Christmas Is Nearly Here

I suppose we had to succumb to something soon, Myself and all three children are at home today with colds. It's a toss up as to who is the worst, i think it may be Jess, then me, Hannah and James. Phillip, who has just stated his busiest week in the butchers shop is still Ok and keeping his distance!, however true to form he will go down with everything next week went he adrenaline finishes and he's left flat.

One night last week at about 9.30pm I had a phone call from a gentleman who wanted to order some meat for the Oswestry Market. He'd had some last year and it was brilliant and he wanted the same again this year. I explains that we had given up doing Oswestry Market nearly 12 months ago. He was amazed, "Oh why did you do that your meat is so good". Perhaps if I hadn't been half asleep, or that I don't want to seem churlish I may have put him right by saying - well it doesn't pay the bills customers just coming once a year at Christmas for their meat we need sales all year around to be able to attend farmers market.

One customer this week left a curt message on the phone to cancel his order it was no way to run a business. He had placed an order on the Internet I had been ill so not in the office for some time, so we were unaware. he had phoned Philip, Philip had told him i would phone him in the morning, as soon as I got back from taking all three children to school, on the morning that the roads were covered with black ice so i was back at 10.30 ish instead of 9.30, I phoned him and left a message, then played back my messages to find his message already left cancelling his order. I phoned again apologised and explained what had happened, when i switched my e-mail on there was another message from him, which I answered in more detail explaining how the complications had arisen, to date I have heard nothing from him.

On the brighter note a customer phoned this week and asked for a sirloin joint, chatted about where the beef came from what we did, how it was raised and butchered and it was a pleasure to do business with him.

I think what it is important to get across is that we are not Tesco's or Safeway's or Aldi. If one of us is ill we do not have back up and jobs have to be prioritised, when placing orders with us its not a supermarket or big business you are placing orders with but a small family business who are doing the best they can, and satisfying 99% of all the people we deal with.

I am sorry to those few ( only 2) who feel we are not up to scratch.

Challenge of Rural Leadership Course 2008

A photo of the course students on the last evening. 18 of the finest agricultural brains ( or so we like to think!!!!)

I have yet to look at the DVD which I have just received from the Duchy College which shows our media interviews, perhaps this is a cop out on my behalf, but it will certainly remind me of all the friends I made during the two weeks.

Going from right to left there is Matthew, Me, (front to back), Nick, Mathias, Anthony ( The Colonel) Tom, Oliver, DJ (David) Andrew, Mike, Clive, Julie, David, Dale, Tom, Dr Phil, Thammi and Paul.

Hope you're all still looking on from the Balcony...........

Worshipful Company of Farmers

As always when Ii find something out about anything to do with agriculture I want to let you all know about it.

I had never even heard of this worshipful company, nor any of the other liveried companies in London and it's quite interesting.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF FARMERS grew out of the Company of Agriculturalists (subsequently altered to the “Company of Farmers”) of the City of London which had been established on 23rd September 1946. In December 1946 Lord Courthope, a Past Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company, accepted an invitation to become Master of the new Company.
The initiative came from the the Chairman's Committee of the British Red Cross Agricultural Fund which had been set up during the Second World War and was known as the Duke of Gloucester's Red Cross and St John of Jerusalem Appeal Organisation. The purpose was to raise funds for the war effort. The whole of agriculture and ancillary trades were united by this appeal and over £8.5million had been raised when the Fund closed in 1946.
In February 1951, a Petition was presented to the Court of Alderman and on 22nd January 1952, the Court granted the Prayer of the Petition. The Company's Grant of Livery was fianlly approved on 10th June 1952 and formally presented to the Master by the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House on 31st October 1952. A Grant of Charter of Incorporation was formally made by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 29th July 1955.
The annual installation of the Master is held at the conclusion of the Company's Harvest Festival Service in October each year.

Challenge of Rural Leadership Course

Unbelievably it will be two weeks tomorrow since I returned from my course in Devon. The farm is still here, the children still alive, and Philip, although ill for several days after I returned, has sustained very few life threatening ailments, meaning that it is alright for me to go away for two weeks on a regular basis.............!

It has been very hard, now I'm back, not to have come in like a bull in a china shop and tell everyone that we are all doing it wrong - after all we are fairly successful in what we have achieved so far, so softly softly.

The two weeks were wonderful and I would recommend that any one who is interested in going forward within the rural workplace should apply for a place on the course. Applications are taking place now and can be found at www.cornwall.ac.uk. The course fees may be subsidised in some way by the Worshipful Company of farmers, again all the information can be found at the website quoted previously.

The course is very hands on, and ours consisted of candidates from South Africa, Australia, Chech Republic, Scotland, Wales (Me) and England. There were people from many occupations, NFU Policy Makers, Solicitors, Land Agents, Agricultural Bank Managers, Tenant Farmers, Arable Farmers, Dairy Farmers, Organic Farmers, and Rural Lecturers. We took part in lectures from Jane king - Farmers Weekly, Prof. Keith Grint - leadership Expert, prof Fuller - gene technology. John Stones - Nuffield Scholarships, International farming, Organic Perspective form HRH Farms, Neil Parish- EU Agriculture, Col.Bryan Watters - Military Leadership, Media Relations, communication workshops and much more, finishing in a presentation dinner at the end of the course.

I would be happy to talk to anyone interested int eh course who may like to apply so for a personal overview give me a ring on 01597 851614 - well worth the two weeks away!!!!!!

Coleg Powys Pay Us A Visit

A Beautiful crisp, frosty and icy morning.

Coleg Powys year three agricultural students have just paid us a visit, they are doing their unit on diversification.
This is now the fourth year that they and their tutor Nigel Barrat have been using us as a role model for a Farm diversification.

We started off in the cattle shed talking about how and when we started, and how we have much more control over our business as it is not totally dependent on live stock auction prices or abattoir prices, and how we have to be able to adjust our business to accommodate ever changing events, such as lamb prices up or down etc.

We then go to the butchers shop where Philip explains how we add value to Lambs and Cattle. This is the area which amazes them the most. Like many farmers they probably take their stock direct to abattoir or to livestock markets and the price they get for them dose not comp[are to the retail price. although I have to say that this year the lamb price has held up much better, possibly due to a smaller amount of lamb being available as more and more farmers leave the business every day.

Finally, after a coffee, we have a brief visit to my office, which amazingly for some of them is not a biscuit tin on the kitchen table but a nerve centre of the business (or so i like to think!).

After my recent course I hope I have inspired them as to how important it is to step back and have a good look at what you are doing take time to leave the dance floor and view everything from the balcony - go on give it a try........

Cawl Workshop at Treffonen School

I went into class 4 on Tuesday 24th September as part of our

British Food Fortnight celebrations.

This is a little late in being posted, but I did promise the children that I would, I have just received a disc of the photo's taken by the teacher, Mr Williams, during the workshop, and they are fantastic. You can see from just these three images that the children are engrossed with their cookery 100%.

