6th Decmber. Practice swim at Bury pool for ourselves and Kevin.

12th December. Attended National Care Farming Initiative East Anglian seminar at Beccles. Farmworker Miriam (the only beneficiary on the speakers list) gave an enthusiastic presentation of her work and involvement in MFT.

Clarkes of Walsham kindly supplied discounted wood and delivered very quickly wood for netted poytunnels and computer table to Rede.

The Henry Smith Charity awarded MFT a one-off grant of £9,000 towards the running cost of the charity.

Claas UK made a £50 Christmas donation to MFT.

The Bury Abbey Rotary Club donates £1,500.

Andrew Winearls of Whiting and Partners, Bury St. Edmunds, kindly volunteered to inspect the MFT accounts for 2007-8.

Ian Coles, deputy senior support worker and host farmer at Old Hall, East Bergholt, reluctantly gave up his position. Ian has been with MFT for 8 years. He is moving to Wales.

18 November. All MFT support staff received training in autism and appropriate support methods from Linda McKay of the National Autistic Society. Meanwhile the farmworkers were supported by committee members and volunteers Richard and Kath Hopper who took them to see the prize winning British White Cattle and Herefords owned by Mr. Leslie Cook of Albany Farm, Over, Cambs. In the afternoon the team visited Snakehall Farm, Reach, Cambs.

21st November. Three of the Friday team went to Bury pool to join in the disabled swimming session and support Kevin in his practices for the sponsored swim for April. In the afternoon we visited D.J. Evans of Bury St. Edmunds (tools and hardware) and purchased a pillar drill, band-saw, trestles and clamps. These purchases were made possible by the generous donation of Barclays Bank matched by a generous discount from D.J. Evans. Local companies are very supportive of M.F.T.

22nd November. MFT had a stall at the Green Fair, Bury. Richard and Kath Hopper, Anna Greenleaves, Miriam Newell, Kevin Chapman and Jenny Chapman all helped or contributed in some way to make this a very successful event. £77 was raised and useful networking achieved.

27th November. Trustee Pat attended a networking meeting at Bury volunteer centre with other local charities. The purpose was to discover if local charities could share their own resources to improve economies and also extend knowledge of local charitable groups.

28th November. Bernadette, trustee and chair, attended a management and funding and discussion meeting at Bury Volunteer Centre.

Richard and Kath Hopper donated their computer, printer and scanner to MFT. Mike Jesky and work teams started designing a computer table and shelving for rest room.

H.A.V.O. (Haverhill Association of voluntary Organisations) were requested by MFT to facilitate the CRB checks for staff. Then the support staff had a very interesting training day. Linda McKay (National Autistic Society) gave a very informative presentation and upskilled the team.

At Rede, we continued the planting of daffodils and made plans for a temporary netting cover once the shoots began to appear. Pigeons and other wildlife had by now been eating voraciously our pak choi and spinach. As soon as netted hooped tunnel became available we transplanted the pak choi and protected them. So far new growth was continuing without being eaten. Onions and broad beans were planted.

The gate for the strawberry patch was finished and weatherproofed whilst the step was designed and constructed. That too had two coats of waterproof paint.

Thompson and Morgan kindly donated a box of garlic bulbs. Clearing suitable land (which hadn't had onions on in the previous season) became a priority once the spare rows had been utilised. About 300 cloves already planted and more will be planted late January; an old compost heap and rough ground needs to be prepared.

Host farmer at Rede, Nigel Oakley, said we could have the manure from the cow yard. Mucking out began in earnest keeping us warm on the cold days. Some was put on the new compost heap the rest was wheelbarrowed to the field. Another netted tunnel was constructed and yet another painted to ensure the timber was weatherproof. Another two boot jacks were made. A start was made on clearing overhanging branches and bramble undergrowth from the ditch and hedge alongside the MFT field. There has been a good supply of beetroot, swiss chard and spinach.

To reduce costs it was agreed that this year’s AGM reports would be sent by e-mail and post. Regulations have changed enabling small charities to disseminate their AGM reports and receive feedback in various ways.

