Family Day Out @ Livestock Event

Had a great day out with my husband, my son and my father yesterday.  We treated ourselves to a day with other dairy farmers at the NEC.  It's ridiculous really as you spend most of the time at these shows bumping into and  talking to your neighbours from down the road, catching up with the latest news and gossip!

Anyway, we took Harry and he met up with two school friends from Somerset so that took care of him and we didn't have to spend our time looking round new tractors and machinery with him asking why can't we buy one?  Of course, we'd rather spend our time around the Ayrshire Cattle breeders and watched our new friends doing the cattle showing.  Everyone was pleased to see us again since the AGM in Kintyre and they all remembered our names.  Impressed!  Harry has now finished his schooling at Somerset after three wonderful years.  Last Saturday we had our last trip to Brymore for the Schools Open Day.  We had to take a trailer to fetch his DT project.  Whilst most boys made a tool box or hen hut, our lad decided to make a feed bin for the calf food.  It was a hugh 1m x 1.2m x 1.5m checker plate and angle iron welded box!  Needed a tractor to load it up and unload once we got home.  Anyway its a useful item to have and we needed one!

Later on I found my way onto the DairyCo stand, and attended the launch of their new campaign #discoverdairy which I hope you'll support.  Is a campaign I'm already involved with - teaching the general public about what goes on on a dairy farm.  Everyone's familiar with the end product, but just how do we farmers actually produce this food everyday?  It's right up my street and I'm happily taken the "bull by the horns" (excuse the pun) and started "tweeting" messages about what we're doing now on the farm. Go on, take a look and follow me or at least do some "likes" and give me some support!!  DairyCo have managed to get Adam Henson as their ambassador to head the campaign which is aimed at 18-35 year olds.  Hence the social media interaction!

By the way, look out for my profile on DairyCo's website www.thisisdairyfarming.com under Meet the Farmer tab.  Quite impressed - like the picture too.

They announced their website will be upgraded at the end of July making it more picture stories rather than words and asked me to do some guest farmer blogging!  Hey, getting with it now!

Getting to the NEC is easy pezzey down the M42.  Parking free and an easy walk to the event.  Air conditioning was exactly right, we weren't too cold or hot.  All was perfect until we went to buy some lunch!  Wow, how can it be that in a permanent exhibition centre it takes 40 minutes to queue up to order and pay for a hot roast pork pannini costing a whopping £6.95 each!!  Ouch, that's beyond counselling!  This year I took my own bottle of water as I remember being charged £1.95 for 50ml bottle last year.  We've only been getting 24.19pence per ltr for milk in June!

Here's a picture of  "Somerby Sunflower" during milking this morning.  She loves cow cake but hasn't learnt to shut her mouth to eat it!  Ha Ha!

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.

Fun time in Kintyre!

Our trip to the Ayrshire Breeders Cattle Society conference (aka our holiday this year) was a huge success.  We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and met some very nice people with a shared passion for Ayrshire cattle!  For those who have experienced Young Farmers weekend in Blackpool in their early youth, this Conference was exactly the same but for "older" married young farmers.  The biggest problem for Mark was how to get his wellingtons to Scotland?  As we flew in a plane, we had only booked in one suitcase and I wasn't having Marks wellingtons in as well.  So Mark came up with the answer.  He wore them on the plane all the way there and all the way home again! Problem solved.   Having been asked many times on the final day, will we attend another conference?  The answer was most certainly "yes" and already looking forward to a trip to Falmouth next May.

All went well at home, so no disasters on the farm whilst we were away.  A couple of new calves arrived and their mothers looked after them in the "maternity" paddock until we got back.

Now June has arrived I'm really busy with my Farm Walks.  Over the past year when I give my talks, I invite groups to visit the farm for a tour.  This is the time of year to do them, when the cows are grazing the fields and all the yards are cleaned out and tidy.  As well as adult groups, I also get a lot of school groups.  Unfortunately the weather turned very showery for Martinshaw Primary School's visit the last Friday in May.  As they were all about 5 years old, it was difficult to entertain them for two hours indoors, as it wasn't fit to run about in the fields.  It's amazing how the cubicle shed (bedroom for cows in the winter months) can double up as a make-shift play ground complete with climbing frames!  It was slightly worrying when one lad (who had his arm in plaster and a sling) tried to climb the cubicles, so I was relieved when the male teacher suggested it was not such a good idea in his condition!