I had precooked a boned and rolled shoulder of lamb having shopped it into small pieces prior to putting it into a pan of water. The children then peeled and chopped parsnips, leeks, potatoes, carrots and swedes to add to the bubbling pot, whilst we went on to talk about our farm where the lamb came from and all the different cuts of Welsh Lamb that you can get and how you can cook them.

The finale of the workshop is of course where the children get to eat the Cawl that they have made, they all lined up like Oliver twists soup kitchen and true to form there was a few who came back and said "Please can I have some more"?

Anouther School Visit

Today we have hosted a visit from Knighton primary school, years 5/6, and we had a really smashing day. the weather held out for us, actual sun shine for some of the time, and only a light shower when we were in the sheep shed in the wood, describing what it would be like during lambing time.
They arrived at 10am and left at 2pm and we never stopped and they thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, even when two of them fell bottoms up in the mud going down a slippery field. (you both know who you are!!!)

We started off with a tour of the farm yard, including the various sheds we have, the machinery which is housed in them, and what it is like through winter with stock in them. We then visited the three orphan calves including Nemo (see an earlier blog), the children were all able to come into the pen, accompanied by me and stroke and feel Nemo, probably the closest they have ever been, or may well ever be to a calf of this size. they also saw the two little bulls (18 months old).

Two groups had turns in the butchers shop, watching sausage making demonstration, and looking at cuts of Welsh Lamb. they were most interested in the kidneys which were still intact in a full lamb carcass. They ate their dinner during this time sat on straw bales in the shed.

Two trailer rides took them to the top of the hill ready for our walk to Caergynant, our new farm in organic conversion. we had a mile and a half walk to get to the farm buildings over there, which most of the children were not looking forward to. however they relished walking through the mud over the stream, and racing up a steep hill over the quarry, through yet more mud and into the buildings , where Wyn, our Shepherd, was tailing ewes ready to go to the tup.

Minx, his terrier stole the moment, lying on her back for 29 children to pet her, I'm sure she would have stayed there all day if we'd had the time.

A walk down past Malcolm's garage to meet the bus which appeared on time, the perfect ending to the perfect day.

I have arranged to go over and do a welsh lamb Cawl workshop with them after I return from my course in mid November, and i am really looking forward to it.

it was lovely to spend time with such well behaved children and to share our world with them, i hope they are now much better informed as to what goes on on our farms in order to get food to the general public,and also of the costs ad work involved in doing so.

They have taken loads of photo's ad I hope to publish some of these when I receive them.

thanks knighton

National Welly Week ( 11 - 18th October 2008)

An organisation which could be close to all of our hearts. the RABI dos not just support farmers but people in the farming community and that could be any one of us locals in years to come. We don't see much about these organisations but they are there with financial help when people really need them and usually able to make decisions very quickly and effectively, with many cases handled by sensitive volunteers

RABI helps people in the farming community who are suffering from illness, bereavement or crisis in their lives. For example, during the flood and FMD movement restrictions of 2007 we helped hundreds of working farmers and farming families in addition to our long-term beneficiaries.

Give it some welly!
Have fun and show your support for the farming community
What is welly week?
Welly Week is an exciting fundraising campaign for farming’s national charity, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.
Welly Week asks you to take part in any activity involving wearing wellies between Saturday 11th–Saturday 18th October 2008.
By using this opportunity to raise funds you are supporting people from the farming community who are experiencing hardship or distress through no fault of their own.
RABI NATIONAL WELLY WEEK -Get Involved!
Saturday 11th–Saturday 18th October 2008

We were helped as a family during the 2001 Foot & Mouth Crisis and now I feel I can help give something back, so I have decided to wear my wellies for a week and ask for sponsorship, I hope many more of you will be able to do something and have fun in your wellies, I will of course be approaching our local schools to organise some events.

End of the Summer Holidays

Back into the office.......... it's a little bit like riding a bike, you don't forget, but it's hard work to get used to the routine again!

As I still have relatively young children, I tend to take what I laughingly refer to as a break through the summer period, when the children are off school. It always amazes me how I class myself as irreplaceable, but the business still manages to tick over (well I write the cheques out twice in that period, and obviously bank the money!) So I am now at the stage of easing myself back into it.
I have also not been very well for the past few months, the past two where I have known I am not well, previously just not felling well, but with no diagnosis I have carried on wandering why i have no energy, am tired and loosing weight, ... yes i know I am a farmer and these ailments go with the territory but there is a limit - and I reached it - so after a nice break here I am again.

Well I'll give you a quick overview of the summer we have had here in Wales on the farm........... Wet.
Yes it's all there in one word, and it's been the same for most farmers over Britain. Our cattle are discontentedly mooing all around the farm, they think it's time to come in, and time for us to be dropping a few straw bales on their fields so they can fill up on good dry stuff. However up until yesterday. we did not know if our supplier could provide us with the amount of straw which we would usually have and so we have been holding back on distributing what is left from last year, last night a relief phone call informed us that our supplier has our straw stacked in his shed- slightly discoloured, (which we assured him didn't matter), but ready for delivery. So our nightmares about how do we lamb with no straw, what will the cattle eat out now, how will we cope with our cattle in and no straw for bedding, how many cattle will we therefore have to sell - and so on and so on, anyway everything is now sorted!...........

Our organic conversion at Caergynant is going well, our harvest was as good as any ones was this year, apparently it will be next years which will tell. At the Royal Welsh Show, which by the way, was superb, I visited the 'Basic Slag' stand and in due course the bags for me to take soil samples in, arrived. (although it has been so wet ever since I received them that I have been unable to get said soil sample) Apparently it is best to apply basic slag to the fields in dry conditions and I feel that the appropriate time has not yet arrived.
All of our ewes are looking good, we have all of our Buleah Speckleds at Caergynant,- that way it's easier for the men to remember which is organic which is not!

We have put into place a Farm Health Plan aided by Liz from the local vets, we have decided to take our flocks in hand, and eradicate foot rot, so there has been months of extensive foot bathing, segregation, monitoring, marking, and culling, all of which we hope will pay dividends, especially when it comes to lambing in the spring. we have decided not to vaccinate against blue tongue, which is now available in our area, mainly due to the inadequate information there is a bout the long term effects of a vaccine which has not been tested over a nominal space of time. Amongst farmers and farming press their are accounts of high abortion rates in cattle and vets are advising not to give to ewes prior to tupping, or after tupping, and as it is a voluntary vaccination there will be no compensation if the effects of the vaccine are adverse. Another strain of blue tongue is sweeping across Europe currently and as the present vaccine doesn't cover this, will we need 2 vaccines next year? and at 56p per dose so £1.12 just to cover against blue tongue the sheep industry just can't afford the additional input costs, already suffering from minus profit margins.

The farmers Markets took a downturn in the early part of the summer, probably due more to the credit crunch scare mongering by the public press than to anything else, and has started to pick up again now.

