Can't be September already?

Having a busy summer is a poor excuse for not being able to do a blog since May!  Today is the first day of September, officially Autumn!  Although we've not had a lot of hot, sizzling sunshine, the weather we've had over Somerby has been ideal for grass growing.  My husband says that if we get a shower of rain once a fortnight, it will keep us in grass through the summer.  And it has been just that.  Spot on.    As you know I now measure grass growth weekly using my plate meter, and two weeks ago was the lowest grass growth in a week so far this year, but last week (after a fair amount of rain) has been better!

A new bull arrived this summer - meet Real Deal (akas Dickenson's Real Deal - Dicky for short)  He's bred in Canada and arrived in the UK as an embryo.  He's over a year old now and running with similar aged heifers for them to calve next May/June when they turn two years old!!  More milking cows all homebred, to add to our enlarging herd!

As a consequent of all the moisture this summer, our herd has enjoyed grazing a fresh paddock after each milking, nibbling the new shoots of growth, keeping our yields up and quality too.  We're milking 140 (most of our herd) so it takes a little longer because they're giving much more milk than last year.  Also 36 first time heifers calved in June which was an extremely busy period for Mark, David (our relief milker) and myself - Chief Calf Rearer.

August has been a busy month for Farm Walks too and many groups of WI's or Probus groups have enjoyed visiting the farm seeing the many baby calves and watching the cows being milked in the parlour.  I love showing people around the farm and answering their questions but probably the highlight of the visit is the afternoon tea and cakes to finish!

Talking of afternoon teas - we've had two major birthdays during July. Charlotte turning 21 and my 50th! (Yes, I know I don't look it!!!!)  One extremely kind gift received was an afternoon tea at Stapleford Park which we undertook last week - wow, diet got pushed aside for that event I can tell you!

Our son Harry (now 18) finished his placement year in early July and has been a much valued help at home!  Mowing grass for hay, turning it and carting & stacking it after a contractor baled it for us.  Spreading fertiliser and topping pasture with the new mower!  He's waiting for straw bale carting and stacking now, if it ever stops raining for the combines to get going again!  Then its back for his final year at Reaseheath College later on this month, so all change again on the farm.

Charlotte has been working really hard running her own business, a livery yard since she returned from her Australia and New Zealand trip.  She's also got her own horse competing again after his injury earlier this year.  I enjoy spending time with them both and love competing every weekend!  I try and help her out when I can which makes a nice change for me from the moo moos!

Often visitors ask me if Mark and I manage to get away for a holiday each year.  Yes we do especially now Charlotte and Harry are around it's much easier for us to get away so we nipped off to Lynton and Lymouth in Exmoor for a week at the end of July, in a quite cliff top hotel.  A most magical and peaceful place.  Loved it.

Looking forwards, more cows due to calve at the end of September and October, so more babies to rear and the diary is filling up nicely with bookings for my Farm Talks for the rest of this year and into the next.  No doubt if you're reading this, you've probably met me at a talk or even been on a Farm Walk.  Please feel free to pass on my details to anyone else who might be interested in the life of a Dairy Farmer's Wife!!  Reasonable rates and bookings welcome!!