It’s hardly possible to recount what A Day In The Life looks like, as if to fit the daily experience of life here in the farm into a prescriptive chronology, when in actual fact each day is a particular magical, insightful, fun mix of learning, exploring, connecting.
If I were to describe a day here at Lower Sharpham Farm, I would say it starts by greeting the familiar faces of the early shift in the dimmed light of the emerging sunrise, sat side by side on the log-bench that overlooks the valley and this stretch of the Dart. Sharing, imagining, reflecting, laughing, crying. Delighted gasps as the sun finally breaks over the tinted clouds and its golden-pink rays brush over the dew-covered grass in Badger field, as the lower Rewilding comes alight and the contrasting colours of the golden reeds, the ochre tussocks, the mint-green grass come alive.
Greeting later-risers in the kitchen, sharing turmeric porridge and getting ready for whatever the day the holds.
Some days are spent driving Mike crazy in the yurt, as he tries to steer us from our endless tangents and chaotic primary-school-children energy, back to his carefully planned presentations. Where he eventually gives in and releases us for a break, featuring endless cups of tea, and one, or two, or three chocolate digestives.
Other days take us up to the garden, where the sun shines the brightest and we soak its rays and greet the day with a meditation sat between the bountiful beds of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. All sorts of activities await us there, from whimsical picking of magical herbs for a shared infusion, or sowing seeds and harvesting veg for lunch; to banging compost bed posts out of place and losing our marbles digging hole after hole after hole to re-home the raspberry bushes.
On some other days we get to learn from visiting facilitators, who share their passion for a myriad of subjects, from species reintroductions to fungi to camera trapping to Bird ID.
No matter the agenda of the day, we all meet in the kitchen for lunch, enjoying a meal prepared by our fellow trainees and friends, indulging in seconds and even thirds.
Once the programme for the day is wrapped up, we’re free to spend the following three hours as we please. Some retreat for a nap, others come together to discuss and digest the day’s learning over a cup of tea and a slice of toast, and some others venture out to the fields we are lucky to call home for these three months, welcomed by the land as the day stretches over the rolling hills and begins its slow retreat. As the evening closes in, the cozy, soft-lit dayroom, by now warmed by a fire, sees us descend upon the sofas in dribs and drabs, taking in delicious aromas coming from the kitchen as dinner is prepared. Time to dive back into the pages of a book, gather round the fire and share our wildlife encounters, or recount the way the light magically fell between the leaves of a tall oak, catch up with loved ones from home. And then dinner is announced, and we all rush to cue up, plate ready in hands, and mouths watering at the sight of yet another feast lovingly prepared. Our big family joins around the table and chatter and laughter soon cascades into the room, jumping from one conversation to another, and passing around the apple juice we pressed during our first week.
Each day at the farm is unique and special, and now we are in our last third of our time here, we are savouring each day with immense gratitude for the memories we’ll take with us and always share. And now for tomorrow!
✍ Claudia Sans, Autumn 2024 Nature Recovery trainee