Philip has a place on the All Wales steering group for farmers markets, and I am looking forward to taking part in the Challenge of rural leadership course in November.

As ever there is a huge list of things to do in front of us, looking for alternative accommodation for a farm shop, selling one of our properties Windy Ridge in Penybont, Arranging events for British Food Fortnight, Arranging an event for Wellie Week (see further blogs) helping the church with it's harvest festival supper, having our extension built (we hope!) setting up a community enterprise company to enable more school visits and accommodate them more effectively and help with transport costs, and repairing damage to one of our properties which the excessive rain has caused...........- Oh yes it's good to be back in the driving seat!

National Insect Week -23rd - 29th June 2008

Never one to let an opportunity go to get children out onto the farm, up pops the first National Insect Week.

On Monday 23rd, I have The Nursery/Reception Class and Class 1 from Crossgates CP School, coming to the farm for the day. (approx 35 children), then on Monday 30th (we're only a day out!) I have class 2 coming out for the day. arriving at 10.00am both classes will have the opportunity to seek and find out about the different insects that can be found in different habitats;

• A wild meadow lane


• A cattle shed


• A Pine wood


• A river


• A pond

We are providing them with a bar b q style lunch, drink and ice cream, which we hope made it more affordable for the parents to afford the £1 transport each child has to find to get a bus to deliver them just 4 miles up the road.

The cost of transport is the major factor in being able to get children out onto farms and with increasing cut backs and other drains on schools incomes, very often trips have to be funded by PTA's or parents.

Keeping our fingers crossed that the weather isn't too bad, although the weather forecast seems to be allowing fro showers, still it may change...

I'll let you know how it all goes.

Hooray ....We've Gone Clear of TB!

Thursday's testing showed a clear result on all of our cattle to TB, including the bull, who last time showed as inconclusive.

We were able to put all the animals back out to pasture on Thursday afternoon, knowing we wouldn't have to test again for 6 months, by which time many will be housed again for the winter, which will make testing much more logistical than chasing 17 young heifers and bullocks around and round the fields in blistering heat.......

Several of our neighbours, who also went down with Tb for the first time, at the same time we did, have also gone clear. Which leads tot he question where did it come from?

We operate what is known as a closed herd. We breed our own replacement cows, and only buy in bulls once every 4 -5 years. When a bull, or indeed if any other animal was purchased into the herd it would undergo a pre-Tb movement test, so technically your Tb status should be preserved. Our cattle have tested negative to TB for years before our breakdown in Autumn this year, ........so where did it come from???????????

TB Testing again today

With temperatures set to hit max. 26degrees today, I am sitting in the cool of my office catching up and remembering running around in the heat of the late afternoon yesterday getting the cattle in for TB testing.
Tb testing although a pain is much more easily structured in the housing months as obviously the cattle are, in the majority, mostly already in doors. It is just a matter of running them into a cattle crush, and then back into the shed again.
During the summer months they are all out on their grazing ground, so we have to get them into sheds the previous day ready to test them all and then get them all back in four days later to read the test.
Philip, Len & Colin were out yesterday after lunch sorting out the cattle sheds, moving gates etc and then they would begin to get the animals in. Then Philip hobbled in,( with Len & Colin in tow obviously looking for some tea!) he had been lifting and pushing the cattle crush and had felt something go twang in his calf muscle followed by tremendous pain. A couple of hours later, a trip to Llandrindod to the Docs, a torn muscle confirmed, rest, ice and feet up advised (as I had already suggested .... oh I am so wise!), and Philip is now sitting watching cricket moaning that he is bored, whilst Wyn, Len & Colin see to the TB test.
We can only keep our fingers crossed that we go clear this time. 6 weeks ago one of the Bulls read inconclusive, so hopefully this time we will be in the clear, because as he came from a TB free herd, and was tested free of TB pre-movement onto our farm, there is little chance of him having TB.

Will keep you up to date with the results.

And One Becomes Three

Our orphan 'Nemo' has two friends with him now.

Nemo is the largest one closest to us, his mum, Lisa, went down after calving him, never got up and despite homeopathic treatment and conventional treatment by the vet she died just five days after having him.

The middle calf is one of twin calves. Her mum had twins last year, but didn't seem to do the two of them as well as she should have, so we have taken one of them off her this year and hopefully this one will do much better having calf milk and calf pellets than she would if we had left her on her mum with her butty. This calf will not go for breeding but will be raised for meat. Twin calves do not breed, there is something that alters in their genetic make up, which will be sad as we will get to know her very well as we are feeding her three times a day and the children get in and play with her etc.

'Oscar' is the calf lying the furthest away against the corner of the wall, his mum was quite old and several weeks after having him she got down and was finding it really difficult to get up, and was staying down for longer and longer. the vet decided she was very arthritic and rheumatic and so we had to have her put down, otherwise when she went out into the fields she may well have got stuck somewhere and died in a tragic way because she was too old to cope with normal cow life.

They will now feed from an automatic feeder which is like a long bucket with three boobs on it, this is where the calves can all suck at the same time. previously we were feeding them out of a bottle with a teat on. Well you could feed two at a time, but the third one kept trying to suck at anything ti could, ears, clothes, feet etc and then when you fed the third one the other two would be sucking away at you.........

It won't be long until they can go outside for the first time into the fresh air. I bet they'll run and jump around together.

Bayer / FACE Farm to Classroom Awards 2008

I am so excited because we have got through to the next round the farm to Classroom awards for our work educating children on the farm and in the classroom.

The Bayer Crop Science & Farming and Countryside Education Awards were started in 2007, to coincide with the launch of the Year of Food and Farming. These awards were set up to reward those that have been pro-active in the field of education. Our categories are; Access, Biodiversity, Promotion of Countryside Careers, Farm to Classroom and Innovative Learning.The Bayer/FACE awards have already become known in the industry as a celebration of the very best in farming education.
The awards this year, are again open to CEVAS accredited farmers, nominated by the FACE Regional Co-ordinators but new to this year, we have also invited our Four Seasons Farmers to take part and given farms and Centres the opportunity to self-nominate, so this year we can look forward to even more entries!

Farm to the Classroom Award
Criteria:- For a farm making a valuable contribution to school life away from the farmyard,
whether it be covering curriculum activities, setting up a school farmers' market or helping with
growing activities, as not all farms are conducive to hosting educational visits, the emphasis is
on bringing expertise to the school.

Fingers crossed! ( I keep my fingers crossed that often its a wonder they do any work at all!!!)

We Are Hosting a LEAF Open Farm Sunday Workshop

We are getting ready to host our open farm Sunday Workshop tomorrow, so the most important thing is getting the cakes and teas ready!

One large spongecake and two bara briths down just Welsh Cakes, and chocolate brownies to go.

My husband will be helping me put together a health & safety crime scene this evening, similar tot he one in the picture which we visited on our Speak Out course recently. (The farmers amongst you will indeed grimace - is it very similar to your own farmyard?)