We made it through another busy weekend at the beginning of June which began with a knees up at  the Cottesmore Hunt Farmers Ball on Friday night using the Members Marquee at Rutland Agricultural Show which is held on the following Sunday.  I volunteered to do the floral table decorations (as in my past life I did floristry for 16 years - albeit using silk flowers) and we used exotic Orchids in single stem vases.  We had a "ball" (forgive the pun) dancing til the early hours (thank God we booked the relief milkman for Sat mornings' milking).  It was slightly different this year as Charlotte (now 18) has come of age to attend too.  She looked stunning with her fake tan and mini skirted dress!  Many friends of mine commented on her and boy, did that make us feel proud and old!  Then to finish the weekend, we went to the Farmers Party, held in the same marquee on Monday evening for supper.  It's hosted by the Hunt and its intention is to thank all the landowners and farmers for allowing the hunt over their land.  This also is where we sold the orchids!  All in all, it was a hectic but very sociable weekend.

Harry is currently doing his GCSEs at school in Somerset. He finishes on 19th June for good.  End of an era as I'll have no children at school any more.  Harry will go to agricultural college in Sept at Reaseheath in Cheshire.  Charlotte is finishing off her apprenticeship in August then plans to travel to Australia for six months or so.  With her horse Jester, we're spending most weekends eventing at various events locally and Jester is learning fast and getting fitter by the day.  Charlotte is so keen and rides/trains every night to get him fit.  I'm enjoying our  mother/daughter time together and will keep Jester for the winter as a "carrot" to entice Charlotte back home again after her travels!!

Today we had 10 students from Longslade Community College in Birstall, Leicester come for a Farm Walk.  During the walk, Mark wanted us to move 6 x 6 month old calves from a paddock back into the farm buildings (as we're silaging shortly and they're in the way of the contractors).  What a laugh!!  I tried to give clear instructions to the novice farmers, all but 2 calves went in the right direction, one even jumping a huge hedge!  But the two that escaped us just ran straight through our electric fencing! It was very traumatic for the calves and for the students.  We decided to leave them to cool down and try again later (when the students have gone home).  All in a days work. Ahhhh just another 9 walks and talks to go til the end of June!  Busy, busy!

A Wet and Windy May........

What a difference a week makes with the weather! A wet and windy May, fills the barn full of hay! So they saying goes.  How true!  So we've got what we wanted some drizzle!

Off to Scotland tomorrow with Mark for a "holiday" looking at six herds of Ayrshire cows in Kintyre.  When I looked on the map, I said I'm not driving all that way, so we're flying at 11.50am from East Midlands tomorrow.  Back on Monday.  Hotel looks nice and there's some sightseeing trips if I don't want to go round EVERY herd!  Looking forward to it but boy, its hard getting ready and everything done to leave the farm.

Had a busy day today.  Awoke to find a cow down with milk fever.  She's an old Friesian cow and calved herself sometime last night.  However, she was at deaths door at 8am this morning when Mark found her.  So called our vet out, Mike Thorne, who had to puncture her rumen to let out all the gas as she'd blown up, then give her loads of calcium.   Out in the field, it felt just like a scene from "All Creatures Great and Small"  when James Herriot worked his magic to all the hill farmers who were amazed at the speedy recovery these cows can make.  Not sure its going to be that quick as she was on her way to heaven but its heart warming to see her sit up this afternoon.  Her big bull calf was fine, just hungry so we've removed him back to the farm to be fed with the others.  Isn't it amazing that some of the treatments vet make haven't changed in sixty years.

Good day at Melton market too.  We've had to move our Hereford Bull on as we no longer want to breed from him.  Ferdinande was 4 years old and we've had him for the past two years.  He cost £1600 and we've just sold him for £1200!  Another farmer will use him as a stock bull for breeding.  Mark also took 3 baby bull calves which also made a good price.  In June, we'll get our new Ayrshire bull from Derbyshire which I wrote about in my last blog!

