Training

Sunday 21st August 11am - 3pm Wool Processing Workshop

with Lisa Hutchins
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WOOL? Do you know how to match the right fleece to the right project? Would you like to meet the sheep and compare wool and learn how to…….wool pick, drum card, hand card, select fleeces for different projects and do some 2D needle felting? Then our wool processing workshops are for you! To book - Follow the link below Or call - 07973 287 594 Visit our website -https://www.melkenjacobs.co.uk/
Price: £40
Provided: Tea/Coffee and materials provided
What you need to bring: Please bring a packed lunch
Venue: The workshops take place on our farm between Bridestowe and Bratton Clovelly. EX20 4
Ticket sales for this course are NOT managed by DASH. For more information and to book click here

Sunday 4th September 10am - 4pm Introduction to Pig Keeping

with Ian & Maggie Todd
This course is for anyone with an interest in keeping pigs who wants to know how to get started - either with your first few animals or before you buy. Opportunity for plenty of questions.

The course will cover the following:

Choosing the right pigs for you: Breed, pedigree or not, age, size, land capacity; Buying stock - private, market, contact breed societies etc. What to look for when buying / what to avoid. Are you intending to rear for meat or breed?

Managing the land/adapting buildings for pigs: Fencing, Housing / shelters, Handling facilities / equipment / set up, Caring for your pigs, Routine / common husbandry tasks, Feeding, possible problems…

Regulations: What you need to know or have - Holding number/CPH, Herd number, Ear tagging, movement licences, Transport certificate / transport regulations, Standstill periods, Movement / medicine books, Public liability insurance, Fallen stock, Annual Inventory / Cross Compliance, slaughter/abattoirs.

Meet the pigs (practical session): Equipment, Signs of good / poor health, Worming, Ear tagging, Injecting, loading.

Summary: Last questions
Price: £85
Provided: Teas, coffees, soft drinks and biscuits. Summary handouts & leaflets to take away
What you need to bring: Packed lunch, clean outdoor clothes & wellies, notepad and pen, camera!
Venue: Northleigh, near Honiton EX24 6BU
Ticket sales for this course are managed by DASH, to book please email training@devonsmallholders.co.uk

Sunday 11th September 10am - 4pm Sheep Keeping

with Gillian Dixon
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE A beginner's guide to sheep keeping including, current regulations, choosing a breed, feeding, annual management, handling, health problems - touches on lambing but this is covered in greater depth in the Lambing course. There will also be a practical session when you will meet the sheep. This will cover equipment, signs of good and poor health, foot trimming, dagging, worming, ear tagging, injecting and loading sheep.
Price: £85
Provided: Teas, coffees, soft drinks, biscuits
What you need to bring: Packed lunch, clean outdoor clothes & wellies, dagging shears & foot trimmers if you have them & want to get hands on.
Venue: Northlew, near Hatherleigh EX20 3PS
Ticket sales for this course are managed by DASH, to book please email training@devonsmallholders.co.uk

Sunday 18th September 11am - 3pm Felted Flower Workshop

with Lisa Hutchins
We offer flower felting workshops where you will learn everything you need to know to make a beautiful flower which is yours to take home, using the technique of needle felting. To book - follow the link below Or call - 07973 287 594 Or visit our website -http://www.melkenjacobs.co.uk/
Price: £45
Provided: Tea/Coffee and materials provided
What you need to bring: Please bring a packed lunch
Venue: The workshops take place on our farm between Bridestowe and Bratton Clovelly. EX20 4
Ticket sales for this course are NOT managed by DASH. For more information and to book click here

