April 2001

Foot & mouth disease continues to plague many farmers lives. We refuse to be caught in the web of fear that has been cast and know that our potential loss is significantly less than those who have many more animals and a lifetime of history with their herds. We are however wondering what to do with our cows. We had intended to send them to market for finishing in March, but that time has passed, the markets are not open and we cannot move animals, so it looks like we will need to finish them ourselves. Our neighbours want to buy some of our haylage and we have agreed to exchange this for feed for our cows which they buy in bulk and relieves us of any storage or delivery problems. The next conversation to have is where do you sell quite a large but one off quantity of beef? - to be revealed (to us as well as to you!)

The little seeds Lorraine planted last month and which took up just one windowsill in the conservatory, are flourishing. Trouble is, when they do that, they need potting on... and that takes up more room. So now there is no more sill space, although they're still hiding behind the sofa's so Mark's keeping his cool about it all.

Having given up completely on digging the heavy clay which Lorraine's hoping will make a veggie patch one day, she persuaded Mark to play digger driver and dig out some manure, which he loaded on the trailer and pulled round to the garden, rearranging a yard post in the process. However, we have now flattened the grass and laid a pile of farmyard manure on it, permaculture style and we hope given time to settle that this will be a base in which to grow some edible things. Well, it worked in our previous garden, let's see what happens here. Looks like potatoes will be a very good start, although we've never grown those before.

The hens have settled in and are now happily scratching around in the yard and the cowshed. They are laying lots of beautiful brown eggs with the most wonderful golden yolks.

Our neighbours have rented the grass. You've no idea how much goes into growing "good grass". It's all in the timing of slurry spreading, rolling and harrowing... and what, if any, fertiliser you use.

We, in our ignorant idealism, would prefer not to use chemicals... but then what is going to help poor tired grass to grow and be rich enough for cows either to eat during the summer months, or to make in to silage for next winter?

I'd have put calcified seaweed on my veggie plot in the garden... but on 110 acres? And where do you buy this stuff by the ton... and how much do you need per acre... a bit more than the little bags you pick up at the garden centre I guess! And whilst we're at it... how do you spread it?

We had a phone call from a man from Cotswold Swan and Wild Bird Rescue Centre who'd been given our number by the previous owners. He was looking for a home for 2 cockerels. Having ascertained that they would fit in with the hens quite happily we invited him to bring them round. They are two beautiful Light Sussex birds with bright red combs and shining white feathers. One is creamy white - he's the leader and we've called him Earl. The other has black hackles and his name is Louis. What a delight it is to hear them calling and see them chivvying the hens around. Now it really sounds like a farm!

Whilst they were being delivered, Paul (the man from CSWBC) asked if we'd like to home a peacock and peahen too. Why not! So we rigged up a straw shelter for them and the next day we had two more feathered beings who were promptly named Victoria and Albert arrived.

Albert didn't like being in the shelter and within the first few hours had negotiated netting and bales and we found him sitting outside. Paul had made it clear to us that whilst we were not to harm the birds in anyway, if they escaped or came to a natural end then this was a fact of life. Realising the futility of trying to catch Albert and put him back in the shelter, we released Victoria, who promptly flew up for more appropriate shelter in the nearest tree.

Have you seen peacocks fly? They just go straight up! Fascinating.

They have made themselves at home roosting either in the tree or in the yard. They spend a lot of time in the neighbours garden watching TV through the window!