This afternoon, I entertained 25 visitors from Kettering NHS Retirement group on a farm walk.  We walked and talked around the fields, looking at the dry cows, taking in our wonderful views, met Mulberry our Ayrshire Bull and saw a new born calf with its mother in the field.  Then back to the buildings to see the weaners, 18 baby calves and watch Mark milking!  After a hot cup of tea, some cakes and Stilton Cheese, they returned home with red cheeks and a full stomach.  Just like a load of happy, contented cows!! (Sorry ladies.... nothing personal!)

While we're away, Trevor our relief milker will take the reins, together with Marks parents, Noel and Barbara and Charlotte our daughter who will keep house and look after the horses and chickens!!  I love going away on holiday but I love coming home more.  It's such a hassle just leaving the place as unexpected things happen when you least expect.  Fingers crossed we make the plane tomorrow!  I'll fill you in upon my return.

May Day Bank Holiday - What a perfect day? Or as Pa Larkin would say "Perfeck!"

How beautiful has today been?  Really perfeck (as Pa Larkin would say).  At last some real nice warm and sunny weather to warm the heart.  Thank goodness it's May.  One of my most favourite times of the year.  Although we could do with some rain in the forecast, as we're not seeing the grass grow quick enough for the cows to eat it!

I've just come in from sitting in my garden with a glass of wine, thinking over how lovely life is at the moment.  (You have to savour days like this or you'll forget them).  It's past 8pm and all the farm is quite.  All the milking ladies out in the Home Field, munching on grass or lying in the evening sun.  Our five down calving cows in the Dairy paddock right in front of our house, so we can keep a watchful eye on them.  I did see one Ayrshire lady walking quietly away from the others, to find a spot under the hedge, with her tail lifted.  I'm sure she'll calf during the night - they often do when all's well in their world.

We've now got 21 baby Ayrshire heifer calves in the shed, who I've been feeding milk to morning and night.  No blarting now.  They're all quite now with their belly's full and content to snooze.  The eldest ones are seven weeks old tomorrow, so soon time to start weaning them off milk.  They've always got water, corn and hay available in between milk feeds so some are trying the hard feed now. 

I've been shepherding our dry cows and young stock in the fields across Owston Road this afternoon, after fetching the milking ladies in for afternoon milking around 3.30pm.  Again, they were happy and lying in the grass, basking in the calm sunny afternoon weather we've all been longing for all year.

My daughter Charlotte has just returned from the YFC AGM at Blackpool having driven her little Punto up the M6 for the first time on Friday and back again today.  She's had a wonderful time which brought back many happy memories of my experiences at National AGM weekends.  The weathers helped too!  Now she's in bed trying to catch up on sleep ready for work in the morning.

Harry has had the weekend in Somerset with a good friend Ed and his family.  They've been to Bath shopping, cinema and today was spent at a County Show.  Again, many happy memories in the making of his last term in the South West.  I'm sure he'll look back in years to come and say "those were the best years".  Next are the dreaded GCSE exams from now til mid June, then he'll come home and work all summer!

Mark and I did have an afternoon off this weekend on Sat!  We went bull shopping!!  A quick trip to Bakewell (where the tarts/puddings come from) to an Ayrshire breeder/farmer to look for our next bull.  The plan is to sell Ferdinand (the Hereford) at Melton market next week and then in June, we'll fetch our new young Ayrshire (not sure of his name yet).  Although we'll have two Ayrshire bulls on the place, care will be taken they never meet!  Jealousy and rivalry between young bulls, could result in a massacre.  Anyway we need to swop them over every three weeks, when the time comes to start bulling the cows again for next years calves.

We are thrilled to tell you we've got 21 new Ayrshire heifers born so far this spring.  All since 18 March.  Most are by Mulberry and some from using sexed semen by artificial insemination. Another 20-30 cows to calve yet, so more to come.  Will keep you posted.

So all in all, a very satisfactory start to May 2013.  Did I just hear the weatherman say rain is on its way?  Perfeck!

TB Testing. A testing time!