We will be expecting between 10 -15 people who hope to get involved in open farm Sunday on the 1st of June this year, LEAF, the organisation who co-ordinate the event will be helping us get to know how to deal with the general public, how to avoid jargon,(we farmers do so like all of our farming terms) and how most people will just love to have the chance to look around a working farm.

I hope it goes well because I really badgered Roly to have a workshop in mid Wales, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well. it really is an opportunity for us to sing out our achievements and show everyone why farming really matters.......................

Off To Llangranog

It's 6.00am and I'm up drinking my Ginger Tea and putting together the last of my pile because I 'm off to Llangranog with my son's school, Trefonen, today.
It was the most beautiful day yesterday, the sun was shinning, it was warm, the grass grew in front of my eyes!, I spent all day outside (apart from the obligatory shopping, and a few phone calls from the office). I cleaned and hoovered the car (well overdue) I planted some corn and some beans and flowers in the little green house, I began to clean out the large green house. When the children came home James cleaned out the hen house and then went shooting, Jessie cleaned out the Guinea pigs, and Hannah cleaned out the stable and then went riding, they didn't even want tea until 6pm - what a difference some nice weather can make.
So today I've woken up, been awake since 3am actually, have come downstairs, let the cats in- they are terrific mousers now, and looked outside and it's raining!!!!!!!!, so Llangranog is a wet start.

What and where is Llangranog well.........
Llangrannog Urdd Centre was founded in 1932 as the Urdd’s first permanent residential camp. The land was given by a gentleman named J M Howell, and as appreciation for his generous gift, the first building on the site, a wooden cabin food hall, was named after his Mansion - Plas Penhelyg. Penhelyg acted as the focal point, and became the heart of the Centre, Four weeks of summer camp was held during that hot summer for 150 people. One gentleman that attended the camp during the summer of 1932 has written an account in a local newspaper in Cardiff. During the 30s the Centre grew from strength to strength, with Social Services, Council and the Jubilee Trust grants in 1936 providing assistance to develop further the facilities in the form of more cabins.In 1938 the first mixed summer camp was held, where previously two separate camps were held. Also during that summer, a summer camp for adults was held as a change for them to relive a little of their youth on the Ceredigion coastline.In 1939 with the aid of The National Fitness Council a gym was built, which opened the gates for Llangrannog Urdd Centre to develop educational courses for children and schools. This was the start of combining educational courses and outdoor activityDespite the war a summer camp was held in 1940 with many restrictions, one of which saw no tents being erected.The summer camps were cancelled for the next few years until a campaign in 1944 to re-open the summer camps gathered force. Below is a complaint that was posted in the editorial of the Aelwyd that year:"The loss of a year's summer camp isn't only a loss of holidays, but the loss of a part of life, an experience that does more than any other to prepare young people for being leaders and complete citizens in later life."In that year over a 1000 campers were welcomed of all ages, including many from the ‘Young Wales Clubs’, non-Welsh speakers, that spent two weeks at the Centre.

Check out the website at http://www.urdd.org/ but I am certainly looking forward to having a go at Skiing speak to you again soon.

Trefonen Have an Educational Visit

Ysgol Trefonen visited the lambing sheds on Tuesday this week. They arrived in the morning and had a brisk walk down the hill to Nantleach, whilst i pointed out on the way the damage the badgers were doing to the roadside and how they could all be countryside detectives if you keep alert and look at everything that is going on around you.

After arriving at the Lambing sheds they helped to water and feed hay to all the ewes in the shed. they bottle fed some of the tiddling lambs (Lambs with no mums) and also gave Nemo his first feed of the day. He was very pleased to share his pen with four children at a time who scratched his head and legs for him, and he just loved trying to suck on someones wellies or coat!

Some of the children would have sat the whole time and just cuddled a lamb, I'm sure - what all of we farmers take for granted is a little bit of heaven for many children and older people.......

It was a good opportunity , in my opinion, for the children to see a dead lamb. They had the opportunity to see that there is nothing to be feared in seeing death, and that the body of a dead lamb looks the same as a body of a live lamb but is cold. All stepped back when I said of here's a lamb which has died in the night, but when I said it was alright to touch him and feel him they all stepped forward and soon everyone had come running down from the first shed to share in the knowledge of the dead.

They saw the Cattle and Calves in the sheds, and also one of our bulls, they met Saffy, our hound dog who is back for the summer, and had the opportunity to play on some large stacked bales of straw. they had a wonderful time, and I actually had to throw the teachers out as it was well over the time when they should have left and they were still looking on at lambing pens.

They were fortunate to see a lamb being born,(with a little help from farmer Len) and they named him Trefonen. he will be going out side today with his mum we have marked him with a T so we can keep them informed of his growth and maybe they can see him again next time they come to visit us on the farm.

I have to say the next day a parcelforce man came to deliver a parcel to us and said he believed we had had a school visit yesterday, apparently he had a niece who had come out, she was full of it last night he said couldn't stop talking about it, but mainly she was most talkative about the dead lamb!!!!!!!

TB Test Results Are Much More Hopefull

Just a quickie before i go and fetch Jessica from off the School Bus.......
We read our TB test today from the first day of testing on Tuesday. Wonderfully the only 'INCONCLUSIVE' result is for our youngest newest Bull. We have been advised to keep him isolated from all the other cattle until the next test which will be in 6 weeks time.

the reason this is wonderful is that all of our cows, most of whom have now calved will not have to go away to slaughter and therefore neither will any of their calves, which makes it a lot easier for us, as we do not have to make the decision to send the calves for killing, or to to try and keep them, knowing they would probably suffer as they would not take easily to being bottle fed, so for another 6 weeks we have a reprieve.

On a much more hopeful note as well, just before we started to read the TB test one cow gave birth to twins...... let hope the bad luck is all behind us - fingers crossed.
I

What A Sad Week

You haven't heard much from me over the past few weeks, as many of you will know, if you've been able to catch up with me at one of the farmers markets, or meet me at school, or have a quick chat on the phone, we are in our main lambing season.

This means all hands to the pump......... crotchety men, tired staff, and lots of heartache.

The first really cold Saturday we lost several lambs out on the fields who had yearling mothers (first time mothers - not always the best as they don't always know what to do for the best). One lamb, which the children had called Saddleback, died as did his butty - brother on the night just froze out on the filed as their mum had stuck them in the coldest windiest place she could find.