Formal approval was given to farmworker Kevin's proposal to hold a sponsored swim in April.

Various committee members and supporters volunteered to provide alternative transport for the Friday team due to transport shortage resulting from the death of Mr Pearl, our volunteer car driver.

MFT received a generous donation of £378.29 in memory of Mr. Arthur Pearl from his friends and family.

One of our support staff had a major operation and was off work for a month. Again others rallied round so the farmworkers could continue to access their work days as ususal.

In October we planted daffodils at Rede Hall (these were paid for by a local MFT supporter). There were early - late varieties and most had a good fragrance and long vase life. The aim was to sell to local pubs and some florists/farm shops end of February through early April.

David Cook brought along his strimmer and cleared the docks and tough grass in the planned new vegetable patch area and also along the fence line of the field.

We continued to harvest vegetables including spinach, swiss chard, raspberries and beetroot.

A gate for the strawberry patch was designed, measured and constructed. There was a family of rabbits inside our rabbit fenced field and they were eating young strawberry plants and the nearby spinach. Hence we rabbit fenced this patch and to make access easy for humans (especially for those with hip/mobility difficulties). We planned a step and gate entrance with further rabbit netting underneath and around the step.

Earlier in the autumn local farmer Robert Fearnley had lent MFT his rotovator. This was attached to our tractor and the field rotovated (to discourage the thistles and docks reappearing). This could only be done when we had a tractor driver working on the team and the weather was suitable.

Boot-jacks were made for sale at the up coming Green Fair and further liaison with Street Forge on the joint development of the wooden vegetable markers (also for sale at the Green Fair). These vegetable markers were made with the shape of the vegetable at the top in addition to the written word. For people who could not read they could identify from the shape what was planted in the ground.

We had two visitors - one a potential volunteer committee member and one from the Suffolk Deaf Society who would provide MFT with some sign language training early in 2009.

The team at Old Hall continued to look after the Red Poll Cattle, check through the potatoes and do some hedge cutting.

Visits to Rede by potential new volunteer committee members.

Keen would-be support workers Ritchie Tennant and Mike Jesky join teams on temporary basis to help out.

Local CWG store staff visit and pledge their help.

Sunday 8th June Euston Rural Pastimes £120 raised. Loan of tent, Daisy the cow and supporting equipment from SB surveyors.

MFT has been generously supported by Barclays Bank who have donated £1,000 to purchase a jigsaw and drill press for the workshop and a tent for use at Open days and shows. MFT is very grateful for Barclays' support and interest following their visit to MFT at Rede in March of this year.

Friday 2nd May Stowmarket Town council present MFT with cheque.

Sunday 11th May (extremely hot!!) South Suffolk show MFT raises £94. Loan of tent, Daisy the cow and supporting equipment from SB Surveyors.

Weather so hot we have to buy 4x25 litre water containers to help mitigate the water shortage on the veg and fruit beds down on the field. We also buy two very large rolls of mypex (landscape weed control material).

Visitors to the MFT team at Old Hall - potential new farmworkers and volunteers.

MFT farmworkers at Old Hall try cheese making. Also lots of tractor driving and operating the fork lift.

Second two weeks of May it rains and rains and the weeds grow and grow ( they heard about the mypex and were determined that sheer weed numbers would outwit the latest fabric technology) and the rabbits breed and breed and eat and eat!

East Bergholt parish council donates £150.

Mayor of St. Edmundsbury donates £25.

Spring/Summer Newsletter published courtesy of SB Surveyors.

Rougham Hall nurseries donate two gooseberry bushes.

Thomson and Morgan donate seeds and onion sets to MFT.

Clarkes of Walsham organise speedy delivery of wood at discounted prices.

Friday 4th April - Stowmarket Town council present MFT with tools and equipment.

Donation of strawberry plants from Alison Stewart.

Sunday 20th April - Sam's sponsored walk from Bury to Clare. Publicity by egconsulting.