Happy, happy day!  Thrilled at this mornings news.  Our vet William, came this morning to read the TB test results on the cows, youngstock and bulls.  All were clear! 

Huge relief felt by all of us.  Now we can get on and turn some stock out to grass!  Enough of all this work, bedding, feeding and feeling tired!  Then we can get to the smelly jobs like muck carting all the dung out of the sheds and heap in the field to rot down until Autumn.  Fertiliser coming this week so we can spread on the silage fields, helping it to grow into lush green leafy silage for next winters feed.   Although we've had a long winter, we still have some straw and silage bales left.  So that will keep until next winter. 

Tuesday was market day in Melton and Harry helped Mark take 8 baby calves and a cull cow.  They came back happy with the sales and much needed injection of cash income.  These calves were either beef breeds (Aberdeen Angus, Hereford) or Ayrshire bull calves.  The oldest was 4 weeks a bull calf made £82 each and the heifer calves made £70 a piece.  The Ayrshire bull calves were only 2-3 weeks old but still made a respectable £32 each. (Better than culling them I suppose).  The milking cows have picked up their yield although we're very below our predicted targets for April so far.

Todays typical April showers but with very gusty winds means the land is drying out rapidly.  Harry has a brand new John Deere tractor on trial this week and is spending many hours rolling the fields.  It has all the modern knobs and whistles that probably only Harry is excited about.  Sadly it will have to go back on Friday as we've certainly no funds to buy it.  Harry goes back to school next Monday too.  He's been such a useful help these past three weeks.  I know we're paying him by the hour now but his attitude and interest has certainly been better than before.  We've also had his Maths GCSE result today and he's passed his Maths and so pleased with himself.  A real boost to his confidence ahead of all the other GCSE's to do this term.

Yesterday we three visited Reaseheath College near Nantwich, Cheshire for his interview.  They were happy to give him a conditional place and the Maths result helps enourmously with that.  So come September he'll be enrolled on the "sandwich" course, year at college, year out on farm (working) and year back at college.  Really pleased as punch for him.

Cows let out today for the first time!

We've given up on Spring arriving by the calendar date.  Our cows were allowed out into the field for a couple of hours after morning milking and boy did they skip and jump their way up the track.  Although the fields are fairly dry now thanks to the east wind, there is definitely no grass growing out there!  Even so, the cows had a hop, skip and a jump and seemed pleased to be let out of their winter housing.  Doesn't do the milk yield any good though as they spent most of the time playing about rather than eating.  They were brought back in by 11.30am and sulked!  I feel like doing that most days at the moment.

Isn't it funny, I feel exactly the same as the cows.  We're so in tune with them, I'm sure we have the same emotions.  Last Friday, the sun was out and I raced about doing housework, cleaning the kitchen and back kitchen floor thoroughly (almost a total Spring Clean).  Hung washing on the line, tidied up the log shed and dustbins and the mound of snow still stacked outside our back door (it's due north so never sees the sun).  In fact we still have loads of snow under the hedgerows and along side the lanes where it drifted.  Then the next day it was dull and I didn't do much and just wanted to sit by the fireside all day trying to keep warm.

Back to work this week with a bang.  Seven talks this week in four days.  Just hosted my first Farm Walk for 2013 this afternoon and although the sun was out, it was bitter cold on top of Telly Tubby Hill - the highest spot on our farm with fabulous views.  My visitors were from Arnold in Nottingham and I did mention they'd need to wrap up warmly for the visit as we're always 10 degrees colder than anywhere else.  They enjoyed seeing Mark milk the cows and helping with feeding the baby calves.  We've got 18 babies that we feed fresh warm milk to twice a day and a newborn arrived this morning.  I think there's 10 Ayrshire heifer calves so far which we'll rear on farm and the rest are either bulls or beef calves so will go to market to be sold.

Harry's home and very useful too!  Noel is feeling low with the cold and not so well in himself at the moment.  He's 82 and its been a VERY long winter!  Charlotte and I have a chesty cough and my mother-in-law is limping as due to have a new knee this summer!  Only Mark is keeping going as he has too.  No choice.

Roll on warmer weather.