Going Through a Rough Patch? There's a Scythe for That!

The second community mission in Leeds saw seven eager lawnmowers learn how to scythe at Meanwood Valley Farm.

It was fantastic to see five new faces, and a big thank you to Pauline for bringing four friends with her! Please give them all a cheer.

Run by our friend Luke - a sheer scything enthusiast - the workshop led our group into the history and advantages of scything and finished up by honing our mowing techniques.

The grass is more erect, early in the morning> Luke

We were talked through the different types of blades, the various sizes of snaths, and then we got to build our own tools.

Now it was time to head outside, where we had a quick arm work out, and then perfected the cutting stance. Next we worked on our chopping motion, and it felt like we were really getting into the swing of things.

It's very meditative> Pauline

We were shown how to sharpen our blades, and then we were let loose on some grass. And we really cut it down to size.

The workshop finished by explaining how important it is to look after your scythe by giving all the bits a quick clean. And finally we were given a brief demonstration on how to peen your blade.

Everybody enjoyed the session, and we are very much looking forward to the next one!