nice indeed.

Protective mothers 🦃
Turkey hens can be very attentive and protective brooders, carefully incubating and guarding their clutch.

Shop News

We are excited to have a GoChillie restock in our farm shop as well as some of the lovely community cookbooks produced by our friends over at Cranbrook Community Garden in neighbouring Bethnal Green.

Bat Watches - dusk bat watching at the Farm

We are very happy to be launching our first public bat watches here at the Farm, happening in August and September!

We welcome four species on-site to feed at dusk and dawn - they don’t live here, but they do come to feed every night. We’ve picked their calls up on detectors, spotted them with the naked eye, and then in September 2024 we conducted a survey using a sophisticated audio technology device called the AudioMoth, on loan from Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), which recorded bat calls throughout the night and identified the species. The species we host are: Nathusius Pipistrelle, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, and a genus called Nyctalus which includes two possible species - the Leisler’s and the Noctule (we could also have both!)

Our bats particularly love feeding in the air above the ponds, which is inhabited by plenty of midges and other flying insects. We have plans in the pipeline to install more bat boxes, to encourage them to live on site with us as well as feed here. The East End of London is one of the most highly developed stretches of land in the UK, and their habitats - despite being protected under UK and EU law - are frequently at serious risk.

Click here to book August, and click here to book September.

Image credit: the noctule bat, taken from Bat Conservation Trust's website.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT!

This month, we're spotlighting Stella, who has been with us as a Farmyard volunteer for a little over a year. She joined us as a volunteer alongside her receiving support from the charity Change Grow Live as a way to support her through her recovery and then also transition into paid work. We were thrilled to hear that she has recently been offered a paid position as 'Recovery Worker' at Change Grow Live which is a huge personal and professional achievement! The news is bittersweet as she will be leaving her role as a volunteer and we will miss her carefree, joyful presence.

volunteer NEWS #1 - Touch Some Soil (2026) film

One of our volunteers, Erika Lau, has made an extraordinary film about the Farm, which is being screened at the Natural History Museum this coming Friday afternoon. If you happen to be free, do go along - it is a brilliantly made film, and we are so proud to have her as a volunteer. Click here to book your ticket.

Volunteer News #2 Paakhi's Big Half Run

Another garden volunteer, the lovely Paakhi Bhatnagar, has recently launched a fundraising page for the Farm as part of her effort to run the Big Half in September. The half marathon is still a few months away but she's welcoming donations now - if you feel like supporting her, we'd love to see it - so do click here.

Photo: Paakhi (left) along with Ming Zee, another one of our volunteers, picking cherries in the Farm gardens.

Mudchute Sheep Show + Young Farmers

Thank you to our amazing Young Farmers for a wonderful day showing sheep at Mudchute Farm! They showed a range of Suffolk and Castlemilk Moorits from the flock belonging to Emma, our Farmyard Assistant. They shared their knowledge and expertise whilst competing against other farmers, and we think they did a phenomenal job, despite having only met these particular sheep the morning of the show. Look at all the rosettes we won!

If you think this could be you at the next Animal Show, then Young Farmers is open for new applications! Click the button below to send our Young Farmers programme an email and get involved.

restaurant partners

We continue to build on some fantastic produce relationships with London restaurants - if you work for a local restaurant that is interested in cooking with our produce, get in touch!

Here we see Farouk, Head Chef from St John in Spitalfields, then two of his wonderful colleagues, all admiring the most recent veg delivery; followed by the fantastic Emily from Dockley Road at the Farm collecting some produce, seen with garden volunteer Eoin, who helped harvest it.

VEG OF THE MONTH: Radishes, Artichokes and Onions

This month we have been blessed with some incredible crops of onions, artichokes and radishes (modelled variously by by our fab gardens volunteer, Jo-Ann, and our Head Gardener, Chris!)

Pop your head into our shop for greens that change daily depending on season and harvests.

Canal Club Community Garden - petition against closure

Our friends at Canal Club Garden have started a petition to contest the closure of their valuable community space in neighbouring Bethnal Green. Click here to read more about the campaign and sign.

That's it for this edition! Thank you for reading.

The Farm is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00am to 4.30pm.
We look forward to welcoming you soon.

Summer 2026 Newsletter