Silage is made and another busy week!

Here we are at the end of another very busy week.  These farm walks and talks I run as a sideline to the farm, are just crazy.  The demand is so high and this week alone I've done two farm walks and two farm talks to U3As and a trip to Somerset and back!

Monday afternoon, blessed with sunshine, I hosted 9 visitors from the Vale of Belvoir U3A Natural History group for two hours finishing with a good cuppa and a nice freshly baked cake. 

Tues morning I whizzed up to Mansfield U3A with 120 in the audience, I entertained for well over an hour, answering all their questions.  I'm sure they'll want to visit the farm later this year too.

Tues evening, I drove Harry to Somerset, back to school for one night as his final GCSE exam was on Wed afternoon.  At his Prize Giving Assembly, Harry won an award for Best English student!  Took this picture as the cup doens't actually leave the school!   #veryproudmum .  Meanwhile I visited Clarks Shopping Village in Street, and did have a relaxing time doing some retail therapy - not something I usual enjoy but as the sun shone, and the seagulls flew overhead, it felt like a mini holiday!  I found all sorts of bargins which is always a bonus.

Drove back home on Wed afternoon with Harry after a tearful farewell from the teachers and matrons at Brymore School.  I can't believe I've no children at school now.  Where has all the time gone? 

Ed Foy, a good friend of Harry's, came back with us to do some "work experience" on our farm.  The two of them get on really well and he's a proper Somerset lad, with his accent and work ethic.  He's really keen to milk cows, something alien to young lads in this part of the world!

Thursday morning, another U3A group this time in Carlton & Gedling in Nottingham.  Another 130 people all eager to ask questions and learn about my life on the farm.  I love the interaction of a larger group and making them laugh!

Then Friday morning I hosted a school visit from Leicester High School.  22 young ladies from Year 7 visited the farm on a damp morning.  Many of the girls were taken by my puppy, Beattie but some from an Indian background very cautious of her.  Interesting?

We have christened our new silage clamp this week.  The contractors arrived to  make our clamp silage on Monday afternoon.  First the mower man arrives to mow the first two fields of grass, then its left to wilt for 24 hours.  Then one tractor rows the mown grass into a row for the forage harvester and four tractors with silage trailers to start picking up.  The weather was perfect, sunny, dry and slightly windy.  It's crucial to make silage when the sun shines as all the sugars in the leaf are at there highest and that's what makes silage palatable to the cows in the winter.  Much happier and much better crop than the wet soggy stuff with made last year.   So all 140 acres of grass in one clamp we estimate to hold 1500 tonnes worth £40/tonne, making it a valuable and important crop for the cows milk yields this winter!

Now its the weekend, so staying at home for a couple of days is bliss to me.  It's really strange to share a meal with Mark and the children once in a while, as all our lives are so hectic and busy.