5 Goodgymers gathered for a sunny morning at Oxford City Farm. We were tasked with the job of clearing many weeds, including an abundance of thistles, and harvesting shallots. Working with other volunteers at the farm, we managed to get the area clear - ready for cardboard and compost to prepare for what's next!

During our break we enjoyed checking in with the resident goats, and we even got to take home some hand-picked veggies too! Thanks to Oxford City Farm for a lovely morning!

We were a group of six at City Farm this morning, welcoming Cindy and Daniel to their first task. There was a very long list of jobs on the whiteboard but, in true GG style, we managed to complete nearly all of them. Raking compost, shifting compost, sieving compost, putting compost in pots... After some tea and carrot cake hiding from the sudden rain, we continued with some sterling poop scooping from Chris, planting broccoli, and good-old digging for potatoes. Oh, and there was also a very friendly cat!

Upon hearing the glad tidings that Oxford City Farm had 2 new additions- 5 Goodgymers hotfooted it over to the Farm on Saturday morning. Our task- badger proof a large section of the farm in order for the farms array of produce to thrive but also to keep the badger family safe from any danger! We set to work and despite being just a quintet we did what GoodGym Oxford does best- defy all expectations of what can be achieved! Along the way we encountered worms, a whole host of bugs and 2 adorable but terrified baby mice!

We were shown great hospitality by the farm who fed us up on homemade cookies and pizza (the actual dream) and then we had a play with the new adorable goats and their kids!

Thanks to the special enthusiasm and energy that GoodGymers and sunshine brings, the following magic happened at Oxford City Farm today:

Brambles, weeds and grass were scythed away and kept at bay, to provide some safe and more accessible paths around the busy vegetable beds.

After some satisfying root pulling, the polytunnel is officially de-thistled, allowing space for luscious vegetables and herbs to grow to their full potential.

It was a long awaited meeting of the farm's new resident goats. One of which has been very pregnant for a while. GoodGym goat whisperers gave their kind and encouraging words and, as if by magic, she gave birth to two fluffy and healthy kids a few hours later.

Oxford City Farm are forever thankful <3

On Saturday six goodgymers descended upon Oxford City Farm to offer hands for the annual Wassailing event. For those unfamiliar, Wassailing is a pagan tradition, usually performed in January, with the hope of waking up the spirits into ensuring a good harvest the following year. In our experience, this largely translated into lots of saucepan, pot or potty (!) banging, singing while marching around the farm and lots of mulled apple juice (for both trees and humans alike)!

We were warmly greeted by Maria, in her rainbow bobble hat (much needed!) to match her joyous self, and divvied up on tasks; Lucy and Laura headed to the gate, keeping a track of how many Wassail-goers arrived, while Chris and Zoe did a fantastic job of crowd control while waiting for the urn to boil with a plethora of eager tea and coffee requests only a few minutes after our arrival! Alice floated between roles, helping Phil set up the fire, aiding café requests and ensuring to make time for the highly demanded Shaun the sheep photoshoot, while moving between the different stations (priorities!!).

Not only were over 100 people were able to attend the event put on by Oxford City Farm for free (very much supported by our hands), but we also were treated to some farm-iliar faces – With goodgyms very own Louise busy at work in the kitchen and an enthusiastic wave to Sarah McFadden across the shrubbery.

Managing to somehow stay dry despite a very threatening raincloud lingering all afternoon, we wrapped up by sampling some (amazing) Jerusalem artichoke cake (served with a side of mild confusion for the other kind of artichoke and its baking logistics), a photo shoot with the sheep, and left with our pockets full of left over brownies as a reward for all that good deedin’.

Well done everyone; what a baaaaa-rilliant afternoon! While the farm is not yet open every day, if you are keen to get more involved with the farm (be that for your 1st,5th or 18th time at the farm!), Maria would be more than happy to chat to any goodgymers (and the wider community) about volunteering opportunities; you can find more details on the Oxford City Farm website as a first port of call.

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!