That Wandering Farmer

Lessons from the Land : Saying Goodbye to Plaw Hatch

 Written by –That Wandering Farmer

In the voice of Frank Sinatra “… And now, the end is near, And so I face the final curtain..” 

I want to take this last opportunity to offer my gratitudes and say my goodbyes, as my final chapter with Plaw Hatch has come to a close.  

For certain, it is not a forever goodbye, but it is a farewell that leaves a lump in my throat to all who work the land, the feathered ones, the payrolled ones, all the animals 4 legged and 2. Thank you for the many happy memories we made together and for seeing us through the never ending challenges that one has to face whilst choosing their profession in this world of Agriculture. 

Exactly 800 Days ago, as I write this article, the young man who entered the world of Biodynamic Farming for the very first time is certainly not the same man who leaves the Farm a little over 2 years on. One thing I did not even consider would change, is the personal growth & outlook on life that I have evolved to understand through this journey of mine.  

The seamstress of the timeline I am walking on has sewn together many tales that I will tell for years to come. Thus being said, a few Farm stories do come to mind..  

  Firstly, the Cows escaping into the gardens late at night, or searching for Calves in the high growth of the headlands, or the lasting smelling memories of a dropped Whey Tank… spilling cheesy milk all across the yard, much to the dogs and chickens delight! All Fun times we had, but one story that really came to fruition as I sat at my desk thinking of what to write, and it comes from my very first winter which went a little like this… 

I can’t have been at the farm for more than 2 months. We had just had our first blanketing of snow and I recall that the Pigs Drinkers were frozen. Not being able to drive to the bottom of the farm I had to find a way of getting water to them. Maybe my aircraft engineering knowledge came into play (not sure how this relates) but for some reason I came up with the bright idea of filling up 6x 25 litre barrels of water, tying them all in a line from my waste and walking to the bottom of the farm with it. Genius I thought! What a great idea!  

  The snow was a good foot, foot and a half thick and the barrels glided along the snow perfectly with very little effort. That was until we came to our steep descent at the bottom of the farm when the barrels picked up speed and started to overtake me… one went by, a second went by, a third, my pace now starting to pick up. Then the fourth went by (number three’s lid had come off by this point and started to empty its contents of water on the snow sheeted ground) and by the time the sixth barrel had passed me, three were releasing their load and I was running to the bottom trying not to slip. But we made it.  

  The Pig barn, that day, received just over a 100 Litres of water from a possible 150. Not a bad return on investment from this rookie I thought. 

My house, Plumtree, has been a haven for volunteers and students from across the world during my employment here and each and every single one of them has shone a piece of their light onto me. They have opened my mind to different perspectives, languages, cultures & together we have shared many lovely dinners (a pleasant surprise to come home to after a long day out in the sun). Many of whom have chosen to stay connected with me since they have left and the friendships have truly started to blossom, this is what I hold dear to me and fills me with heartfelt joy. 

I sometimes feel ashamed to say, but as a child I grew up on free school meals, mother was often unwell and my step-father did his best to bring in a steady income to keep food on the table. Our Church would regularly bring us dinners to support my family, you can see the picture I’m trying to build.. We didn’t eat the cleanest, but looking back now, I can see how hard they tried.  

  Coming to Plaw Hatch was a real eye-opener, as before I never felt like I could reach the standard to consume; high quality, chemical free, naturalistic food. This was what “the others” could eat, the ones with high paying jobs and flash cars, who could afford to buy. 

I couldn’t have been more wrong  

Now, I have opened the door to ensure that the ones closest to me will now never go hungry, they will always have access to “clean” and sustainable food. This past Christmas I was able to give a selection of goods from the Farm Shop away to some of those closest to me. This was hands down the happiest moment of my year in 2024 and I know I’ll be doing it again in years to come. 

  I do wish that things had been different growing up, but Plaw Hatch has given me the tools to ensure that there will be no more hungry nights and the mentors here have taught me invaluable husbandry skills so that I may rear my own food in the future. 

Not once in this journey have I truly referred to myself as a “farmer”. I often feel like an imposter amongst these professionals as I have sat in many a conference hall and attended countless lectures, tours and observed people talking on panels, I felt like a very small fish in a very big pond. But now, 2 years on & having run my own enterprises on different farms, I can sit back at the end of it all and see that I really did make the most of my 2 years here and yeah, sure, why not? I am Rhys the Farmer. I earnt that and I’m forever grateful for those who have offered me the tools to build my confidence to believe in myself that way. 

So what’s next? Well firstly, I’m taking a holiday, Sri Lanka calls & then its a return to the grey slate mountains of Snowdonia for some time of reflection. As for work? I’ll be staying in Sussex, just a 15 minute drive south from Plaw Hatch. I’ll be back here to collect my raw milk on the regular, so if you see my face, do say hello, as many of you have since my last article, but for now I bid you a fond farewell, Bon voyage, Doei, Auf Wiedersehen, ¡Adios!  

Yours Faithfully, 

 –That Wandering Farmer

“…And did it my way”