Then last Thursday my cow, Lisa, started to calve, but had problems and finally the three men had to go over with the calf pullers and get the calf out, they feared it would be dead, it's tongue was sticking out and as hard as a bullet, but amazingly it was still alive and came around fairly quickly. Unfortunately Lisa was not so lucky, she could not get up, eventually they gave the calf some artificial collostrum, and milk, the vet sent some anti-inflamatories and painkillers, and I treated her with homeopathic remedies - rescue remedy, arnica and hypericum. On Monday she still had not got up, we had rolled her over several times, and she was still eating and drinking. we had to find a hoist to borrow from somewhere and the vet helped us to source one. Monday evening they attached the hoist to the JCB and managed to get her up for a few minutes. they took the calf away on Monday evening to put him under the infra red light as it was supposed to be a freezing night and he was beginning to show signs of a naval infection for which we had to get antibiotics.
The next morning I was taking my motley crew of dogs for their 6am morning walk and I found her dead in the building, I cried all the way back home, what a terrible way for her to die, and she hadn't even once fed her calf.
Nemo as the children named him, (photo above with Louise feeding him) had gone through a sticky patch during the night, but I think that the infra red light had got him through, and he was still alive - but not yet over the worse. I thought today I could here a rasping on his lungs, and he was very listless so we took him into he vets. Where she suspected bronchitis on his left lung, he had a temperature of 105 degrees. So it was a jab of antibiotics, a pain killer, and a dose of selenium - poor babs, he too has had homeopathic remedies including aconite for his breathing, and to boost his immune system and rescue remedy.

Lets hope he makes it - fingers crossed.

Organic at Caergynant

We have decided to have a go at Organic Farming at one of our farms, Caergynant.

There are several reasons for this....

1. The price of fertiliser has almost doubled during the last twelve months. As you may or not know, sheep farmers have not been making a profit on their sheep from traditional farming practices over the past 10 years or so, and to carry on with the same methods without looking at your outputs is madness, especially with core costs such as food, oil, etc ever rising, it is the recipe for even grater losses which most farms can not sustain in the long run. (or even the short run!)


2. Our farming system is not far from Organic presently. This means little changes to our present systems. (Our fertiliser usage per acre was very low originally, and our stocking rates were not high.)


3. We retail our end product ourselves, and have hopes of the farm shop, which we are opening in partnership with Kath & Gareth Griffiths, will be able to take in some of our end organic product. We have also already invested in an on line shop via our website so we can carry organic lamb to serve our Internet customers demands, with no extra outlay.


4. The local abattoir which we use is already registered to slaughter organic stock.


5. The Welsh assembly government is offering significant financial input to help us convert.

I now just have to get through all the paperwork which goes with non-simitaneous conversion (have to get used to using all the jargon - just what LEAF tell us not to do..........)

LEAF 'Speak Out' Course

Here we are in Leics at the LEAF 'Speak Out' Course, to which I was kindly invited.

I have to say it was a most enjoyable course and I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to participate in one.

Two days, with 12 farmers, all from different backgrounds, all with different skills, and from different farms, all with a common cause - to tell the story of farming, to serenade the industry, and to sing the praises of farmers and what they do..... bring food to the Nations plate.

Here we have Hugh (affectionately known to us as 'Vegetable man') telling us all about his parsnips, which Anthony is holding (affectionately known to us as 'the Gentleman Farmer'), In the background we have Roly from LEAF, and Fay, who's farm won the prettiest Farm title.

This was the part in the day which we had all taken in a 'prop' to tell a story of our own farms. Hugh was telling us that the parsnips he had brought would not be up to scratch for the supermarkets and that they had a huge pile on his farm which would go to animal feed and this was one of the reasons why food is getting more and more expensive because there is such a lot of it wasted.

I certainly valued my time in the course and the knowledge of the other students around me. I hope I can now put some of the brilliant notions I have come away with into practice, I would recommend this course to any one who wants to get our food, farming, environment message over to the general public.

see http://www.leafuk.org/ for further details on LEAF's work

has

Speak Out Course

A snap of some of our wonderful Welsh Black Cattle enjoying their rolled barley



It's a beautiful, no glorious, spring day. I have just walked Turk, our trainee sheep dog, up the road, our Spaniel, Lady, accompanied us, going at 100 miles an hour, as Spaniels do, with her tail wagging all the time. Turk will just about walk steadily now on a short lead, which is good because with all this icy weather I have to be careful he dosen't pull me over. it was a difficult manoever at the cattle grid when he decided today, for the first time, to try to walk down the side, so I followed gingerly balancing, and he decided to jump the last half-...... so off I went as well!

I am having a lift to Dolau station at 11.30 to catch the train, ( mindfull of my carbon footprints!)first to Shrewsbury then to Birmingham then to Oakham in Leics, near Melton Mowbray, as tomorrow I am attending the first of a two day Speak Out Course organised and funded by LEAF.
I am staying at the Stilton Cheese Pub, which apparently is renowned for it's food, - so looking forward to that.
I have been told to take along a prop which will be relevant to my farm for a farm walk, ?.................... and to take some newspaper cutttings, not from the farming press, which are relevent to environment or farming so I am going armed with all these things, a large suitcase, containg boots for a farm walk, my handbag full of essential things for a train journey, reading book, newspaper, mobile phone, oh and two bars of Thortons Cakes, new at the garage this morning - well I have to keep abreast of food markets, - don't I?

Is Spring Here?

A little ray of sunshine and I 'm off around my garden to see what is emerging. Isn't it lovely to have a week of sunshine after the months of dark days and rain?

At the back of my garden, by the tump, overlooking our well field, I found a clump of lovely snowdrops looking beautiful in their natural surroundings. It made me think of Philp's Mum, June, who died in October. Snowdrops were her favourite flower, and this time of year when we took her on any trip she would point out every clump of snowdrops between home and the destination, and on the return journey, she would say how lovely each clump looked. She knew where every clump between here and Hereford was, and between here and knighton!

What they say is right, when you see the snowdrops peeping out you know spring is just around the corner.................................

What A Sad Day - We Have Got TB in Our Herd

We have been reading the TB test reults today, and when I phoned Philip at 11.00am they were moving from Nantleach to Brynllefrith with some very bad and sad news. Three of our younger cows have reacted positively to the Tb test meaning they will have to be culled.

All three are in calf, and expecting within the next few weeks. We are hoping that they will be able to stay in isolation on the farm so that they can have their calves before the cows are taken off to be culled. We will then have to raise the calves on the bucket / bottle.

It would appear that the bullock whom has already been culled who reacted at the last test probably picked it up at Nantleach, where we have never had Tb before.

I am now researching to find our all we can about TB and to see what we can do to eradicate it at this stage. I think it may well be that we can get together with neighbours because we should all be working together on common ground if we are to do this.

I have put together some snippets so that you can see what a huge problem this disease is for the farming industry.

