DOG walkers and allotment holders in Laverstock have probably already met goats Sophie and Seeka.

The pair are a familiar sight in Cow Lane where they go on their daily rambles from River Bourne Community farm to browse the hedgerows for bramble leaves.

Sophie and Seeka arrived at the farm in October and have already settled into their new home. After Christmas they will be mated with a Billy goat and the farm plans to make cheese with the milk. The goats join the other livestock on the 58-acre farm alongside the River Bourne in Laverstock. These include 10 Wiltshire horn sheep, born at the farm in Easter 2009 who are due to lamb in early spring, a pedigree herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle, several flocks of Lohman Brown chickens and the latest piglets – four Oxford Sandy and Blacks, a traditional breed.

Mary and David Law are two of the 100 plus volunteers on the books of the community farm, and have signed up as goat walkers.

“I just love it,”

said Mary.

“They are such wonderful creatures and love eating the bramble leaves and thistles along the lane.”

David, who is Laverstock parish council’s representative at the farm, has helped with almost everything since work began in March 2009, from helping to clear brambles from the then derelict office building to feeding the calves, pigs and sheep.

“To involve all the village and the community is fantastic,” he said.

“The open day in June was like a great big village fete. Now we have a real family event and with half the people arriving on foot, that was even better.”

The farm relies heavily on volunteers and has just two members of staff, farm office manager Jane Wilkinson and sales and marketing coordinator, Kat Hill.

“There is so much goodwill here,”

said Jane. “It is truly amazing.”

Jane was delighted the day I visited as the farm had just received confirmation of a grant from Landfill communities fund to develop the farmyard. “We need to make the farmyard safe, then we can get more people in to see the work we are doing and to give us more space,” she said.

Chairman of River Bourne Community Farm is its visionary founder Ben Parker who told me about the farm’s objectives: “In the 1950s and 1960s communities had small farms and everyone knew everyone else. We wanted to create an atmosphere so that people can get to know their community farm and children and young people can get hands-on experience. It is great to link children with agriculture and for them to see where their food comes from. Hundreds of school children have visited the farm already this year.”

Ben’s vision is now being realised.

Eggs from the Lohman Browns are available for sale at the farm office during working hours, together with local honey and, earlier this month, the farm held a mini market where free-range, farm-reared pork was for sale along with other fresh produce.

And on Saturday, a further 30 semi-mature fruit trees were planted, to add to the 30 already planted for the community orchard, thanks to sponsorship by Require Recruitment. The farm has its own bee hives so there should be no shortage of bees to pollinate the blossom come spring.

“The trees are all traditional varieties of apple tree and will be used for cider and chutney to sell at the farm. Everything we do is for the community here,” said Ben. On Sunday at 4pm River Bourne Community Farm is hosting Bethlehem, with carols and Christingle in the barn in conjunction with St Mark’s and St Andrew’s Churches.

* You can buy eggs from the farm office in Cow Lane on Mondays to Fridays between 9am and 4pm.