Castlefarm Shop Newsletter
2-Mar-2010
Castlefarm Newslettter, March 10
Castlefarm Shop newsletter and diary March 2010
Email jenny@castlefarmshop.ie to receive this newsletter by email
Castlefarm diary for March
• Weekend 5th -7th March cheese and wine sale. 10% off to celebrate a new delivery of cheese.
• Saturday 6th March 2pm. Gardening club meeting. ‘How to grow great spuds’ by Noel Keogh. Noel will take people through a practical demonstration of sowing spuds. Details on the Castlefarm gardening club below.
• Saturday 6th March 2pm. Children’s gardening class. Planting with Michelle. The charge is €5 per child (garden club members children €4.50). To book a place contact Michelle on 086-3736402 or email tours@castlefarmshop.ie
• Sat 13th Pre Mothers Day celebration with a complimentary glass of bubbly for every female over 18, special offers, complimentary goodies, complimentary gift wrapping and hamper advisory (feel free to bring your own hamper basket and we will fill it). Also Kildare soap maker Susan of Divine Handmade Soaps will be in our farm shop selling her natural soaps and products direct from 12-4 (i.e. huge savings!). At 3pm she will also give a complimentary talk on the age old craft of soap making and the benefits of using natural products on your skin.
• 26th-28th March cheese and wine sale (10%) off.
Other dates for your diary
• Saturday, 3 April, 12pm sharp. Easter egg hunt at Castlefarm. €5 per child and each child to receive goody bag and entered into a draw for a luxury Easter hamper.
• Saturday, 3 April Getting growing, free gardening talk (11am) and allotment open day (10-12pm)
• Closed Easter Sunday
• Castlefarm Summer Club dates 28 June-2 July, 5-9 July, 2-6 August, 9-13 August. Please contact Michelle for programme/booking 086-3736402 or email tours@castlefarmshop.ie
Castlefarm gardening club – still time to join
With 11 more meetings to go as well as 5% off in our farm shop and 10% off all Castlefarm courses as well as seed swap days and special seed discounts and getting to talk to fellow gardening enthusiasts there are still many reasons to join our gardening club. Family membership is €50 and single membership is €40 with discounted rates for allotment holders. Our next meeting takes place on Saturday 6th March at 2pm with a potato talk and demonstration. Allotment holder and experienced grower Noel Keogh will give members secrets and hints to grow great spuds.
Childrens gardening class
A planting class for children will take place at Castlefarm on Saturday 6th of March. Michelle will teach people to plant their own bring home vegetable plant. The charge is €5 per child (garden club members children €4.50). To book a place contact Michelle on 086-3736402 or email tours@castlefarmshop.ie
Ducks at work
Many visitors to the farm have wondered if the ducks had broken into the allotment area. They are in fact the best natural pest control and trawl the allotments each day during the winter for bugs and slugs. They will be confined to their paddock when the growing season starts and our allotment holders will notice a decline in slug damage to their crops throughout the year. See picture below of the 30 ducks at work.
Castlefarm loyalty card
Make sure you collect your loyalty card next time you are in our farm shop. Every €20 you spend you get a stamp. With five stamps you get a complimentary tea or coffee in the new Castlefarm cafe and when you reach 10 stamps your reward is a €10 gift voucher.
Coffee, teas and Mairead’s home-made cakes now served
We have put in a tea/coffee area and we are now selling cups of Nicks Tipperary roasted coffee as well as Mairead Talbots Kilmeade baked cakes. We are also serving other hot drinks such as hot chocolate, herbal teas. Any other suggestions please let us know!
Easter egg hunt easter Saturday
Fun for all the family. Join the trail to find the Easter eggs. €5 per child and each child will receive a goody bag and goes into a draw for a luxury Easter hamper. Suitable for all ages. Call Michelle 086-3736402 or call into the shop to book your place. Booking essential and please book early to avoid disappointment.
Closed Easter Sunday
Please note we will be open on Good Friday and Easter Saturday but will close Easter Sunday. Please remember we will be unable to sell organic wine on Good Friday. But anyone wanting to stock up for Easter weekend should note that there will be a 10% sale on farmhouse cheese and organic wine 26-28th March.
In the garden
New seasons Castlefarm rhubarb is on its way (see picture below) and should be on sale before the end of the month. With the cold weather last month very little work has been done in our growing garden yet. In the next week (or whenever the weather dries up) we will rotovate the vegetable beds and get the ground ready for sowing. Saying that we have seeded lots of vegetables indoors and lots of these seeds are now growing strong, ready for transplanting later in the month. The seeds we have planted include lettuce, fennel, cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper and leeks.
On the farm
Calving is in full swing with calves being born morning, night and day. Milking is also difficult with maiden heifers (first time mothers and milkers) getting used to the parlour. We are awaiting the arrival of calving cameras (so that Peter has the luxury of checking cows from bed). The cold weather forced us to keep cows indoors longer but the milkers will be let out to graze initially by day and then full time by the middle of the month. With calving, bedding, milking and feeding there is a lot of work on the farm at the moment!
New product arrival
Helen Gee’s Jams and chutneys (made in Laois)
We are also increasing our range of gluten free and dairy free products.
Gluten free stock includes honey buns, Jane Russells Bratwurst sausages, Goldenhill ice cream (which has decreased in price), pasta, flour, cake mixes.
Our dairy free range includes Goat and soya milk, 5 types goat and 2 types sheep cheese, dairy free sweets.
Please if you have suggestions let us know.
A new delivery of cheese has arrived. This includes Parmesan, Linconshire Poacher, Delice de Bourgogne, Bleu D’auvergne, Pardou and Brie de Meaux.
Monasterevin quail eggs are now in stock
Recipe for a duck egg sponge cake
Beat 4 Castlefarm organic duck eggs with 4 oz of caster sugar. Beat until really light and fluffy (ie for about 10 mins in the Kenwood). Fold in 4 oz of sifted white flour and a teaspoon of baking powder. Pour into 2 x 8 inch greased baking tins. Bake in a heated oven gas mark 6 16-20 mins until top feels firm to touch. Allow to cool, turn tin upside down and ease out of the tin. Sandwich with jam and fresh cream!
This month customer’s cooking tip using turnips
“I cook shepherd’s pie at least once a week and I use mashed turnips mixed with parsley, butter, salt and pepper for the topping as opposed to mashed potatoes. Although sometimes I mix turnips and potatoes together. Sweet potatoes can also be used instead of regular spuds! Delicious!” Siobhan Maguire.
PS Michelle is helping organise a race night in the Hideout, Kilcullen on 12th March. Money raised will be used for St Joseph’s national school and Kilcullen scout group. Castlefarm has sponsored a horse but there are still opportunities for local businesses to sponsor a horse. From 8pm Michelle promises this will be a fun night out in any event!
‘Opening hours Friday and Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 12-5pm
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Contact Castlefarm Shop, Narraghmore, Athy, Co Kildare, Telephone 059-8636948, jenny@castlefarmshop.ie, www.castlefarmshop.ie