Why is it important to keep wildlife away from cattle feed?
Evidence suggests that transmission between badgers and cattle is possible through cattle investigating and/or eating contaminated feed or fodder (indirect transmission).
Research has found that badgers regularly visit farm buildings to feed. Evidence of this was found in research by the Central Science Laboratory and can be seen in video clips accessible on the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) website. This is particularly true during dry, warm periods when the ground is hard and one of their preferred food sources (earthworms) is more difficult to find. Unprotected food sources may be contaminated by foraging badgers if they are carrying TB. There is a particular risk from badgers if they are in the advanced stages of TB since they shed bacteria and are more likely to look for easily accessible food and shelter. Source (defra)

Fourteen leading agricultural and veterinary organisations met earlier this month and agreed a controversial strategy to start killing the animals.
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The extermination will cover a vast area of the West Country, with the first cull expected to take place this summer. Organisers hope the cull can then be repeated for the next three years.
The proposed area covers Britain's best-known badgers, on the Fishleigh Estate near Okehampton, Devon, who have been watched by millions on BBC2's Springwatch series.
The Government has yet to decide whether to formally permit a cull, but Lord Rooker, the farming and animal health minister, admits that it has "no justification" to reject it.
Scientists claim badgers act as a reservoir for TB, contracting it from cattle and then reinfecting them.
Both bovine TB and the badger population are on the increase - confirmed infections have risen from 125 in 1994 to about 2,000 last year.
No one knows how many badgers there are, but some suggest the figure may now stand at 400,000 in the UK, double the 1990 estimate.
However, any attempts to cull badgers are likely to be met with fierce public opposition.
An official consultation last year attracted 47,000 responses, three times as many as a similar one on fox-hunting, with more than 95 per cent against the slaughter.
Earlier this year a report by Sir David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, concluded killing badgers would help reduce the spread of TB in cattle.
In the report sent to ministers, Sir David called for a badger cull to be carried out by "competent operators" in areas such as the South West where there is a "high and persistent incidence" of the disease.
His report explicitly challenged the conclusions of a 10-year study, chaired by Prof John Bourne, which said culling badgers would be ineffective in controlling the spread of the disease.
That conclusion was met with fury by farmers, who point to Government inaction and say 2007 has been the worst year for bovine TB in recent times. Source(Telegraph 31.12.2007)

DEFRA has concluded.The Independent Scientific Group on bovine tuberculosis has published its final report today (Monday, 18 June) after nearly 10 years of investigation in to the role badgers play in spreading the disease.
The report acknowledges that badgers do play a role in perpetuating the disease amongst cattle, but that a cull would have no worthy contribution and could make the situation worse.
For more articles and comment on bovine TB see our special report page at Bovine tuberculosis: FWi special report
For any cull to be effective it would need to be conducted over a very large area, such as the south west peninsula, require the complete eradication of badgers from that area and sustained for a number of years, said John Bourne, chairman of the ISG.
He added that it was made clear to the group by ministers at its inception nearly 10 years ago that any policy requiring the removal of badgers from large areas of land was totally unacceptable.
In its final report the group is also been critical of the current cattle policy and of DEFRA’s ability to implement a policy based on scientific findings and advocates DEFAR base future policy on tackling the disease spread between cattle with the introduction of a tougher suite of cattle controls.
“The objective of our work, outlined in this scientific report, has been to seek scientific truth and to provide clarity on the major issues that need to be considered for gaining control of cattle TB,” Prof Bourne said.
“We believe that in this Report Ministers now have sufficiently robust and extensive evidence to enable informed policy decisions to be made. They now have the sound science they require.”
“After nearly a decade of work we believe that we have fulfilled our original aims and are now able to provide a comprehensive appreciation of the overall problem. Our findings will surprise some, and be unwelcome to others.”
He added: “Having shown that the main approach to cattle TB control should be rigorously targeted to cattle, we hope that the overwhelming scientific evidence we have provided to support this view, and the policy options we present, will enable the farming industry and government to work together in a constructive and cooperative manner to tackle this very serious disease of cattle which causes so much economic loss and hardship to cattle farmers”.
In a statement to the House of Commons on the ISG’s report DEFRA secretary David Miliband said: “We know that the badger can play a role in maintaining disease in the areas where bovine TB is endemic.
“The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 allows the culling of badgers under licence for disease control purposes but, while the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) has been in progress, there has been a moratorium on issuing licences for culling of badgers for bovine TB. The ISG’s final report marks the end of the RBCT. We therefore need to decide next steps.
“The ISG's report summarises the results of the RBCT. These show that small scale culling can increase levels of TB in cattle. The report also says that proactive culling as practiced in the RBCT can bring benefits but only if culling is sustained over a number of years and co-ordinated.
“The ISG are not convinced that it would be practical or economical to deliver a cull in this way, leading them to conclude that badger culling could not contribute meaningfully to the control of bovine TB in Great Britain.”
The report’s conclusions came as bitter disappointment to the NFU, but were warmly welcomed by the Badger Trust.
NFU president Peter Kendall said: “I simply do not accept that the industry cannot devise a culling strategy that will reduce the reservoir of TB in badgers”, he said.
“Indeed, recent experience in Ireland, where a targeted badger culling strategy has reduced TB outbreaks in cattle by 42% in the last five years, confirms that culling can and does work, if it is carried out thoroughly and carefully.” Mr Kendall has requested an urgent meeting with DEFRA ministers to discuss future policy.
Trevor Lawson for the Badger Trust said: “Killing badgers is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, doing far more harm than good.
“A less brutish approach to the small role played by badgers, such as electric fencing around farm buildings, might well yield greater benefits at a fraction of the cost.”
by Andrew Watts Source (Farmers Weekly webpage)

Lamb Cutting Demonstration for Dolau WI

Last night, Wednesday, saw us arriving at Dolau community centre to give a talk and demonstration on lamb Cutting, Farm Diversification, and Oopen Farm Sunday. Quite a lot considering we only had 1 hour. It went wonderfully, and we were warmly encouraaged by the group, who were interested and asked lots of topical questions. At the end we had a quick quiz just to see if our aldies had been really listening, and gave away some freebies which Hybu Cig Cymru had sent to us.

The talk was followed by a lovely supper and cups of tea and of course lots of chat. It is wonderful knowledge that so many people do care abo9ut what we do as farmers and ahve quite good information as to the happenings in farming and the countryside but we ahve to keep plugging a way and get the message over to as many people as possible.

Thanks for a lovely evening ladies.

Yes We Are In Our 2nd Lambing Stage

Stage 2 of lambing has commenced.. So off I went this morning, camera and James in tow, to take phots and have a look. As we don't lamb here at our house we have to travel to take part in, or see any lambing. This little lamb had been born just minutes before we arrived and mum was encouraging him to get up and was licking him clean all over. There are lots of lambs around now and luckily the weather is being kind to us, although there is lots of rain, it is fairly warm. When a lamb and it's mother go out into the fields the mother ewe will tuck the lamb up against the hedge or tree, out of the wind, and very well sheltered from the rain and leave it there whilst she grazes or eats at the feeders. It is surprising how warm and dry the lambs usually reamin. Of course the shephard has to check them every day once outside, because, as with humans, every so often you get a Ewe who is a 'bad' mother and forgets her little one, or leaves it too long without feeding it, so our shephard, Wyn, takes them in hand........

TB test time Again.........................

At 10.00am this morning the ministry vetinary turned out to conduct our 60 day re-test. We are hopeful that all of our cattle will go through alright this time, as the one which did have a reaction was a bought in beast.



