Badger-proofing augurs well for city farm

On our first visit for a few months to Oxford City Farm, we found many changes afoot, with new beds laid out, a vast new polytunnel in preparation, and - most excitingly - plans for new resident goats well underway.

It was one of the farm's weekly Saturday open mornings, with lots of visitors expected, so we split up to help with different tasks. Henry was in the outdoor kitchen with Goodgymer Louise, who works at the farm, moving furniture, scrubbing containers, sorting out cardboard, and cleaning some of the farm's glut of Jerusalem artichokes (apparently, you can eat them raw).

Phil from the farm explained that a colony of badgers, recently evicted from under the neighbouring nursing home, had set(t) up home at the edge of the farm and were damaging polytunnels in their quest for food. The rest of us therefore spent the morning helping to badger-proof the site. Chris and Vicky used augers (giant corkscrews which bore beautiful holes in the ground and remove earth with pleasing efficiency) to make 50cm-deep post holes for a new fence, while Cassy and Freya, with some regular farm volunteers, dug a long trench to be lined with bricks to stop the badgers burrowing underneath.

Fine weather, a tea-and-cake break beside the fire pit, and the chance to add more fun tools to our repertoire (augers and mattocks!) all made for a satisfying morning with some real progress achieved. We're looking forward to visiting later in the year to see the baby goats!