Keep us composted!

Horsenden Farm never disappoints when it comes to a good workout! This Saturday, trainer Elsa prepared a strength session for our team. Even the warm-up wasn't lightweight in any way.

I have a big container to move. It is very heavy.

Elsa knew what she was talking about when addressing GoodGymers. The steel monster at the back of the farm didn't want to move by an inch when we first approached it. We had reinforcements: one strong person who works regularly at the farm and Livio, whom we know as a Friend of Grove and Horsenden Farms but, most significantly, a LAGERCanner. Livio has brought his indispensable litter picker, which we employed to measure the doors through which the container had to travel to reach its final destination in the farmhouse (see the photos of Christos taking the measurements).

With the combination of collective muscle power, thinking ahead, the use of a trolley, lifting and shifting, we defeated the uneven surface, inclines, stairs and narrow doors. The container finally found its resting place indoors. And that was just the warm-up!

For the main set in today's session, trainer Elsa split us into teams and gave us a choice of two activities. The first training programme involved dealing with fertiliser, the second one - more focused lifting exercises. Before the rest figured out what was going on, Steph Ducat and Sevan quickly teamed up as a pair to lift more heavy objects. Those two must have smelled in the air that the other activity may be a mucky one, just like last month. By choosing weightlifting, they soon found themselves carrying very challenging loads, and suddenly, surrounded by goats in narrow passages! Two bucks blocking Sevan's and Steph's way were our old pals and escape artists we met in July.

In the meantime, the other three GoodGymers were given shovels and wheelbarrows and presented with a compost pile, a compost bin and a compost bag. None of those seemed manure-rich, so we were relieved to deal with mainly plant-based material. Livio stuck with us as a natural part of the team. Having a quartet available, Elsa's friend, who led the Vegan Composters Challenge, split us further into two teams. Christos and Sean were emptying the compost bin near the car park, while Kash and Livio attacked the pile inside the farm.

Each of the duets used different compost sources and routes but eventually unloaded their barrows at the same place: the potato patch we had enriched with manure last month. Those potatoes had really demanding nutritional requirements!

I will have to give each of you a potato bag when they grow! - Elsa

Sean was already picturing a plate of chips! That vision made him and Christos finish their composter before Livio and Kash, especially after Livio was taken out of that duo for a good while to help with other tasks. The combined new team dealt with the remaining pile and bag of compost in no time and finished the job at high noon. It was a solid session with plenty of shovelling and pushing the barrows up the hill!

With all the planned jobs done and the pizza oven firing up at midday, everyone felt a need to replenish the carbs in their bodies. We sat down to munch on pizzas and flatbreads before we split to enjoy the rest of Saturday afternoon.

We will be back at the Horsenden Farm in March! Save the date now!