True to form the weather was windy, cold and raining. I have to say the vetinary had the cleanest pair of leggings on in the world, but then they must clean them and disinfect them every time they go on to a farm because of bio-security, which is a good thing.



Somehow I ended up with the job of writing down the cattle identifications, and the skin thickness measurements( I had only gone to take photographs!), but I had chance to talk with the lady vet, who was very nice, and was telling her of our decision to no lonnger buy in any animals, especially cattle, because the risk of contamination disease is just too great. Even with the pre-movement testing, the results are just not accurate enougth to risk our herd going down with TB, so in future we will keep pedigree Welsh Black Heifers to replace and increase our own herd, but all other pedegree Welsh black Heifers, which we would usually take to market to sell on as breeding stock will be killed and put through our butchers shop, and that will enable us to have enough beef carcass to prevent us having to buy in a few Welsh Balck Bullocks to put through the Butchery.

I had several chances to have a little chat with the vet, as the men moved different sections of cattle in and out of the yard. I explained that although we have badgers, we thought they must be 'clean' badgers, i.e. TB free and these badgers being territorial keep other, possibly infected badgers, off our land and away from our cattle. The vet agreed, but also told me there are pockets of land where there are cattle, which are away from all other cattle in the middle of nowhere, with no contact with animals (domestic) who suddenly contract TB. She implied that the slaughter of all the cattle which is happening at present is not the way to eradicate TB and a badger cull was inevitable, but it had to be done in a humane and constructive manner.

Nuffield

Just to let you all know, I have just got back from Oswestry Farmers Market and opened a letter to find out I didn't get a scholarship again. I just must be bad at interviews I think. I can't tell you how dissapointed I am. But this is just to say thank you to all the poeple who have supported me, given me wishes of luck and encouraged me, and given me great references, it means a lot.
Thanks

Back From London

Just a quickie....... Back from the metropolis, nice to see Dan and meet his flat mate Pam. Very tiring two days, mostly travelling. can't think why all those people want to work in London, still they are high earners and keep the likes of us in employment, buying our meat etc. the tube is a fantastic experience. everyone gets on and immediately starts to read a paper or a book, no one talks to each other, no one looks at each other it is as if they are all clones, even Dan got on the train and got out his book .... and I was THERE!
My Nuffield interview did not go very well I feel. It was a totally different format to other years, no random questions, or up to date news questions, mostly on your subject and I just find mine so big, that I think I get bogged down, no not bogged down there is just so much of it, perhaps I'm just not very good in the interview but i know I've got it in me to do the job. Well I shall know soon, but I;m not hopeful, I was very disappointed with myself travelling home but what shall be, shall be.
More updates on Breakfast week tomorrow

Farmhouse Breakfast Week

We were up at the crack of dawn,(well it was still dark!) loading up the old Landrover with my microwave,( Philip had knocked the gas cylinder last night so all the gas had leaked out, had to leave the doors open for 1/2 hour so we all didn't die on the way to Crossgates School!), Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine,- don't you just love that name? and all of the bits and pieces for cooking a farmhouse breakfast.

My youngest daughter Jessica, was very excited ( the one brandishing a plate and trussed up in a red apron), and had been looking forward to this for days, including asking me was I going to cook breakfast for them next year as well? ........lets get this one over first Jess.

We had a lovely selection, lamb & rosemary Sausages, welsh Black Beef Sausages and lamb & Cranberry Sausage, Bacon, Grilled Toms, Grilled Mushrooms and Scrambled Eggs, donated by Roger Abberley from Llanyre Free Range Chicken Sheds, Baked Beans and Bread & Butter (proper butter....)

All the children loved the sausages, and some even tried things they weren't sure about which I always think is good. The boys hung on to their plates, waiting for seconds, and the Headmistress Sue Meeke made a journey up especially for her cooked breakfast. Apparently all of the builders on site were asking what the lovely smell was, I should have taken a cash box and made a profit for the morning!, not like me to miss an opportunity....

Mrs Smith, the class teacher explained how Breakfast was made up of two words- Break and Fast, fast meaning to not eat for a period of time and break meaning to stop the fast, so during the night whilst you were sleeping you were indeed fasting, then you break the fast by having breakfast in the morning. we need to eat breakfast to give us energy to do all the things we need to do in the morning, including growing, especially if you are a young child. we went through all of the other breakfast things you could eat, which included, Cereals like Bran Flakes or Porridge, Toast, Fruit, Yogurt or Croissants.

The conversation, or shall I say debate, moved on and I was very impressed with the children's knowledge of current news regarding food issues. we discussed Free Range and what it meant, and they had some very good views and opinions on this, we discussed waste of food and the war years and obesity.

it has given me an idea to have a monthly, fortnightly weekly food debate during 1/2 hour at lunch time in the school to see if pupils want to enhance their knowledge of food and learn about the bigger picture concerning the food we all eat, what a fantastic opportunity to engage with the next generation in enthusiastic conversation about the food they eat and where it comes from, the children are interested and we should take every opportunity to encourage and nurture this.

Thanks for having me Crossagtes Class 3 & 4, and don;t forget to remind Mrs Smith that after Easter invite me and I'll come back and we'll make healthy sausages or beef burgers for you to eat at Lunch time, and many thanks to the two boys who did the washing up - well done to everyone.

Nuffield Farmining Scholarship

It's that time of year again.

Last year, when I went for my first interview for the Nuffield, I was inspired by Heather Gorringe, of Wiggly Wrigglers, to write my own Blog. Heather was successful in obtaining her scholarship, but unfortunately I fluffed my interview, was initially gutted, so I decided to try again, but I promised myself I would make the twelve months in between really count. And I think I have achieved that.

New year is mostly a time to reflect and with this anniversary of the blog I think now is appropriate.
We joined LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)
I enrol ed in the first ever trial Welsh CEVAS (Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme) course, enabling us to take school visits onto the farm.
We were asked if FACE (Farm And Countryside Education) could use our farm as a portfolio on their site, which we agreed to. (http://www.face-online.org.uk/)
I finished my NVQ level 4 in management - adding Dip.RSA after my name.
We successfully opened as one of only 7 farms in wales on Open Farm Sunday June 10th and had over 200 visitors.
We made contact with our MP and have had several meetings with him where we have bought to his attention some of the problems in farming and remain in contact with him regularly.
We opened a local village Farmers Market, which had to close due to lack of continuity both from supplier and customers, but it gave us the idea of a Farm Shop.
We approached a farm on the main road and formed a partnership to open a Local farm Shop
We hosted our third visit from Coleg Powys Agricultural Students.
I made two visits to local schools with our cawl making workshop.
Both Philip & I had the confidence to apply to become Industry Board members of Hybu Cig Cymru -(even though both of us failed to get an interview)
I put FACE in touch with the YMCA College Cardiff to try and get funding to put on more CEVAS courses in Wales.
Hosted young farmes Clubs Visits to the Farm
Have been asked to do demonstrations and talks for local clubs i.e. the WI
We have taken every opportunity locally to get the media involved in anything we have done so lifting the profile of local food and farming.
We have helped Penoffa Pork to get going, processing their pork for them, so they can sell it on farmers markets and locally.
I met up with Powys County Council head of Catering and had several meetings talking about the procurement of local food for school lunches, he actually came out to the farm -

So all in all I have to thank the Nuffield for turning me down, because it gave me the energy to seek out all these things this year and grow in confidence within the industry - wow just think what actually getting a Nuffield would do for me? Well fingers crossed my interview is next Wednesday at precisely 10.3. I am going to stop the night before with my son Daniel....... never do just one thing if you can do two - that's my motto!!!!!