Saturday 1st October Sunday 2nd October 10am-4pm Woolly Workshops

with Ginny Shipway
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A DASH COURSE The Devon Feltmakers Present A Weekend Of Woolly Workshops Saturday 1st - Let's Get Spinning - In this workshop well known spinner and dyer, Sue Borrett, will be helping people who want to enhance their spinning experience or get complete beginners into spinning. Needle Felt A Sheep - Needle felt a cute sheep. Different techniques and needles will be demonstrated. This workshop would be suitable for beginners. Learn How To Felt A Rug - In this workshop we will discuss all aspects of felt rug making and then you will make your own small rug using fleece from a local flock. Sunday 2nd - Let's Get Spinning - In this workshop well known spinner and dyer, Sue Borrett, will be helping people who want to enhance their spinning experience or get complete beginners into spinning. Needle Felt A Small Jointed Teddy Bear - Learn how to needle felt a small jointed Teddy Bear with green wellies and a waistcoat. Different techniques and needles will be demonstrated. Workshop participants should have some previous needle felting experience or have attended the Saturday workshop. Learn How To Felt A Rug - In this workshop we will discuss all aspects of felt rug making and then you will make your own small rug using fleece from a local flock. FOR FULL DETAILS AND TO BOOK PLEASE SEE BELOW
Price: £35-85
Provided: Drinks and snacks provided. Course materials provided.
What you need to bring: Please bring a packed lunch
Venue: Meldon Village Hall, Meldon, Okehampton EX20 4LU EX20 4LU
Ticket sales for this course are NOT managed by DASH. For more information and to book click here

Sunday 2nd October 10am - 4.30pm Goatkeeping

with Peter Oldfield
We will deal with handling and behaviour around the goats, what to look for in a good goat, drenching, injecting, pour ons, hoof trimming, and milking a goat. We will cover the 5 freedoms including changing nutrition around the year, constructing a suitable goat barn, bedding, penning, registering with a vet and legal formalities. Peter has over thirty years experience of keeping goats, and has taught goat keeping to over 1000 pupils from all around the globe. His goats are some of the friendliest on the planet and are Golden Guernseys and Pygmys together with a huge, 20 stone plus, Boer goat who still thinks he is a kid.
Price: £85
Provided: Tea and coffee will be available.
What you need to bring: Bring your own lunch. Wear stout shoes and a jumper if its cold, the course is all undercover.
Venue: EX22 6LJ
Ticket sales for this course are managed by DASH, to book please email training@devonsmallholders.co.uk

Sunday 4th December 10am - 4pm Sheep Keeping

with Gillian Dixon
A beginner's guide to sheep keeping including, current regulations, choosing a breed, feeding, annual management, handling, health problems - touches on lambing but this is covered in greater depth in the Lambing course. There will also be a practical session when you will meet the sheep. This will cover equipment, signs of good and poor health, foot trimming, dagging, worming, ear tagging, injecting and loading sheep.
Price: £85
Provided: Teas, coffees, soft drinks, biscuits
What you need to bring: Packed lunch, clean outdoor clothes & wellies, dagging shears & foot trimmers if you have them & want to get hands on.
Venue: Northlew, near Hatherleigh EX20 3PS
Ticket sales for this course are managed by DASH, to book please email training@devonsmallholders.co.uk

Cattle Keeping (date to be confirmed)

with Sue Fildes
Meet Sue's lovely Devon Red Ruby cattle. This course covers the practicalities of the cattle handling, health, management, facilities, housing, land management and regulations. We will deal with what to look for in a good beef animal and the differences between breeds. Also discussing the big step from rearing bought in youngstock to breeding your own.
Price: £60
Provided: Tea and coffee will be available.
What you need to bring: Bring your own lunch. Wear stout shoes and a jumper if it's cold, and wet weather gear if rain is forecast as most of the cattle and equipment is outdoors.
Venue: Dartmouth TQ6 0JE
Ticket sales for this course are managed by DASH, to book please email training@devonsmallholders.co.uk

Smallholding Taster Course (date to be confirmed)

with Emma and Jon Hillier
The course will take place at Farrantshayes Farm in East Devon, just minutes from the M5. Emma and Jon Hillier bought this former commercial farm in 2016 and now run it as a smallholding alongside their day jobs. You will get the chance to cover the basics of paperwork for cattle, pigs and sheep as well as take a tour of the farm and meet their Devon Ruby cattle, breeding herd of British Lop pigs, Welsh Badger Faced sheep and horses. We can answer questions on fencing, feeding, setting up your smallholding, taking animals to the abattoir and general animal husbandry. Endless opportunities to laugh at and learn from our mistakes totally free of charge. Even if smallholding is just a dream at this stage, come along anyway - it might be a cheap way of putting you off!
Price: £30
Provided: Sadly we will not be providing tea and coffee due to Covid restrictions, but please bring a flask and some biscuits to enjoy together.
What you need to bring: Wellies, long trousers (we may be walking through fields with long grass), a flask, a notepad and pencil.
Venue: Farrantshayes Farm, Clyst Hydon, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2NQ
Ticket sales for this course are managed by DASH, to book please email training@devonsmallholders.co.uk