SPRING AWAKENING: What the New Season Means on the Farm

There’s something quietly magical about the arrival of spring here at Farm2Fork. As the days lengthen and the light softens, the farm begins to stir from its winter hush. This is the time of year when everything seems to stretch, yawn, and come back to life — and we’re here for every moment of it.

Out in the pastures, fresh green shoots are pushing skyward, nourished by the gentler sun and soft Devon rain. The fields are waking up, ready to support the first flush of spring grazing. Our pastures — alive with grasses, clovers and herbs — are not only nourishing our livestock but also supporting pollinators and the living soil beneath. It’s all part of the careful balance we aim for: farming with nature, not against it.

It’s a welcome sight for our ewes and the first lambs of the season. Lambing will be in full swing by mid-April, and there’s nothing quite like the sound of wobbly-legged lambs calling out for their mothers across the fields. It’s a time of care, long hours, and quiet joy.

In our purpose-built, heated barn, newly arrived chicks are adding their tiny cheeps to the soundtrack of spring. They’ll grow quickly, but for now they’re snug inside — pecking curiously and discovering their new world. A gentle reminder of the cycle of life: constant, hopeful, and deeply grounding.

At ground level, colour is returning too. Wildflowers are beginning to emerge in the verges and field edges — primroses glowing pale yellow in the shade, early violets nestled low in the grass, and hints of bluebells soon to follow. It’s a slow unfurling, but one that reminds us how rich and alive the land becomes when given space to thrive.

Elsewhere, the hedgerows are beginning to hum. New honeybees have just arrived to settle into our hives, soon to explore the farm’s flora and, with any luck, yield fragrant honey by early summer. Birds are busy nesting — robins and wrens in the hedgerows, skylarks rising above the fields, and swallows just returning from their long journey south. By late April into May, many of these species will be quietly raising chicks, tucked away in the quiet margins of the farm.

Each corner of the land is waking up, and we’re taking note — walking daily, watching closely, and adjusting as nature leads the way.

As this new season begins, so too does a new chapter for us here at Farm2Fork. Whether you’re a neighbour in Budleigh Salterton or following along from further afield, we’re so glad to have you with us.

Spring is here — and with it, a renewed sense of possibility. Let’s see what it brings.