British Farmhouse Breakfast Week

20th - 26th January 2008
Farmhouse Breakfast Week is an annual campaign that emphasises the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every day. 'A Great Start' is the theme of this year's celebration to encourage everyone to wake up to a balanced breakfast as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. Nutritionists agree that a healthy breakfast is essential for starting the day. Breakfast provides 'A Great Start!' to the day, no matter what you have planned.

Always up for a challenge, and not one for missing an opportunity to get across to our younger generation the chance to taste local produce and talk about the benifits of eating properly and giving them the opportunity to cook, taste and make their own decisions I have arranged two Breakfast mornings.
The first will be on Monday morning at Crossagtes School with class 3 & 4. I will be cooking a variety of sausage, eggs, bacon and of course beans for the class to sample.
The second venue will be on Thursday Morning at treffonen Church in Wales School with Class 5,(not so long ago this class made Cawl with me- see previous blogs)

for pictures and an update on how these dates went tune in next week.

Our First lambs Have Arrived.......

The First 2 Lambs Of 2008

Yesterday was a lovely day, clear with sunny skies, and our Shepherd, Wyn, let us know that at 1pm the previous evening 2 lambs had arrived, the first of our 2008 lambs.

Spurred on by the change in weather after what seems to be days of rains, and minor floods all over our area, I took my camera and off I went to investigate.

Caergynant is the new farm we purchased nearly three years ago. This is where we do all of our early lambing. We have 200 early lambing ewes.

The ewes (mother sheep) are all indoors in a big, high ceiling shed. We usually leave the doors open as long as it isn't too blustery or snowing, because the more fresh air that moves about the better for the animals indoors. The walls of the shed are concrete bottom with slatted tops, again to ensure air circulation around the animals, as with them all being indoors virus' and bugs can soon begin to breed and infect the ewes if the air is stale.

It is lovely to walk in after lunch. the ewes have all been fed and are contentedly munching hay or silage from big round feeders which are in the middle of all the pens. At Caergynant, because we use the shed for different uses throughout the years we make the sheep pens out of huge oblong straw bales which we buy in at the end of summer, and the crafty ewes know that they can have a lovely munch on their pens if they fancy a change!

Also in the shed are 8 - 10 Welsh black bullocks about 18 months old, they were sitting in the sunshine which was streaming in through the slatted sides, and munching on hay, so all in all it was a very idyllic scene.

In the middle of the ewes is our blind ewe. A story which reminds us of the cruelty which can go on in nature. last summer Wyn was out checking the stock on the fields when he saw a ewe lying on her side not moving. he got to her and she wasn't very well, but whilst she lay poorly, crows had pecked out her one eye which was on her upturned side. Wyn tried to get her standing but she was too weak so he knew he would have to go and get the quad bike to take her back to the farm where he could nurse her back to health, he managed to get her lying in a different position, because when ewes lie on one side for a long time their bellies swell up with trapped gases and they can die from it, so this way he was relieving the pressure of the gas and enabling it to distribute normally through her body again. By the time he got back, just 10 minutes later, the crows, knowing her weakened condition, had pecked out her other eye............

Wyn nurtured her through the summer keeping her near to home and making sure she had water readily available, and we think she will be in lamb when we scan her in a few weeks time. She is very happy to sit with her friends and listen to them munching and she finds her way to water, and of course the lovely ewe cake which they are fed once a day.

In one of the back pens is a ewe who had to go to the vet on Sunday. She was trying to have her lambs and it was very obvious to our experienced Shepherd that the lamb was dead inside her. in this case we have to get the lamb out. the Shepherd was unable to pull the lamb out so we had to take her to the vet, who luckily managed to pull out the dead lamb and give her injections which would help any infection that having a dead lamb inside her would cause. She is looking very sharp and we hope she will make a full recovery.

On monday we are hosting aschool visit for the Welsh unit at Treffonen Church of wales School Llandrindod Wells, as Wyn first language is welsh we hope they will have a loveley afternoon

In Comes New Year with a Big Bang - The insurance is Due today!

Yes it must be just about the worst time of year to renew our insurance... although in hindsight there probably isn't a best time is there lets face it.
Faced with a renewal bill of £6555, it was pretty obvious that I was going to approach other companies for a quote. One local company in Knighton failed to respond at all to my e-mail asking for a quote, another local company regretfully informed me that although they would love to provide cover, the insurance organisation they dealt with refused to touch the butchery side of the business, and so I managed to get one quote from a Ludlow based firm which is looking very promising at the moment at £4575........ it is unbelievable that these can be quoting for the same cover don't you think?
Not having received our single farm payment yet, or our ESA payment, I have spent considerable time on the phone over the past few weeks trying to find out what was happening. Most Welsh Farmers were supposed to have their payments on December 1st, which is what happened to us last year, but not this.... after a week I phone The ministry of Agriculture in Llandrindod Wells to find out what was happening. I was put through to a HELP department, although i feel this may have been in appropriately named!
I asked when I would receive our payment and was told she wasn't sure. I asked what the problem was. I was told she wasn't sure. I asked to speak to someone who could help me as I would like a definite answer. She asked me to write in. I told her no I was on the phone and I would like someone to answer me now rather than me writing a letter which would take at least two weeks for someone to answer. She was unable to help. I asked about our ESA payment. This is the Environmentally Sensitive Area payment we get, not for free, but in return for agreeing to quite a large amount of criteria, which costs us money to comply with, such as paying a contractor to pleach or lay a certain amount of hedging each year, keeping ponds and certain wildlife areas free, not putting fertiliser down in certain places. She was unable to help so I asked to be put thought to the head of the ESA department.
Please note that in October I had phoned the ESA dept. and queried if our claim was all OK with no complications or problems and I had been told yes everything was fine. So you can probably imagine my frustration when I was told that the file had been taken away because of some queries. I complained, as you do when things are not going your way, that these claims had been in for 12 moths how come at the very last minute when the payment was due that a problem was found? I was even more astounded when I was told that if it was a query to do with the land and maps, and that three weeks before Christmas the mapping dept. had closed for refurbishment and currently had not re-opened - nearly 12 months!
Is it any wonder that we farmers pull our hair out sometimes, how can a ministry dept. function in this way?
Lets hope the new year changes a few things - or that we change a few things for ourselves..........