Farm

A new cow feed arrived today, fresh from the sugar beet factory. This pile of deliciously sweet steaming shreds will be an energy providing addition to the cows’ diet. Some by-products of human food production (like this) are now hard to come by; the mash we used to get from breweries is now powering bio…

For the first time in 12 years we grew maize. Farmers all over the UK are saying this has been the worst crop in 15 years. The dry windy conditions in May and early June stunted the newly germinated seedlings, and then summer’s abundant rain further limited growth.The important part of the plant is the…

It was shampoo and sets all round for the female lambs born this Spring as they were spruced up for the annual North of England Mule Sheep Association sale at Kendal auction. Much was made of this being the last Mule sale at the town site – next year’s lambs will enter the ring at…

Why did the farmer fit his cow with a pedometer? To see how much it’s moooving. BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today presenter Caz Graeme couldn’t resist milking a few bad jokes in the interview with farmer Richard that was broadcast this morning. The cows have been sporting ankle bracelets containing pedometers since 2008 but the…

The news from north Cumbria that cows in an Eden dairy herd were infected with bovine TB was a blow. This is the first sign of it in the county. Badgers spread bovine TB and there’s been a great deal of controversy nationally about how to prevent further infection in the UK. The government has…

The global price of cereals has shot up and we’re changing afternoon milking time to 3.15pm. What’s the story, what’s the connection? India and China buy a large proportion of the world’s supply of grain now, which means there is less on the world market. Grains are being grown to produce bio-ethanol, a renewable energy…

The cows left their winter housing quite late this year because the grass didn’t grow in the low temperatures. The fields had to be dry enough for a 150-strong herd. Even with 4 star indoor accommodations throughout the winter the cows race to the pasture, eager to munch juicy fresh grass. We are excited at…

After ploughing and picking off a few large stones in our Lyth Valley fields, lime was spread to increase the soil pH. The land was last ploughed 25 or 30 years ago and it is encouraging to see and feel the quality of the soil. It has been planted with a grass and clover mix…

Lambing continues into mid-April when all the sheep will have had their lambs. This year 4 sheep had 3 lambs each. With 2 teats, ewes can successfully rear only twins, so the third lamb from 2 sets of triplets has been ‘mothered on’ to a sheep with only 1 lamb, the remaining 2 being reared…